Bigger plans for 2005 Carnival

There will be improvements in security for the 2005 carnival. That was announced during the prize giving ceremony at the cruise ship berth July 17.
The news came from Culture and Tourism Minster Rene Baptiste. She stressed on the enforcement of copyright laws when she addressed the ceremony and reminded artistes of the significance of forming a Copyright Organisation of Recording Artistes. {{more}}
Baptiste is also hoping that improvements to this country’s air access will be in place for the 2005 festival. But she is not waiting until next year to begin promotions for the national showpiece.
And efforts to woo visitors will be stepped up at Labour Day celebrations in New York September 1. A programme of promotion will see the involvement of some of the nation’s leading cultural exponents and beauty personalities.
Baptiste alluded to the use of the nation’s top steelbands and calypsonians in promoting the carnival festivity. Next year’s festival is slated to run from June 25 to July 5.
Baptiste expressed satisfaction that the campaign to attract regional visitors had borne fruit as witnessed by the number of persons for the 2004 festival. But the Tourism and Culture Minister is not resting on her laurels. The thrust is continuing. And when the Barbados Crop Over Festival winds up this weekend, the Vincentian festival will be getting some additional promotion. The nation’s top steelband Cable & Wireless Starlift Steel Orchestra was slated to be part of the Barbados showpiece. That was as a result of coordination between the local Carnival Development Corporation and the Barbados Cultural Foundation. And Digicel Nelson Bloc, who won the band of the year title for the three years before this year, was also invited to the Barbados extravaganza.
A strategies session was expected to pave the way for continued enhancement of the 2005 carnival festivity.