Culture Department Concludes Virgin Gorda Workshops
The Department of Culture has concluded its multi-month cultural educational workshop series with a hands-on session on Virgin Gorda focused on traditional fungi music. More than twenty participants attended the interactive finale, which formed part of the Territory's ongoing Culture and Tourism Month celebrations.
The Department of Culture recently concluded its cultural educational workshop series with a successful final session held on Virgin Gorda. The interactive workshop drew more than twenty participants who gathered to learn about and engage with traditional Virgin Islands fungi music, a foundational element of the Territory's musical heritage.
The finale was organised by the Department of Culture with direct support from the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) Virgin Gorda Campus and the Jennie Wheatley Virgin Islands Studies Institute. The session offered attendees both practical hands-on experience and historical insight into the rhythms, instruments, and enduring cultural significance of fungi music.
Anne Lennard, extended special appreciation to session facilitator Ms. Bernadine Walters Louis and commended the dedicated community involvement that drove the workshop series across several months. Highlighting the impact of the initiative, Ms. Lennard stated, "I wish to acknowledge the dedication of the various facilitators, including Mr.
Kayron Todman and the members of the Razor Blades Fungi Band, Mrs. Janice Nibbs Blyden and all participants who took the time to attend and engage in the sessions. These types of community collaborations demonstrate who we are as a people, it also serves as an opportunity to teach the younger generation, while keeping the Virgin Islands culture alive." The Department also recognised essential institutional backing from the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, BVI Finance, and numerous community members and volunteers who worked behind the scenes to make the educational sessions possible across the islands.
The workshop series coincided with the Territory's celebration of Culture and Tourism Month throughout November, observed under the theme, "Our BVI, Our Culture, Our Story." Cultural officials continue to encourage the public to participate in scheduled events across the Territory, with special highlight placed on the highly anticipated Cultural Food Fair hosted at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Park in Road Town.
Operating under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sustainable Development, the Department of Culture remains tasked with preserving, developing, and promoting Virgin Islands heritage while fostering national identity, creativity, and cultural expression throughout the community.
Primary source: BVI Government