11th Steelpan/Carnival Arts Conference

 Scholars of the Caribbean Arts 

Heading to T&T in March


By stephen weir
It may be a little early to start packing, but Roger Gibbs has Trinidad & Tobago on his mind. The popular Calypso performer and York University post-grad student is preparing for a stage performance in Port of Spain at the Steelpan/Carnival Arts Conference.
No, he won’t be singing or playing an instrument; in fact, he will be a lectern giving a scholarly lecture to the leaders of international community of Carnival Arts!
The 11th Steelpan/Carnival Arts Conference is being organized jointly by the University of Trinidad and Tobago, the International Carnival Conference Committee, and the International Journal of Carnival Arts. It will be held at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) between March 6–8, 2025.
This conference will be a gathering celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Caribbean, particularly the steelpan and carnival arts. With international participants from various artistic disciplines, the event will feature keynote speakers, workshops, and panel discussions aimed at exploring the future of these art forms. The conference will also highlight the contributions of steelpan musicians and carnival artists, addressing both the historical significance and contemporary relevance of these cultural practices in global arts and entertainment.
As a platform for networking and collaboration, the event will encourage partnerships between local and international artists, educators, and cultural institutions. The Conference is expected to be a hub for exchanging ideas, advancing the preservation and innovation of these iconic art forms, and exploring their potential for cross-cultural influence.
“The paper I plan to present is 'Calypso Historiography - Who Wrote What and When.' We only get 15 minutes to speak, and since it’s a 40-page paper, I will present a summary,” Gibbs told the Caribbean Camera. “The paper will be published in a forthcoming edition of the International Journal of Carnival Arts.”
Gibbs is not the only Torontonian attending. Tony Pierre, Ivor Picou, Gregory Christmas, Ed Peters, Richard de Lima, and Caron Bitter-Phinney are on board. Other participants include musical experts from the USA, UK, Ghana, Nigeria, Japan, Jamaica, Barbados, and Grenada.
Port of Spain will be a busy place as their annual country-wide carnival takes place from March 3–5, right before the conference (March 6–8). 

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