USVI children’s parade prompts call in BVI

Motivated by the level of participation she noticed in the Children’s Parade during the just-concluded carnival in the US Virgin Islands (USVI), former minister responsible for culture Eileen Parsons indicated that she wants greater efforts exerted to have more children involved in the upcoming emancipation parade here.

She suggested that principals should be made to ensure students from the various schools are involved.

“It seems to me as if every school in St Thomas [in the US Virgin Islands] either had a steel band or a marching band, and I see no reason why we cannot get our principals to participate and at least be ready for our August festival which is the time when we really showcase our culture,” Parsons said during the government’s NDP Radio programme this week.

Heather Butcher

Meanwhile, responding to a resident’s concern about the treatment of culture in the Territory, culture minister Myron Walwyn gave the assurance that all is well.

He noted that Heather Butcher has been given the task of reviving cultural activities in the education system.

“Of course culture is alive and well in the territory. You would have noticed a number of cultural initiatives… We put together a culture policy about three years ago which was laid in the House of Assembly, and that is really our guidance on how we are gonna develop culture in the territory,” Walwyn said.

He further explained: “More recently – speaking on dancing and other things, we had Ms Heather Butcher who you know is a very cultural person and instructor in the Territory; she is now working in the school system and she is going out to schools. She has certain mandates and directions from me… We are not only going to be looking at dancing and steel pan – we are going to be looking at Art festivals and different things in the schools to make sure that we keep culture alive through the school system.”