NEWS
Arts Alive Celebrates Abilities!
- December, 2016
Over 400 people celebrated the UN International Day of Persons With Disabilities on Friday, December 2nd at Lowlands Mall in Tobago. The show “We Special Gifts” (Our Special Gifts) initiated and co-produced by Arts Alive, included over 100 Tobago performers from Arts Alive Tobago; Happy Haven School; Tobago School for the Deaf, Speech and Language Impaired; and Tobago Technical Vocational Centre. As MC Dr. Eastlyn McKenzie said “we all have challenges and we all have abilities…this is the day to celebrate abilities.”
The event was full of music, dance, joy and laughter, and included a lot of audience participation. Thanks to sponsorship by the Digicel Trinidad and Tobago Foundation it was free for the public, but an audience member was heard saying “dey shoulda charge we for de show, was so good”. Another elderly women remarked it was the best Christmas gift she could ever get…”nothing more needed.”
Over 400 people celebrated the UN International Day of Persons With Disabilities on Friday, December 2nd at Lowlands Mall in Tobago. The show “We Special Gifts” (Our Special Gifts) initiated and co-produced by Arts Alive, included over 100 Tobago performers from Arts Alive Tobago; Happy Haven School; Tobago School for the Deaf, Speech and Language Impaired; and Tobago Technical Vocational Centre. As MC Dr. Eastlyn McKenzie said “we all have challenges and we all have abilities…this is the day to celebrate abilities.”
The event was full of music, dance, joy and laughter, and included a lot of audience participation. Thanks to sponsorship by the Digicel Trinidad and Tobago Foundation it was free for the public, but an audience member was heard saying “dey shoulda charge we for de show, was so good”. Another elderly women remarked it was the best Christmas gift she could ever get…”nothing more needed.”
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Dr. McKenzie told the performers and audience members that greatness should not be measured just from our accomplishments, but for what people have to overcome.
“That makes all our performers here truly great” she said. She applauded the Arts Alive REACH Programme which is a unique initiative in the nation, integrating "abled" and "differently-abled" performers together in rehearsals and performances. Special guest, Mr. Juan Miguel Diez, Director of the UN Information Centre for the Caribbean Area, said that currently there are over a billion people in the world with a serious disability, and he applauded the event for bringing the Tobago community together in support of the day. |
Some of the performers at "We Special Gifts"
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Arts Alive Makes History
- March, 2016
Members of the Arts Alive Tobago REACH Project made history recently as the first performance group integrating differently-abled singers and dancers, to perform in a National Music Festival Highlights show in Trinidad and Tobago, and at the Closing Ceremony of the Special Olympics. Both events were in Port of Spain in Trinidad. Response from the audiences in both cases was amazing based on both the inclusiveness of the group, and on the very high calibre of performance achieved.
Members of the Arts Alive Tobago REACH Project made history recently as the first performance group integrating differently-abled singers and dancers, to perform in a National Music Festival Highlights show in Trinidad and Tobago, and at the Closing Ceremony of the Special Olympics. Both events were in Port of Spain in Trinidad. Response from the audiences in both cases was amazing based on both the inclusiveness of the group, and on the very high calibre of performance achieved.
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A number of the children in Arts Alive also entered and won singing classes at the Music Festival, including one with significant hearing and speech impairment - an amazing accomplishment!
Artistic Director of Arts Alive, Anne-Marie Baksh-Brimacombe, says “every member is unique and has special talents to offer. We design each performance number around the special talents and challenges of our members.” In order to do this Arts Alive has enlisted the expertise of choreographer Christopher Sheppard from Trinidad. |
Mrs. Baksh-Brimacombe is not only thrilled about the level of performance the group achieves. “Original members of Arts Alive have welcomed the differently-abled performers with open arms and hearts”, she says. "They all help each other out and support each other. It is truly a privilege and joy to work with them.”
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Arts Alive REACH Project members on stage at Queen's Hall in Port of Spain, Trinidad, as guest performers for the National Music Festival Highlights Concert.
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In addition to support from the Digicel Foundation, the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Division of Community Development and Culture enabled the group to travel and perform at these events in Trinidad. Ground transportation was provided by both Police and Fire Services of Trinidad and Tobago.
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Arts Alive REACH Project members performing at the Closing Ceremonies of the Special Olympics held recently in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
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Music Video of Arts Alive REACH Project
(Integrating differently-abled performers into Arts Alive rehearsals and performances)
(Integrating differently-abled performers into Arts Alive rehearsals and performances)
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Arts Alive members involved in the REACH Project (which integrates differently-abled performers into rehearsals and performances) enjoyed filming their first music video on November 8th at the Pigeon Point Heritage Park. In spite of it being rainy season the day was sunny and clear as they sang and danced to their original "Nature's Welcome Song".
(Click the middle of the image below for the video.) |
Thanks to Pigeon Point and to Tobago House of Assembly Information Services for facilitating this videotaping.
The REACH project is proudly sponsored by the Digicel Foundation (see article below). |
Arts Alive and the Digicel Foundation Reach the Differently-Abled in Tobago
(June, 2015)
(June, 2015)
The Digicel Foundation, in partnership with Arts Alive, is making a significant and positive impact on the lives of those with special needs in Tobago. So says Dr. Eastlyn McKenzie, Chair of the Arts Alive Association in Tobago.
The Digicel Foundation recently announced its support of the innovative Arts Alive “REACH Project” with a gift of TT $120,000 over the next 12 months. The project includes three performing arts programmes for those with special needs, initiated and coordinated by Arts Alive in Tobago. They include ‘Music and Movement Are Magic’ at Happy Haven School, ‘A Gift of Song’ at the Tobago Technical Vocational School (TechVoc), and ‘Dance Yuh Dance’, an inclusive and integrated dance programme held weekly at Gulf City Lowlands Mall.
“Already these programmes are bringing real joy, confidence and self-esteem to our differently-abled children and young adults in Tobago” says McKenzie.
The Digicel Foundation recently announced its support of the innovative Arts Alive “REACH Project” with a gift of TT $120,000 over the next 12 months. The project includes three performing arts programmes for those with special needs, initiated and coordinated by Arts Alive in Tobago. They include ‘Music and Movement Are Magic’ at Happy Haven School, ‘A Gift of Song’ at the Tobago Technical Vocational School (TechVoc), and ‘Dance Yuh Dance’, an inclusive and integrated dance programme held weekly at Gulf City Lowlands Mall.
“Already these programmes are bringing real joy, confidence and self-esteem to our differently-abled children and young adults in Tobago” says McKenzie.
Cheque presentation by the Digicel Foundation in support of the Arts Alive REACH Project.
PROGRAMMES AND PERFORMANCE GROUPS
Full cast in "Higher and Higher"
Currently Arts Alive Tobago includes a children's training company, a children's performing company, a women's ensemble, and an adult community choir called "Jubilation". These groups usually combine for our major shows, along with selected soloists and guest performers. Many members had never performed in public prior to Arts Alive and audiences are often amazed at this because the calibre of performance is so high. As one audience member said: "the show was so good you should charge we (us) again on the way out"!
Our shows, "Christmas Joy" in November, 2014 and "One Love - Many Voices" in March, 2015 also included some of Tobago's young adults with special needs. This was such a joy for all involved that Arts Alive has recently developed the REACH Project to train and include the differently-abled in its shows and activities.
Our shows, "Christmas Joy" in November, 2014 and "One Love - Many Voices" in March, 2015 also included some of Tobago's young adults with special needs. This was such a joy for all involved that Arts Alive has recently developed the REACH Project to train and include the differently-abled in its shows and activities.
Arts Alive performers of all ages combine with differently-abled participants in 'Dance Yuh Dance' -
a joyful, inclusive, integrated dance programme. |
Arts Alive 'Music and Movement Are Magic' programme at the Happy Haven School for special needs students in Tobago.
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VIDEOS
This column below includes clips from YouTube of a recent video made by the Digicel Foundation about our exciting REACH Project, and some of the musical numbers from our previous shows. (Click on the arrows.) VIDEO CLARITY: If you are viewing these videos on full screen and the images do not become clear within 10 seconds, please adjust the resolution box on the bottom right of your full screen to a higher number.
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PAST SHOWS & VIDEOS
"One Love - Many Voices" - March 21, 2015 - A musical celebration of diversity of race and of ability for the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and World Down Syndrome Day. Special guest speakers included Mr. Juan Miguel Diez (Director of the UN information Centre for the Caribbean), and Mr. Orville London (Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly). "Christmas Joy!" - November, 2014 - A sell-out crowd enjoyed song, dance, narrative, poetry, comedy, and special images celebrating the joy of the season. This show included, for the first time, a number of young adults with special needs from Happy Haven School and the Technical Vocational School in Tobago who injected a special measure of joy and energy to the performance. "Higher and Higher!" - May, 2014 - celebrating the universal sources of our inspiration through song, dance, story, special images and video (Tobago) "Rhythms of Life, Voices of Nature" - November, 2013 - celebrating the beauty of the cultures and of the natural environment of Tobago and of Trinidad through the performing arts (Tobago, Port of Spain and San Fernando, Trinidad) "The Magic of Christmas - 2" - November, 2012 (Tobago) "Pure Joy" - March, 2013 - celebrating the UN International Day of Happiness (Tobago and Port of Spain, Trinidad) Music Festival Highlights and "Down At the Waterhole" (an original musical) - June, 2012 (Tobago) "The Magic of Christmas - 1", November, 2011 (Tobago) - "Introducing Arts Alive!" - June, 2011 (Tobago) |
PHOTOS
For a slide show of photos from our various performances please proceed to the bottom of the page on this website titled "Photos and Contact Information". There is also a slide show of beautiful photos of Tobago on the page here titled "About Tobago". 
Special needs students from Happy Haven School and the Tobago Technical Vocational School performed in some numbers with
Arts Alive performers in the show "Christmas Joy" in November, 2014 and "One Love - Many Voices" in March, 2015. 
Arts Alive Women's Ensemble in
"Rhythms of Life, Voices of Nature", November, 2013 
Arts Alive Tobago's Children's
Performing Company sing "We Can Make a Difference" 
Choreographer, Chris Sheppard, shows the
Arts Alive children's how to fly in the Digicel REACH Dance Yuh Dance Programme |
