Minister of Sports, Culture and the Creative Industries Kaschaka Cupid will travel to New York this week as part of a delegation from the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) to promote Vincy Mas 2027, under the theme “Road To 50.”
The minister will be joined by Deputy Chairman of the Carnival Development Corporation, Colin Graham, and CEO Rodney Small, as the CDC intensifies preparations for what is expected to be a significant milestone in the history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ premier cultural festival.
The delegation will participate in the Vincy Day Picnic in New York on Saturday, one of the largest annual gatherings of Vincentians in the diaspora.
While in New York, the delegation will meet with organisers of the Vincy Day Picnic and other stakeholders as part of efforts to strengthen engagement with Vincentians overseas and build momentum towards Vincy Mas 2027.
A media briefing will also be held on Friday, Aug. 14, providing an opportunity to update Vincentians in the diaspora on plans for Vincy Mas 2027 and the activities being developed as part of the “Road To 50”.
Vincy Mas 2027 will commemorate 50 years since the historic transition of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ carnival from the traditional pre-Lenten period to the June-July celebrations in 1977.
The CDC is expected to use the milestone to celebrate the evolution of Vincy Mas, recognise the contribution of cultural practitioners over the past five decades, strengthen participation by Vincentians at home and abroad, and further position the festival as one of the Caribbean’s premier cultural experiences.
The campaign will target Vincentians living abroad while also appealing to a wider cross-section of people who may never have experienced Vincymas or visited SVG.
A press release says the CDC intends to use the festival to introduce new audiences to the country’s music, mas, culture, heritage and hospitality, while promoting SVG as a cultural and tourism destination.
The New York visit forms part of the CDC’s wider effort to engage the Vincentian diaspora, reach new audiences and encourage increased participation in the celebrations as SVG begins the journey towards this historic anniversary, the release said.