Carnival is a time of creative celebration and ritual, and also a time to tell stories – and the first NGC Bocas Lit Fest workshop for 2024 will offer the hands-on experience of telling stories, visually and verbally, through mas making and performance.
Designer Robert Young and playwright Wayne Lee-Sing will lead a highly interactive two-part Carnival storytelling workshop called “Make Something” on Saturday 27 January, from 1 to 5 pm. Featuring segments on costume-making and writing for traditional mas performance, the workshop takes place at Granderson Lab, 24 Erthig Road, Belmont, in the heart of one of T&T’s Carnival communities.
“Make Something” is ideal for anyone interested in combining visual, performance, and verbal creativity, exploring the evolution of traditional mas. Robert Young – founder of The Cloth, a lifestyle and fashion design company, and Vulgar Fraction, a roving mas band known for its unique style and poignant messages – will lead a segment on telling stories and portraying characters through costume, using primarily recycled, natural, and discarded materials.
In the second half of the workshop, writer, actor, and director Wayne Lee-Sing, with a rich involvement in theatre since 1988, will delve into the nuances of speech-writing for traditional Carnival characters such as the Midnight Robber and Pierrot Grenade.
The workshop fee is TT$400, and includes free registration to participate in the popular Ole Mas Competition at the upcoming NGC Bocas Lit Fest. The annual festival runs this year from 25 to 28 April.
Individuals of all skill levels are welcome to join this unique workshop, encompassing creativity through words and working with one’s hands. Interested participants are encouraged to register early as space is limited.
For more details and to register, visit events.bocaslitfest.com/event/make-something or @bocaslitfest on FB, IG and X (formerly known as Twitter).
Featured image credit: Vulgar Faction, Facebook
