Theme: Hands Across The Americas.  They are being hosted by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
Venue: Frank Collymore Hall
Times: August 23rd, 2007 - Lunchtime Concert at 12:15 pm
August 25th, 2007 - Gala Benefit Concert at 7:30 pm

"Hands Across The Americas": Peruvian Children's Choir and Orchestra Visit Barbados

Barbados will be treated to a week of musical and cultural exchanges with the visit of the Coro Polifónico Infantil (Youth Choir) and Banda Sinfónica (symphony orchestra) from the rural Province of Huaura in Peru.  

The group, comprising 23 children and 8 adults will be giving free performances at several venues, as well as interacting with Barbadian children from August 16th - 27th, to share Peruvian rural culture and musical traditions. 

The group is being hosted by the IICA Office in Barbados, with support from the Barbados Tourism Authority, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, National Cultural Foundation, Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation, The Central Bank of Barbados, and several partners in the private sector across Barbados.  

The Choir and Orchestra were born out of an innovative rural development project managed by the IICA Office in Peru, together with local authorities responsible for agriculture and rural development.  

In 2005, with donations of second-hand musical instruments, and expert guidance in voice training and musicianship from none other than Professor Wilfredo Tarazona, Director of the Peru Symphony Orchestra, some eighty children and parents of farm families formed the full choir and orchestra.  To date, they have performed widely across Peru and in August, they will for the very first time, travel outside of Peru to our side of the world.

The general public is invited to call the IICA Office and book early to participate in an exciting programme of activities, which includes a Church Service at St. Patrick's Cathedral (Sunday August 19), a day at Ocean Park with a BBQ and concert, music workshops at the new Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination at UWI, and a Gala Benefit Concert at The Frank Collymore Hall on Saturday August 25th.  

The Gala Benefit Concert and workshops are free but donations will be appreciated.  The Choir and Band will also be able to enjoy the beauty of Barbados while staying at Almond Village, and will be treated to complimentary tours on the Atlantis Submarine and at Ocean Park.

On the technical side, IICA Peru will share with Barbados, the success of "The Territorial Approach" to Sustainable Rural Development in a Seminar, and will visit agrotourism sites in rural Barbados.  There will also be a display of Peruvian art and craft at UWI from August 18 to 24th . 

The IICA Office in Barbados celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and this visit forms a special part of our celebrations.   The Office in Barbados belongs to a family of 34 offices across the Hemisphere, and we are firmly committed to "Horizontal Cooperation" - promoting and exchanging experiences from across the Americas, that are innovative and can be replicated in agricultural and rural areas here.  

Further information on bookings for events and donation envelopes can be obtained at the IICA Office in Barbados, Chelsea House, Chelsea Road, St. Michael.  Tel (246) 427-4740/41 or 42.

Event Information:
August 23rd & 25th, 2007
Free Event
http://www.fch.org.bb
St. Michael