PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sage Cultural Award 2023 is the Government of Sint Maarten signature award for the highest in culture and artistic achievement as approved by the Government of Sint Maarten through the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport drs Rodolphe Samuel. The Sage Cultural Award 2023 ceremony will take place on Friday, December 29, 2023, from 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm at the Phillipsburg Cultural Center on Backstreet. Doors will be open from 6.30 pm.
The Sage Cultural Award is a recognition award honoring the cultural luminaries in our community, the pioneers, the founding mothers and fathers, the gatekeepers, and the storytellers. Those who kept the fire of S’Maatin Culture burning brightly in their chests.
This award ceremony is an accolade towards, and celebration of their immeasurable lifetime dedication, and commitment to the development, safeguarding and promotion of our culture, our heritage, and our legacy.
This year’s individual Sage Cultural honorees are master drummer Hellier Coquillias; dance educator, and choreographer Arlene Halley; vocal coach, music educator, and producer Helen Hart; singer-songwriter and multiple crown holder King of Calypso Leroy ‘King Beau Beau’ Brooks; Creator of the S’Maatin National Cultural Parade, musical director, founder of STM New Generations drum band, cultural worker Urmain Dormoy. The pioneering and renowned, Colebay Theater Company under the leadership of Ann Meyers will be awarded the Sage Cultural Award in the group category.
The late, Roberto Celestino Arrindell a well-known cultural practitioner, educator and champion of St. Martin’s cultural heritage and history, will receive posthumously the Camille Baly - Visionary of Cultural Legacy Award.
Over the past few years, St. Martin is steadily progressed into a major Caribbean cultural and creative hub. Not only in cultural diversity but also in artistic vibrancy, resilience, and innovation. As such, one of the objectives of this event is to encourage emerging entrepreneurs to continue to enhance their creative products and services thereby adding value to St. Martin’s current ‘cultural evolution’. The Department of Culture aims to stimulate greater cultural awareness of our dynamic Cultural Creative Industry (CCI) and its four main components: Heritage, Arts, Media, and Creative Services.
St. Martin’s creative potential is enormous and positively influences nation-building and our economy. The community is asked to join the celebration via live stream on the Department of Culture Facebook page at 6:30 pm on Friday, December 29, 2023. Let us pay tribute to our Cultural Giants!
