NCC to train St Lucia mas judges

THE National Carnival Commission (NCC) will assist St Lucia in training persons to judge Carnival competitions.

Under an agreement between Trinidad and Tobago and St Lucia, the NCC will provide technical assistance to the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF), the State body which runs the St Lucian Carnival. NCC Chairman Kenny de Silva said in a release the assistance will take the form of workshops at which TT experts in design, making and judging of mas costumes, steelband and calypso will train St Lucians.

Hollis Ayers, a 27-year veteran of mas making is expected to host workshops next weekend in St Lucia on the judging of costumes and bands, including kings and queens, individuals and ole mas. Lyndel Archibald, Programme Manager of the CDF, said every year at the end of the Carnival season there would be complaints about the judges not knowing what they were talking about. Archibald described the workshops as part of the work being done in St Lucia to improve skills. St Lucia’s Carnival is July 21 and 22 this year.