It is early yet, but the committee and sub-committees tasked with bringing this year’s Summer Festival to fruition have now commenced their work for the July/August cultural events.

Minister of Social Development (2nd from left sitting) with members of the Carnival Committee

The 2006 festival was launched at a meeting of the main committee and the local press at the Anguilla Tourist Board’s conference room on Monday, February 20. Festivals Coordinator, Fitzroy Tomlinson, expressed delight that the summer activities had now been launched earlier than normal – an achievement that was long in coming. “We are looking forward to a very good summer festival,” he remarked.

Minister of Social Development, Evans Rogers, noted that 2005 was an election year and it was only about in May that plans were started for the festival then. He commended the 2005 committee for staging what was “a truly successful and very remarkable summer festival” despite the short period of preparation. He saw the event as a time for home-coming and enjoyment for Anguillians abroad as well as for visitors to the island.
“In terms of dollars and cents, we will never be able to put what is required in such a summer festival,” the Minister stated. “I am sure that we will not be able to accurately calculate the amount of returns that we get from such a festival. However, it is part of our local cultural heritage and as Government we intend to do what we have to do to see this summer festival continue to be successful.”
The Minister announced the names of the main committee members as follows and thanked them for agreeing to serve: John Benjamin, repeat Chairman; Fitzroy Tomlinson, Geacheal Richardson-Gumbs, Financial Controller/ Deputy Chairperson; a representative of the Anguilla Police Force who will be named Security Adviser; Harris Archie, Chief Fire Officer, Safety Control Adviser; Lelia Richardson, Secretarial Adviser/ Sponsorship Assistant; Joan Richardson, Festival Office Assistant; Fritz Smith, Venue Adviser; Renford Kelsick, Prince and Princess Representative; CCB Trendsetters, Ms. CCB Talent Teen Pageant Representative; Joseph Vanterpool, Leeward Islands Carnival Committee Representative; Calvin Hughes, responsible for the Female Calypso Show and Venue setup; representatives for the Calypso Competition, the Inland Revenue Queens’ Committee Pageant; Roy Carty, Parade of Troupes and August Monday at Sandy Ground; Asher Brooks, Junior Calypso Representative; and Calvert Carty, Boat Race Committee Representative.

Mr. Rogers also announced the sub-committees. He hoped that the security committee would be mindful of its duties and that the necessary safety measures would be put in place to prevent a recurrence of last year’s unfortunate incidents during the carnival activities.

John Benjamin was grateful for the active support of the Minister and said it was through him why he was again serving as Chairman of the Carnival Committee. He stated that in choosing the committee and sub-committee members, the idea was to build a team that was second to none in the Caribbean.

According to Mr. Benjamin, the aim is to take the summer festival to a higher level and to place as much emphasis on it as in the case of the jazz festival. He was pleased that this year two international television channels – Tempo and BET Jazz – were preparing to market the festival. In addition, August Monday at Sandy Ground is being marketed on St. Marten’s calendar of events as a means of attracting more people to Anguilla. Contacts are also being made with a number of bands outside the island, some charging large sums of money. Mr. Benjamin is appealing to the business community to contribute liberally to the summer festival.

“To have the festival truly operative we need, in terms of government and local support, at least 1.5 million Eastern Caribbean dollars,” he said. Once we get that, we will be able to move from year to year and build a stronger festival.” He said the cost of bringing bands, performers and other persons to Anguilla was very high and that as the world at large saw the festival, there was a need to sustain it as something which makes visitors and entertainers return to the island.

Tomlinson, the Festival Coordinator, said there were a number of long-term sponsors already committed to financing the festivals and several new companies had also indicated their interest in making contributions. “The amount that Mr. Benjamin has mentioned may sound far-fetched, but based on Government’s contribution and that of some of the sponsors, I think we will be closer to making sure that the summer festival is balanced out this year, more so than any other year.”

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development, Rodney Rey, noted the big financial contribution the festival, particularly the carnival activities, make to the Treasury Department. He emphasised the cultural heritage aspects of the festival and urged the business community to lend its monetary support to the cause.

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