Young, articulated and talented, Lisa Rey perhaps has one of her most challenging responsibilities: leading the 2017 Anguilla Summer Festival Commission as Chairperson to what is expected to be a successful national event.
Formerly, Sales and Marketing Manager at Radio Anguilla, Lisa holds a B.Sc. degree in Marketing and Mass Communications from London Metropolitan University in North London. She is not new to the summer festival having served for some time as its Public Relations Officer. This time she is the head of what is in fact a temporary Summer Festival Commission established by Government with effect from March 1 to November 30, 2017.
“In that timeframe, we are basically tasked with managing and operating the summer festival for this year. However, the necessary documents needed to form the Festival Commission are not in place so until that is done it is temporary at this point,” she explained.
Lisa gave the period for the Summer Festival as August 2 – 13. “We are starting differently this year,” she pointed out. “Normally, we start carnival on a Thursday but because we have given Soca Monarch, now Soca Rave, its own day, carnival will begin on August Wednesday. The name of the show has been changed completely and rebranded, but it will still carry the same concept it normally would have. One of FLOW’s artistes throughout the Caribbean will possibly be in Anguilla to give a performance. As I said, carnival will start on the first Wednesday in August and the Thursday will be Soca Rave – and that change to the carnival schedule is one of the biggest issues this year.”
According to Lisa, some of the changes were made to the schedule of events as a cost-cutting measure. “We were trying to cut our overhead costs for producing carnival,” she went on. “Production costs are extremely high and that is one of the things that persons have been talking about; but a lot of persons are unaware of the costs associated with producing each carnival event. There was a very drastic change to the schedule by the Ministry and we were invited to a meeting where we were presented with those changes. The public had an uproar, and then we went through the schedule with all the sub-committees and tried to find a way around it that would make it more feasible for revellers as well as the Festival’s Commission. We now have a shift to the schedule, not just to add an extra day, but the events are not on the days that they would normally be on.”
In addition to the above changes regarding Wednesday and Thursday, Lisa further explained: “On the Friday, August 4, we will have the Junior and Senior Calypso Show. Saturday, August 5, will be Bandclash/ Bandorama; Sunday, August 6, Kids and Carnival. In addition we are also going to have the Prince and Princess Show at 5.30 pm followed by the Talented Teen Show. On Monday, August 7, will be J’ouvert and the Caribbean Beach Party [the latter of which has been outsourced to a private bidder]. On Tuesday, August 8, will be a private event. On Wednesday, August 9, will be the Miss Anguilla Pageant which would normally be on the Thursday. It is proposed that the Leeward Islands Calypso Show will be on that Thursday, August 10. That has also been an issue for us. Initially we discussed this with the sub-committee and they said it would have been okay but we are now hearing that may pose a problem. On Friday, August 11, we will have the grand parade of troupes Saturday, August 12, will be Poker Run, a new event; and on Sunday, August 13, we will have the Champion of Champion Boat Race.” She pointed out that there would be a few other events including the South Valley Street Festival on August 5 and “Eyes Wide Shut” on August 10 which, though not on the carnival calendar, are helping to boost the island’s culture.
The major sponsor of the Anguilla Summer Festival Commission is the Government of Anguilla, while there are a number of other sponsors who are assisting with some of the events. Lisa estimates that it will take about EC$1.5 million to comfortably finance carnival. “That is the only way that carnival will be successful every year without having bills being transferred to the following year,” she stated. She disclosed that the approved budget by Government was just under EC$890,000.
The Summer Festival Commission Chairperson pointed out: “The first discussion we had this year, was: Do we have a carnival? Should we push to try to make it happen? Or should we just have a weekend of main events like the pageants, as opposed to stretching carnival across the board and adding more operational costs? That was something I knew our revellers would not be able to understand…We are basically trying to squeeze water out of a rock this year, but we are trying to find creative ways to ignite passion in our revellers to come out and celebrate.”
Lisa is happy with the Summer Festival team working with her. “I have a very strong support team in terms of experience and knowledge,” she acknowledged. “I think with this team I, and we, will be able to have a very successful carnival this year. As huge as the task is, I am always up for a challenge. People will criticise no matter what you do, but I am perfectly fine with getting critiques. All I am asking from everyone that if there are critiques, let them be constructive. I am open to anyone speaking with me. It is something I have been doing over the past few months.”
Lisa’s team and their responsibilities are as follows: Shayne Thompson, Deputy Chairperson, Opening Night; Bandclash/ Bandorama and J’ouvert; Kiescha Brooks, Miss Anguilla Queen Show; Renford Kelsick, Prince and Princess Show; Romare Kelsick, Talented Teen Pageant: Lloyd Gumbs, Parade of Troupes; Rebecca Webster, Local Calypso Competition; Katrina Richardson, Leeward Islands Calypso Competition; Atrene Pemberton, Boat racing; Fiona Wilkinson, Joseph Vanterpool and Keanu Bell, Public Interest; and Cleonette Lake, Financial Controller.
