Coordinators for schools taking part in the Junior Junkanoo Parade were given seed funding by Junkanoo officials of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture during a press conference on Wednesday, November 16, 2016. Seated from left are Eddie Dames, Consultant for Junkanoo; Henry Higgins (responsible for Family Island parades); Ellery Deveaux (Junior Junkanoo); Monique Leary, Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, GB; and Allison Smith, Co-Chairperson for the Grand Bahama Junkanoo Committee. (BIS Photo/Lisa Davis)
This position, which has been taken by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and agreed upon by Grand Bahamian Junkanoo group leaders and organizers, was announced at a press conference, November 16, at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture in Grand Bahama, during which time seed funding for Grand Bahamian Junkanoo groups was distributed.
Ellery Deveaux, Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture (with specific responsibility for Junior Junkanoo) told leaders of local senior Junkanoo groups and organizers of junior Junkanoo that after assessing the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew on Grand Bahama, he, along with Eddie Dames, Assistant Director of Culture, and Henry Higgins (responsible for Family Island Parades), agreed that this year’s Junkanoo parades would be different.
“After we saw the devastation to this island, we realized that Grand Bahama took a serious blow from Hurricane Matthew,” said Mr. Deveaux. “After considering this, we decided that we will use Junkanoo as a serious tool this year to speak about this island’s endurance.
“It’s going to be an exciting year. We cannot let this storm affect us, especially our kids who take part in Junior Junkanoo. We want them to enjoy themselves.”
Relaxing of the rules at this year’s parade will allow students to enter the parade without having a complete Junkanoo costume. Schools will be eligible to compete with just a banner, Junkanoo hat, a T-shirt and a pasted pair of pants.
Deveaux said these rules are for the schools that would like to take part in this year’s parade under those conditions. He noted that there will be some schools that would like to compete with full regalia and they are free to do so.
“But we won’t be as hard this year, because we have all experienced major damage because of Hurricane Matthew,” he added.
Dames said that schools wishing to fully compete in the costume category must register and state their intention of competing with costumes. Those competing without full costumes are being asked to register in the “fun category”.
Junior Junkanoo in Grand Bahama is set to take place on January 28, downtown, Freeport.
As for the senior parades, no specific concessions were made. A number of groups have already reported having sustaining significant damage, not just to their Junkanoo shacks, but to a number of their major pieces as well. However, for now, senior groups will be competing in full costume and in all categories. The Grand Bahama Senior Junkanoo parade is set to take place on January 2, 2017.
Henry Higgins, who has responsibility for Family Island Junkanoo parades told the Junkanoo leaders that his plan is to develop not just Junkanoo in the Family Islands, but to bring culture to the forefront in every Family Island.
“Once we can bring culture and creative industries to the forefront, we will be able to market our country as one of culture, more than we did in the past,” said Mr. Higgins. “Our mandate is to bring the creative industries to all of our Family Islands and so we will be seeking the support of the Junkanoo leaders here on Grand Bahama. I want to encourage you to make sure that these parades happen because this is about uplifting our nation, especially following devastation by Hurricane Matthew.”
Following the remarks, all of the senior and junior Junkanoo groups were presented with seed funding from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture to assist in defraying some of the costs in preparing for the upcoming parades.
Leaders of the senior Junkanoo groups in Grand Bahama were eager to accept their cheques from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture to assist with expenses in preparing for the Grand Bahama New Year’s Day Junkanoo Parade, which is set to take place on January 2, 2017. (BIS Photo/Lisa Davis)
By Andrew Coakley
Bahamas Information Services
