Sunday, February 17, 2019
The movement to revive Montserrat’s Year-end Festival has taken on its official wings. For several weeks the awareness was being raised via social media, via several post by former Miss Montserrat, Glendena Taylor.
Taylor, along with a host of other Montserratians have observed the gradual decline in Montserrat’s Festival; a Festival which for all intents and purposes should be the premier cultural and festive experience on Montserrat for both locals and visitors. Thus, in an effort to bring back the prominence of the year-end Festival, and to re-inject some enthusiasm, Miss Taylor is driving the effort amongst both the local and international Montserrat community to bring back Festival.
Earlier on Sunday, February 17th, 2019, Miss Talyor issued the following communiqué for all Montserratians to become aware of the plans and future activities geared towards bringing back Montserrat’s Year-end Festival.
MNI Media features Miss Taylor’s statement below:
"2019 is the 57th anniversary of Festival on Montserrat. With so much history and tradition involved in this momentous time of year, our Festival should be getting better each year. Instead what we have seen is a gradual decline in the significance and display of our year-end festival. This is something we can reverse as Montserratians, thus without any further delay the time has come for us to put our hands on deck and work arduously to revive our year-end Festival; to keep it alive, so it can survive for future generations to come. To do this we need everyone on board. All hands on deck!!
No matter where we are around the world, we remain Montserratians!
To begin the work of reviving the year-end Festival, this movement we have begun has in place a Global Team of Leaders - from The United Kingdom, Canada and The United States. There is also a local logistics team stationed in Montserrat. In addition, we currently have sub-teams formed throughout in NY, Boston, VA/DC/MD, Atlanta, USVI, Canada and UK. These teams are all brainstorming ideas, creating momentum, encouraging friends and will be raising funds to support this goal. If anyone would like to join a team or lead in a region, please contact me at email; gvt3517@hotmail.com
Our goal in seeking to do our part in reviving Montserrat’s Festival, is to work in full collaboration with Montserrat Arts Council/Festival Committee on enhancing current activities, as well as adding other activities to Montserrat’s Christmas Festival. We intend to do so by raising funds in our local areas, and also during the St Patrick’s week of activities on Montserrat. The proceeds from these fundraising activities will then be injected into the year-end festival, through various formats. Details of the ways funds will be used are still being fine-tuned.
Our sole intention is to encourage Montserratians abroad, our friends, and also visitors, to travel to our island and enjoy our year-end Festival during the month of December.
We recognise that this cannot be a one-off effort, but we have to begin somewhere, and this movement signals that initiation to bring back festival! This will, over time, revive our festival, and keep our culture alive. The benefits are not only for our current enjoyment, but also for our children and all future generations!
The Revive Festival Movement will be officially launching in Montserrat during St Patrick’s Week, with a breakfast on Saturday, March 16th at Carr’s Bay Entrance, starting at 8:00.am.
Then, we will be on the road on the morning of Monday March 18th, as a t-shirt band, and all are welcomed to commemorate with us.
In addition, be on the lookout for a ‘Montserrat Day’ when all regions will be staging fundraising activities simultaneously. T-shirts are currently on sale for US$20, in U.K, U.S and Canada.
The teams will collaborate officially in Montserrat during St Patrick’s week, and all other activities will be held in the various locations of the U.S, UK and Canada."
