NASSAU, The Bahamas – Assistant Director of Culture Eddie Dames speaks during the announcement of the launch of the 2012 E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival, as the Festival’s Organising Secretary Keva Cartwright looks on. (BIS Photo / Eric Rose)

NASSAU, The Bahamas –  The Department of Culture in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture announced on February 9,  that the 53^rd Annual E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival is scheduled to begin March 5 on New Providence.  

In Grand Bahama Drama and Music Adjudications run March 6-16, and Dance Adjudications run March 12-15.  

In New Providence Dance Adjudications run March 5 – 9 and Music and Drama Adjudications run March 19 – 30.  Arts and Crafts Adjudications are on June 14 and the Arts and Crafts Official Opening Exhibition is scheduled for June 15.  

Adjudication for all Family Islands will run from April through June.  

Entries are now being received for the Festival, from New Providence and Grand Bahama.  Entries will be received until February 17,  for the entire Bahamas.  

The closing date for Arts & Crafts entries for New Providence and Grand Bahama is May, 18.  

All dates are subject to change and interested persons with any further questions may contact the Festival’s Organising Secretary Keva Cartwright at 502-0744 or 356-2859.  

The Department also identified the adjudicators for this year’s Festival.  

Ms. Helen Peloquin returns for a second consecutive year as the Choral and Instrumental Music Adjudicator.  Ms. Peloquin graduated from the Conservatoire de Musique de Montreal Canada in 1974, with honours.  The Conservatoire is a Performing School similar to Juliard, in New York or McGill University in Ontario, Canada.  The Curriculum included Harmony, Solfege, Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Music Arrangement, Analysis, Music Arrangement and Multiple Performance.  She studied with Isabelle Nef in Annecy, France in 1974.  

She was a Performing Artist from 1975 –1995 and was a cellist for the Ottawa Chamber Ensemble in 1989. She was also a Cellist for the Auckland Symphony Orchestra in New Zealand.  Presently, she is Principal Cellist, Librarian, Tutor, Webmaster and Secretary for the Bahamas National Symphony Orchestra.  She is also the founder of Strings n’ Tings and co-founder of the Nassau Chamber Ensemble in 2009.  

Mr. Lawrence Carroll also returns as Dance Adjudicator for the second straight year and he began his dance training with the New Breed Dancers in Nassau.  Later, he travelled to Toronto, Canada, to advance his studies at Ryerson University, where he studied Theatre Arts and graduated with Honours.  Also at the Canadian College of Dance, he studied classical ballet with the Royal Academy of Dance and modern dance and national dance with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.  

After graduating from Ryerson University, he began teaching at the National Dance School and later went to A. F. Adderley, C.C. Sweeting and D. W. Davis schools, among others.  

Mr. Carroll has represented The Bahamas at many regional and international festivals throughout the years, including Commonwealth Arts Festival (Edmonton, Canada), CARIFESTA Barbados, CARIFESTA Jamaica, and CARIFESTA Cuba.  He also was a part of Ministry of Tourism promotional tours to Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. At present, he is the Director of Lawrence Carroll Dance Academy.  

Mr. Valentine Maura is the Festival’s Drama Adjudicator.  Mr. Maura first studied his art in his early youth with Mr. Andrew Curry.  His love for the theatre began at Aquinas College in New Providence. He went on to study at Rochester State University in Minnesota, where he had a double major in Economics and Theatre.  Mr. Maura graduated at the top of his class in both of his majors.  

He has represented The Bahamas around the world, including in New Zealand, the United States, Trinidad, and Canada.  

Mr. Maura is an outstanding actor and is an active member of James Catalyn & Friends.  He has also performed on the Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts stage many times during its repertory season.  He is also seen on BTC Bahamas television ads, which air regularly on our local television stations.  

The Arts and Crafts Adjudicator is Mr. Allan P. Wallace.  Mr Wallace attended C. C. Sweeting High School, where he graduated at the top of his class in 1996.  He went on to further his education at the College of the Bahamas, again graduating at the top of the class.  He also took part in the FINCO Summer Art Work-shop from 1996 – 2000.  

At present, he is an accomplished self-employed artist.  He has represented The Bahamas as an artist in London, Henley, Liverpool, and Brighton, England. His solo exhibitions include the following:  1997 “The Colour of Harmony” at the College of The Bahamas (1997), “Inside the Mind of Allan P. Wallace” at the Radisson Resort and Casino (2000), and “Birth of a Godhead” at Nassau Arts & Antiques (2009).  

Mr. Wallace won several art awards including receiving 1^st place twice and 2^nd place once in the “Central Bank Art Competition” and 1^st place in the 1995 Biodiversity Poster Competition.  His group exhibitions include “Visual Dialogue” at the Hilton, Nassau, Bahamas, (2002), the 2003 National Art Gallery of The Bahamas “Inaugural Art Show”, the 2004 “Independence Day” Art Showcase and the Annual “Transforming Spaces” Art Showcase, in 2009 and 2011.  

Other accomplishments include the youngest artist in the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas’  Inaugural Art Show and named as an “artist to watch” by the former Prime Minister the Hon. Perry Christie.  Mr Wallace, represented The Bahamas at the 2008 CARIFESTA in Guyana and was contracted by NBC and CBS to produce character sketches in the “Travolta Trial”.