Barbados govt announces activities and schedule for Crop Over Festival

Barbados: The Minister with responsibility for Culture in the Prime Minister’s Office, Senator Dr Shantal Munroe-Knight, and Chief Cultural Officer at the National Cultural Foundation, Andrea Wells, have announced the activities for the traditional harvest Crop Over Festival. 

Barbados authorities have announced the activities during a press conference in the Queen’s Park gallery on Tuesday and stated that after a two-year hiatus, Crop Over enthusiasts would have the option of six new routes for Grand Kadooment and Foreday Morning Jam. 

The schedule and the various activities of the Crop Over Festival are the following: 

• The Finals of the Pic-O-De-Crop will be returned on Friday, July 29, 2022, at Kensington Oval. The concept of the one-song will be used that is introduced in 2019.
• The People’s Choice Soca Monarch Competition will be staged at the National Botanical Gardens on Wednesday, July 31.

The Minister responsible for Culture stated that after the extensive discussion with all stakeholders, it was decided to stage the festival in a safe environment. She stated, “It would not make sense for us to have a Crop Over and have a good time and then it imperils the health of the nation going forward”. 

The Minister continued: “We are very clear, however, that this is a national project and it’s bigger than the National Cultural Foundation and the stakeholders. We work in service of a population that are the owners of this festival.”

Further, she outlined the two routes for Grand Kadooment and stated: 

• There will be one route from Warrens’s moving along the ABC Highway onto Norman Niles Roundabout.
• It will further end at the National Botanical Gardens, Waterford, St Michael.
• The second jump-up option would be Windward Cricket Ground to Bushy Park, St. Philip.

For Foreday Morning, Bandleaders could stage their events at the following places:

• They could stage their events at Searles to Ball Park.
• Christ Chruch
• Bushy Park
• St Philip
• The National Botanical Gardens
• Farley Hill in St Peter to Checker Hall
• St Lucy
• The events will be held on Thursday, August 1, 2022.

The Cheif Cultural Officer also informed that there would be n judging points for any events, and they would accept the registration from established bands. 

She further outlined:

• The location would be based on a “first-come-first-serve basis”.
• The Grand Kadooment bands would qualify for a $10,000 subvention.
• The Foreday Morning bands would receive $3 000.

While highlighting the COVID-19 protocols for the participation, she noted:

• Every technical crew and performer must be fully vaccinated.
• They have to present a rapid negative tests report that should be taken at least 24 hours before the event.
• All the catering and hospitality staff must be fully vaccinated and have to present a negative rapid test.

Senator further explained:

• The Pic-O-De-Crop Monarch will receive a $100,000 cash prize or a fully loaded electric vehicle.
• Calypso tents must be open three nights in order to qualify for subvention.
• Each artist will receive $2,000. The public will then select their favourite 20 songs.