The Community Independence Celebrations Secretariat (CICS) will be hosting the Spirit of the Nation Show on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, Wildey, St. Michael, at 6:00 p.m.
Under the theme “Celebrating Our Legacy: Our Present, Our Past, Our Future”, the CICS aims to promote nationalism and patriotism by showcasing the very best of local talent, through the use of Barbadian expressions of entertainment, and the unique aspects of the parishes.
The Spirit of the Nation Show also signals the conclusion of the year’s activities for the Community Independence Celebrations at the parish level, where the 22 Parish Ambassadors will compete for the award of Most Outstanding Ambassadors for 2023.
The judges’ decision is based on the criteria that focuses on the Ambassadors’ participation and performance in preliminary activities: Training sessions and Workshops, Community Service Days, Interview and Assessment on Knowledge of Projects, Community Interaction, Communication, Teamwork, public speaking, participation in Parish Projects and their attendance and participation in the rehearsals for the Spirit of the Nation Show.
On the night of the Show, the judges will award points for the public speaking segment on their personal experience within the programme, and they will choose the best of the exquisite costumes and elegant evening wear that will be presented by the Parish Ambassadors. The awardees for the Committee Member of the Year, the Attendant of the Year, and Parish Project of the Year are also revealed at this Show.
This year, the Spirit of the Nation, as a signature event, will not include the judging of the Parish Talent segments as the Spirit of the Nation Talent Shows were held first in Northern/Central and Southern Zones, with two performances per parish going forward to the Spirit of the Nation Parish Talent Finals. The top winners of the three categories of awards from the Parish Talent Finals: the First-place Performer, the Most Original Act, and the Most Impactful Act, will perform at the Spirit of the Nation Show.
The shift to having a separate show for the talent segment of the Community Independence Celebrations programme was done primarily in the interest of time – the presentation of these acts at the Spirit of the Nation Show had caused the programme to be lengthy with the addition of the other segments.
However, the test of this partitioning of the events proved to be successful in terms of the development of the performers who benefitted from the training workshops and the opportunity to work with talent mentors who are seasoned performers in the music industry. It also proved that there is much talent to be unearthed from within our parishes.
Patrons to the Spirit of the Nation Show can still expect a gala that showcases the Best of the Best in a more condensed, competitive cultural package that highlights the diverse community activities combined with a potpourri of spectacular presentations of costumes, elegant formal wear and talent, all set with a Bajan flair.
Barbados, save the date – November 18, 2023, as all roads lead to the Spirit of the Nation Show at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex at 6:00 p.m. – it promises to be an epic experience.