Workshops

CNCF sponsors workshops in various disciplines. Some are free while others charge a modest fee. The longest running CNCF workshop was the annual playwriting workshop for the CNCF National Playwriting Competition. Over the years, aspiring playwrights have had the opportunity to gain insight and coaching from the likes of theatre professionals such as Eugene Williams, the director of the School of Drama at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica. Only those attending the Workshop are eligible to enter the competition, which is currently being revamped.  The Competition is open to anyone resident in the Cayman Islands for at least one year.

Poetry workshops have also been offered to writers, with the most recent one being facilitated by Cayman’s leading poet, Leonard Dilbert.

CNCF’s dance, fashion design, storytelling and film workshops have proven to be popular and one or more of each are offered annually. Some of CNCF’s most recent dance workshops have educated local dancers on traditional Cuban dance styles, Jonkunnu and contemporary dance. Workshops have been conducted by famed Cuban dance troupe Ballet de la Television Cubana; noted Caribbean dancer and choreographer, the late Howard Daley; and contemporary choreographer, Mar Matrinez, among others.

The fashion design and modeling workshops are held during Cayfest in association as a feature of the FRESH Cayman Couture show. One of the first workshops held focused on Fashion Illustration and Collection Development; under the direction of Patricia Kentisha-Skeete, the Senior Lecturer and Head of the Textile and Fibre Arts Department at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, was the facilitator and the Cayman fashion designer Kidan Brooks led a workshop for aspiring designers, many of whom have gone on to produce entire collection for FRESH.

Another aspect of CNCF’s Arts & Culture Education programme is the hosting of symposia. The most recent conference produced by CNCF were the International Conference of Caribbean Culture and Performance, and the Travelling Caribean Film Showcase Conference. The International Confernce on Caribbean Culture and Performance honoured the 50th anniversary of “Moon On A Rainbow Shawl”, a widely performed drama written by Trinidadian playwright, Errol John. This conference was produced in collaboration with the University College of the Cayman Islands, the Centre for Creative & Festival Arts – University of the West indies (St. Augustine), University of South Florida College of Visual and Performing Arts, and the Instituve for the Study of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Edna Manley College of the Visual and performing Arts School of Drama. The three-day conference was the first of it’s kind held in the Cayman Islands.

Harquail Tour

Cayman National Cultural Foundation offers tours to primary and secondary schools and other groups interested in theatre in the Cayman Islands. Our tours of the premises are led by skilled CNCF staff and cover a wide variety of themes and topics to enrich learning in every aspect of theatre art. Each tour group will be provided with information packs and education resources. Tours of the F.J Harquail Cultural Centre takes approximately 30-45 minutes. However with advance notice, we are happy to accommodate tours to suit the needs of your group.

Workshops

Lectures, Workshops & Symposia

As part of its new Arts & Culture Education programme, the NCF hosts lectures, workshops and symposia with the aim of stimulating and further developing Cayman’s cultural community of Cayman. Some of CNCF’s offerings have included the Distinguished Lecture series, which is often a featured event on the Cayfest calendar. In the near future we will host notable speakers on a variety of topics relating to arts and culture. The Distinguished Lecture series has set the standard with such speakers as renowned Trinidadian artist and poet, Leroy Clarke, calypsonian and social commentator Dr. Hollis Liverpool a.k.a Chalkdust (who spoke to “Calypso – The Definitive Arts for Caribbean Unity”); and Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott. During GIMISTORY, CNCF has also offered local audiences a change to learn more about Caribbean theatre by examining Trinidadian carnival in particular, from Ray Funk – an Alaska cultural researcher with a particular interest in Trinidad carnival, cricket and calypso who has led the development of a Caribbean database from music and video. As we develop this new programme we will invite local, regional and international through-provoking speakers to address our audience. CNCF continues to highlight important, thought-provoking speakers and more lectures are planned for the near future.

CNCF sponsors workshops in various disciplines. Some are free while others carry a modest fee. The longest running CNCF workshop is the annual playwriting workshop. The Playwriting Competition. Over the years, aspiring playwrights have had the opportunity to gain insight and coaching from the likes of theatre professionals such as Eugene Williams, the director of the School of Drama at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica. Only those attending the Workshop are eligible to enter CNCF’s National Playwriting Competition, which is currently being revamped (the Competition is open to anyone resident in the Cayman Islands for at least one year). Poetry workshops have also been offered to writers, with the most recent one being facilitated by Cayman’s leading poet, Leonard Dilbert.

CNCF’s dance, fashion design, storytelling and film workshop have proven to be popular and one or more of each are offered annually. Some of CNCF’s most recent workshops have educated local dancers on traditional Cuban dance styles, Jonkunnu and contemporary dance. Workshops have been conducted by famed Cuban dance troupe Ballet de la Television Cubana, noted Caribbean dancer and choreographer, the late Howard Daley and contemporary choreographer Mar Matrinez, among others. Work participants performed at the 2008 Pirates Week Landing.

The fashion design and modeling workshops are held during Cayfest in association as a feature of the FRESH Cayman Couture show. One of the first workshops held focused on Fashion Illustration and Collection Development; under the direction of Patricia Kentisha-Skeete, the Senior Lecturer and Head of the Textile and Fibre Arts Department at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, was the facilitator and the Cayman fashion designer Kidan Brooks led a workshop for aspiring designers, many of whom have gone on to produce entire collection for FRESH.

Another aspect of CNCF’s Arts & Culture Education programme is the hosting of symposia. The most recent conference produced by CNCF were the International Conference of Caribbean Culture and Performance, and the Travelling Caribean Film Showcase Conference. The International Confernce on Caribbean Culture and Performance honoured the 50th anniversary on “Moon On A Rainbow Shawl”, a widely performed drama written by Trinidadian playwright, Errol John. This conference was produced in collaboration with the University College of the Cayman Islands, the Centre for Creative & Festival Arts – University of the West indies (St. Augustine), University of South Florida College of Visual and Performing Arts, and the Instituve for the Study of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Edna Manley College of the Visual and performing Arts School of Drama. The three-day conference was the first of it’s kind held in the Cayman Islands.

Harquail Tour

To book a Tour, email [email protected] or call 1 (345) 949-5477

Cayman National Cultural Foundation offers tours to primary and secondary schools and other groups interested in theatre in the Cayman Islands. Our tours of the premises are led by skilled CNCF staff and cover a wide variety of themes and topics to enrich learning in every aspect of theatre art. Each tour group will be provided with information packs and education resources. Tours of the F.J Harquail Cultural Centre takes approximately 30-45 minutes however we are happy to accommodate tours to suit the needs of your group with advance notice.