An explosion of talent is expected over the coming days when the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA) Performing Arts finals in Music, Dance and Theatre takes centre stage at the Frank Collymore Hall.

First up is the Music competition this Sunday, November 12^th, beginning at 7 p.m. That’s when an exciting line-up of talented non-professional adults and juniors compete across various genres of music for the top honours.

“[There are] lots to see and do and tickets will go very quickly. So, those of you who look forward to evenings of excellence in NIFCA get your tickets early. We urge you to come out and give the participants your support as we celebrate the 50^th anniversary NIFCA,” Wells encouraged.

She added that all systems are a go as the finalists, judges and production teams prepare for the three nights.

“It’s full steam ahead for the team here at the NCF. As you know these will be our first performing arts finals since 2019. So we are both eager and excited.”

Performing under the theme: Melodies of the Soil, the finalists in Music are: (in the adult category) Arlington Daniel, Kibibi Greenidge, Athalia Crump, ZZ Cumberbatch, Johnathan Jordan, MLVP Elite Vox and Jaleesa Greaves. While the finalists in the Junior category are: The Cyptones 70 Voices, St. Cyprian’s Boys Band, Shontae Alleyne-Clarke, Christ Church Foundation Steel Orchestra, Nikhyl Burnett, Coleridge & Parry School Choir, Roneisha Alleyne, Skyy Dowridge, Christ The King Boomwhackers, The Ellerslie Choir, Haynesville Youth Club and the St. Bartholomew Primary School Choir.

They will be competing for a generous amount of prizes and awards such as: The Prime Minister’s Scholarship; The James Millington Award of Excellence, The Prime Minister’s Award for the Best Original NIFCA Music Entryand The Jackie Opel Award will be awarded for the best locally written, arranged and performed musical selection (any genre).

New awards include The Emile Straker Award for the best locally written, arranged and performed folk selection; The Business Entrepreneur Prize; the 50th Anniversary of NIFCA Award for the Most Outstanding Presentation in the NIFCA Music 2023 and the Barbados Community College Scholarships in which two scholarships will be offered towards training in the Associate Degree programme in Music. 

An evening of fantastic theatre a good dose of Barbadian humour will be had on Tuesday, November 14^th when the Theatre Final is held. The finalists, competing under the theme Voices are: Milton Lynch Primary School, La Shawna Griffith, Reynold Weekes Primary School, Alister Alexander, Roland Edwards Primary School, Cyndi Marshall (Cyndi Celeste), Akeem Chandler-Prescod (Stoned With Cupid), Theo Greenidge (Deo.The.Poet), Nikolai Worrell and Natalie Thornhill (Double N), Deighton Griffith, Sandra Squires and NH Productions.

There are several new awards in Theatre, namely The NIFCA Earl Warner Prize, The Alfred Pragnell Challenge Shield for Acting; and two Barbados Community College Scholarships will be offered towards training in the Associate Degree programme in Theatre; the Theatre Access Awards; and the 50th Anniversary of NIFCA Award for the Most Outstanding Presentation in the NIFCA Theatre Arts 2023. These are in addition to the general awards like The Prime Minister’s Scholarship; The Daphne Joseph-Hackett Award of Excellence; The Bruce St. John Award of Excellence in Speech; The Prime Minister’s Award for the Best Original NIFCA Theatre Entry; The Founder’s Trophy; The Ricky ‘Babu’ Parris Challenge Shield awarded to the Speech entry which best explores workers’ struggle, black history or Barbadian culture and The Cynthia Wilson NIFCA Producer’s Prize.

The Performing Arts competition wraps up with the Dance Final themed Sankofa: A Night of Discoveries on Thursday, November 16^th. The finalists are: Pearls Dance Academy, Gentle Steps Arts Academy, Harold Nurse Community, Kendra Leacock, Barbados Dance Centre, Bajans in Movement, Anika Small, Haynesville Youth Club, The Ellerslie School, Shaunelle Neverson, Praise Academy of Dance, Akil Ifill & Faith Williams, Kemal Marshall, Sneverson Dance Company, Elevé Performing Arts Centre, Multifarious Dance Crew, Gem.In.I Project, Dreaming Black Boy Productions, Issachar Arts, Dancin Africa (Jada Best)and K-Eve (School of Performing Arts).

They will be vying for such awards as: The Prime Minister’s Scholarship; The Richild Springer Award of Excellence; The Madame Ifill Award of Excellence; The Prime Minister’s Award for the Best Original NIFCA Dance Entry; four scholarships to the Barbados Community College will be offered towards training in the Associate Degree programme in Dance. New awards up for grabs are: The Gene Carson Award of Excellence for the highest scoring Junior entry achieving a score of 91% or greater in NIFCA Dance Finals; the 50^th Anniversary of NIFCA Award – this prize will be awarded to the Most Outstanding Presentation in the NIFCA Dance 2023; and two scholarships to the TVET Council will be offered towards training in the NVQ Dance Choreography.