Parsons slams silence over 70th festival preparations
Cultural icon and former lawmaker Eileene Parsons, has criticised the authorities overseeing the annual emancipation festivities in the territory for their apparent lack of initiative in organising the event, which is just a few short months away.
During an appearance on the Hot Seat radio show on ZBVI Radio earlier this week, Parsons expressed her concerns about the lack of communication regarding the festival preparations.
“What in the name of God is happening with festival and horseraces?” asked Parsons, who described herself as the only person alive who was a member of the first festival committee.”
Parsons added: “You are hearing nothing. I was a former Festival committee chairman. We started planning in September. What the hell is happening?”
Typically, the preparations for the Festival are managed by the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs (VIF&F) Committee, led by Dirk Walters at present. However, last December, the government decided to disband the VIF&F Committee, assigning its responsibilities to the BVI Tourist Board instead.
At that time, the government highlighted the need to revoke the committee’s governing legislation and mentioned that amending Section 8 of the Tourist Board Ordinance was necessary. The remaining assets were transferred to the BVI Tourist Board.
Marlon Penn, the representative for the Eighth District, raised concerns to Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley last month regarding the dissolution of the Committee and the integration of its functions into the BVI Tourist Board — a different statutory entity. He inquired if any legal advice had been sought on the matter and whether the Tourist Board had a legal framework to organise festival events in the interim.
Premier Wheatley refuted Penn’s suggestion that the Tourist Board lacked the legal mandate to advertise and oversee Festival celebrations. He clarified that despite some committee members resigning, the Chairman and other members were actively planning this year’s Virgin Gorda Festival with support from volunteers.
The BVI allocated nearly $2 million for the Emancipation Festival last year, which included a $1 million grant to the Committee from the government. Dr Wheatley hailed the event’s success as a significant achievement, especially in light of past challenges.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
We gonna have feathers and flesh just the way Miss P likes it.
I don’t want to see prepubescent girls simulating sex in skimpy clothes in the middle of the street – the BVI festival is and has always been very poor – and when Mrs P was in charge is was no better.
Please don’t waste any more taxpayers money on subsidising the worst festival in the Caribbean.
Correct – at last somebody uses the correct word.
Michael
True dat! Whilst many of these Caribbean having their feathery Costumes Carnival many of its people continue to be at poverty level…Thank God for the BVI who stood the test of time- one of the Bread Basket of the Caribbean.
Ms. p is correct.
“1 John 2:16 – For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”
Then you want to be calling God’s name in your mouth using it to suit your selfish desires.
A few short months?!? It’s not until August, which is 5 months away
@Really
So you think that 5 momths is enough time to plan a Festival. It is enough time if we want a mediocre product instead of a Spectacular event. This is why we have the worse Festival in the Caribbean. Poor Planning. Starting to plan in June which is the norm here don’t give enough time to get the entertainment line up to advertise so visitors ca plan to come to ouf shores. BVI as far as putting on an event to remember is Way Behind.
Why to we always get it wrong
I WONT BE COMING HOME THIS YEAR……..TO SEE WHAT, NAKED PEOPLE IN THE STREETS GYRATING?…..NO NOT ME SAH!!!
This lady amazes me. My guess is that she is 90 years old or more but lucid and actively engaged as ever,considering I have known her since I was a child.
She has chronic illness and required amputative surgery, family tragedies but she keeps keeping on.
..Wish she would offer some longevity tips.
I disagree with Ms. Parsons on many things, but in this she is right. Planning should have started months ago. Indeed, it is now a failure of the whole government system that there is insufficient planning and, dare I say it, VISION!
It starts at the top. The chair was happy to post about removing a homeless person from shelter but cannot hear a word about what’s going on with Festival.
He is also keen on breaking up committees that already exist. What if he had gotten in to office buddy?
The reality is that it is always easy for people to sit on the sidelines or on social media/blogs and talk negatively about this or that. Festival has always had its ups and downs but all past committees should be lauded as it is not an easy job planning and dealing with all the moving parts especially having to beg for financing etc. every year. The truth is the current Chair and Dep Chair are way in over their heads and CANNOT manage this situation. Anyone who is responsible for managing festival has to be able to deal with people, manage operations etc. We are almost in April and nothing, nada, barely even any hype about VG which is 2 weeks away. These guys are a waste of f**king time and nobody wants to say it. Everyone will mutter and complain behind the scenes and the situation will never be resolved. These people disbanded all festival committees and sub-committees with haste and are now begging people to join committees? This is the 70th and should’ve had all previous hands on deck as they have the experience in how to move things forward.
You have but the nail on the head!!! The people on the now disbanded committee are the ones who did the work that made those whack-a**** (D and the DJ) look like something good.
Marlon was on to something but gave up too soon because he asked the very questions that needed to be answered.
Sadly, and as usual, the people of the BVI will suffer for D’s efforts to lead Natalio down the rabbit hole solely for his personal gain.
VIBE, Ova Drive, Extreme, Pascal, Showtime 3.0, Evo HD, Selecta Taz, Dj Dre | The Association | Razor Blades it coming it coming can’t for get Destra for the 70th, we bring back some know acts on a repeated deal….donkey races for the kid, also introducing catch the foul and new local past time
They spending our money on their travel plans.
WEED – weed – WEED that is all these wannabe superstars are interested in ( LEGALISIZING THE ALMIGHTY WEED ) the hospital isn’t fully EQUIPT / the sh*t
continues to flow in the streets with a nice little fragrance / pot holes has become another added attraction for the tourist / drugs & guns has become the norm now / we cannot even feed ourselves yet we hollering out free up the weed and independence . When are these heroes going to come back to REALITY ❓️
@….. i also recommend row boat. races, schooner races and more. This will regenerate the craft of shipwrighting. The craft that contributed immenselyt o the growth out of poverty for these islands.
It is not really 70 years as the last 20 years or cannot and should not be classified as FESTIVAL they should be called X rated shows.
For the love of emancipation, entrance to the village should be FREE. We don’t want to hear no cocktail and bull stories about having to pay for International Artists when local participants are being overlooked or not being paid. Let’s get this cultural event together for first,the enjoyment of the locals/residents who vastly are the supporters of most activities. Stop spending what the committee doesn’t have to entertain and utilize previous entities from within the Virgin Islands, Barbados,Domonica,St.Kitts, Antigua and other Caribbean Islands for a reasonable fee.Support our locally own first.
These young people are not serious their focus is all about the money, getting the money, their focus is not about Good service and good Product..Festival will only improve when the older people get involved who will be doing out of love and Pride…
IF ~ the people who is running the country DOSEN’T know their own CULTURE then how can we expect any better / IT ALL ABOUT POWER & MONEY / and using – XENOPHOBIA / RACISM / COLONIALISM as a front to conceal their clandestine activities and the use
of their knowledge in the exploitation of their own people below them . No integrity is shown to the respect OR the BEAUTY of their CULTURE / I don’t think that it is even TAUGHT in the SCHOOLS / IS THERE ANY HISTORY BOOKS ON THE BVILANDERS HISTORY ❓️
The whole Caribbean emancipation celebration has been infiltrated by the whites who don’t live to hear we celebrating freedom from nazi terrorism. Primer Wheatley has been educated by the enemy, brain fully harvested to think white, and has been thought to respect power which is in the hands of white hegemony unipolar world. Now what we really should be doing on that so call emancipation, a happy word created by these same naazi terrorist, is proclamations, proclaim our economic liberation by taking over the resources and giving it to the people to develop wealth, rename sur Francis drake channels to a great bvi sea man, that Elizabeth park become a business area with free lands to the proprietor and financing for infrastructure on concessional terms, each emancipation is supposed to build the people, but no the white man has told us it’s insignificant, so get drunk and nude and gyrate ending in fights and jail. Economic emancipation now!
Maybe they are preparing but are just not communicating. Which is just as bad.
Have 2023 bills been paid yet or the bouncy checks?
The 2023 bills need to be paid BEFORE any planning starts!!!!!!!!
There will be a Festival.Even If I have to take off my shoes and get out in the street, pound on a drum and jump up to the beat, grab on a woman any one I meet, look at she man coming up the street when I pound my happy chune.
Again if she didn’t put that wall up on the family road she would have had money for the festival but no drving around with no legs wat ah laugh an she getting money from the gov
SHES THE TORTOLA TRUMP. MS P
Is saying )> yes , I said and I’ll say it again , the SILENCE is definitely DEAFENING / as we dont put a kid to
do a man’s job
She mad cause they stop driving you around,ain’t no more free rides on the government money for you and your maids!! Go buy a vehicle let Ishmael carry you around!