PHILIPSBURG:--- The National Institute of Arts (NIA) will be showcasing a combination of visual, performing, and musical arts to the public of St. Maarten with their Cultural & Arts Festival on Friday, October 10, 2014 at 7pm at the John Larmonie Center.
Leading up to this production NIA's staff and students have kept busy participating in numerous cultural exchanges and activities including the Dutch Caribbean Youth Art Festival on Curacao and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Conference held locally.
While at the Dutch Caribbean Youth Art Festival, three NIA students, Ray Angel Boasman, Zoe van Zadelhoff and Dashaun Prince, under the guidance of NIA Co-Director, Clara Reyes, were among the 36 youngsters representing the Netherlands, Suriname, Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba for a 10-day exchange program. Emphasis was placed on bonding exercises to create camaraderie, breaking down barriers, and the importance of being an artist.
"Every day the students were encouraged to discover new layers of artistic expression, to try new things and push past their comfort zone. Each new discovery was yet another strength they could add to the foundation that had been laid at National Institute of the Arts. In addition, the students were able to forge friendships with other young artists, which will hopefully benefit the arts on these islands later on," Reyes said.
During the UNESCO workshops, which concluded on Friday September 12, 2014, Reyes and NIA students performed during the opening ceremony at Divi Little Bay Resort and during a field excursion at Belle Plein, called 'Under the Silk Cotton Tree". Ray Angel Boasman performed his own drum and spoken word piece entitled "Feel Me", which expressed his journey as an artist and encouraged audience members to "feel the artist in me touch the artist in you". Dashaun Prince and NIA Instructor Rudolph Davis performed the "Ponum" dance with Boasman keeping time on drums and Reyes singing St. Maarten's Emancipation song. Reyes also served as a committee member on the organizing committee, mistress of ceremonies and also read a poem honoring important cultural icons of St. Maarten's past, present and possibly future.
"What was really great about this conference was the fact that it gave an opportunity to focus on the people who create, maintain and pass on traditions on St. Maarten. Sometimes we are so focused on the physical artifacts that we forget about the stories behind them and the people who formed a salient part of those stories. Looking at ways to preserve intangible heritage provides us with a space in which to remember not just things, but people and experiences that go along with those things," Reyes said.
NIA Co-director Arlene Halley said that the upcoming showcase in October will also look at aspects of St. Maarten's culture, highlighting how arts and culture are indelibly linked and how NIA pays homage to both.
"At NIA culture is not separate from the arts or the arts from culture; instead we draw upon both in order to create new experiences for our students. It is also why we encourage our students to study various disciplines and perform in a range of events so that they fully appreciate the depth of St. Maarten's culture and arts," Halley said.
Both directors are encouraging the public to come out and see all that NIA has to offer during the Culture & Arts Festival and look out for more press about this event in the coming weeks. People are also asked to like the NIA facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/NationalInstituteOfArts
NIA Press Release
