Each year Barbados celebrates its Independence on November 30 and attracts Barbadians of all ages to showcase their talent. One of the main events is the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA), which is organized by the National Cultural Foundation. The festival runs throughout the month of November and the seven disciplines of NIFCA are - Dance, Drama/Speech, Music, Literary Arts, Culinary Arts, Visual Arts and Craft and Photography.
The month is filled with many performances, art exhibitions, demonstrations etc and closes with a grand finale with a gala presentation in which the finalists are featured.
In 2006, awards were given in the Fine Art category to:
* Rhea Gaskin and Shjeena Vaughan, who won the Unicef award.
* Abigail Sealy picked up the Barbados Manufacturer's award.
* The NCSA award went to Rodney Massain.
* Chad Seale won the Ministry of Environment award.
* Sam Henry won the Cricket World Cup Scholarship.
* And finally the Honourable Mention went to Mervin Moore and Coral Bernadine.
In the photography category awards were given to:
* Roland Edwards Primary School won most promising school for photography.
* Murray St.Corian won most promising participant in colour photography.
* Warren Linton won best digital photograph.
* Andrew Innis won the special award as a differently able artist.
* Paul Anton Best was the Unicef award nomination.
* L.A Webster was the BMA 100% Bajan nomination.
* Harold Davis won the substance award for the Ministry of the Environment nomination with his Don't Drink, Drug and Drive and Old Man on the Sea.
* Hugh Walker and Khalil Goodman won the training awards.
In the video category awards went to:
* Kelly Chase for Dancing Nymph, which won the short fiction award.
* On Q Productions won the award for historic fiction with their production of Out of the Night.
* Final Image Inc picked up the music video award for Rock with me, the short documentary award for their production of International Zone Cleanup and the Ministry.
* The Prime Minister's Award recommendation went to Dr. Gladstone Yearwood for his production of Rum Shop.
The grand finale saw 18 hand picked acts perform for the Cable & Wireless NIFCA performing arts gala ceremony, where Dancing Africa collected the gold award.
Two new awards were created this year, the first in memory of Wendell Smith where a trophy was awarded for the Best Directed Piece and the second in memory of Alfred Pragnell, which is a scholarship for acting called The Alfred Pragnell Challenge Shield for acting.
For further information contact the National Cultural Foundation (NCF).
Tel: (246) 424-0909
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