Saint Lucia: 25 participants to compete for prizes in Lantern Competition 

Over twenty-five (25) participants will compete for prizes in Traditional, National and Contemporary/Modern categories at the National Cultural Centre. Preliminary Judging will commence at 11:00 a.m. and the finals round at 2:00 p.m.

Saint Lucia: 25 participants to compete for prizes in Lantern Competition 
Saint Lucia: 25 participants to compete for prizes in Lantern Competition 

Castries, Saint Lucia: Over twenty-five (25) participants will compete for prizes in Traditional, National and Contemporary/Modern categories at the National Cultural Centre. Preliminary Judging will commence at 11:00 a.m. and the finals round at 2:00 p.m.

With the objective of preserving the traditions and enhancing the lantern-making skills of the Saint Lucians, the CDF undertook four weeks of lantern training at six institutions around the island ( highlights to follow in subsequent posts). 

Winners of this year’s lantern competition will be announced at the Annual Festival of Light on Monday, December 12th 2022. 

Lantern building has been a tradition in Saint Lucia as far back as 1993. It provides an opportunity to express oneself and bring Saint Lucians together in the spirit of community through creativity. With a mandate of training and development, we will ensure the preservation of the tradition through our capacity building programmes.

The CDF organized and implemented training sessions at the Babonneau Secondary & Babonneau Primary, Grande Riviere Primary, Vide Bouteille Primary, Micoud Multi- Purpose Centre, Dame Pearlette Louisy Primary School and Marchand Combined School.

Facilitators engaged were participants of the recently concluded Learn to Impact: Train the Trainers Lantern Building Workshop. Gillard Avril, Kesia Peter, Joy Grant, Trudell Newton, Kurt Peter, Perry Martial, Savitre Jean Marie and Denise Ryan.

The National Cultural Centre is buzzing with excitement as participants, young and old present their masterpieces to the judges for adjudication. At this stage, lanterns are judged for CRAFTSMANSHIP. This entails Assessment of construction, Quality of finish and Neatness.

The Lantern Masters Competition is anticipated to stimulate interest and participation amongst Saint Lucians, particularly the experts. This activity adds innovation, creativity and diversity to the December festivities and is open to participants 18 year and over, under the theme “New Beginnings: Love Light, Peace”. 

Individuals interested in enhancing their lantern making skills are invited to register for the training sessions from November 9th – 29th 2022 at the CDF Facilities. Seniors $30.00, Juniors $20.00