Masqueraders will not parade along the Mighty Grynner Highway like they did in the past.
Instead on August 1, they will have the option of jumping along two other routes.
These are from Warrens, St Michael, along the ABC Highway to the Norman Niles roundabout and to the National Botancial Gardens in Waterford, St Michael.
The second option for Grand Kadooment is from Windward Cricket Ground in Lucas Street to Bushy Park, St Philip.
Similarly, Foreday Morning revellers can participate at four areas – from Searles Plantation to Ball Park in Christ Church, in and around Bushy Park, Philip, the National Botanical Gardens, and from Farley Hill, St Peter to Checker Hall in St Lucy.
Those were some of the changes announced on Tuesday afternoon by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Shantal Munro Knight; permanent secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Jehu Wiltshire, and Chief Cultural Officer at the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), Andrea Wells, during a press conference at Queen’s Park.
In addition to these changes, Wells said they would include an additional subvention to allow qualified bands to stage their events.
“It was agreed that the NCF would underwrite the costs of the basic technical set up at a maximum of two pre-approved venues, inclusive of support services and emergency services on Kadooment Day and four for Foreday.
“Government has also agreed that a subvention or $10 000 will be provided for all registered and qualified Grand Kadooment Bands, and for the first time ever, Foreday Morning [bands] will receive a [$3000] subvention,” Wells said.
The Pic-O-De Crop Competition will utilise the one-song format introduced in 2019 and the winner will walk away with $100 000 or an electrical vehicle.
There will also be People’s Choice Soca Monarch, where voters will have the chance to pick the finalists for the July show. Although there will be no Junior Kadooment, Munro Knight said plans were still being put in place to foster the creativity among them the youth.
“We will not this year, unfortunately, be having a Junior Kadooment parade. However we will seek to ensure that craft is not left unattended by ensuring we build out with the Ministry of Education a programme where we seek to develop that art within the schools, Munro-Knight said,
The announcements followed intense discussions with calypso tents, the Barbados Association of Masqueraders, the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders.
An official calendar of events is expected to be released in a few weeks. (TG)
