In commemoration of International Youth Day on August 10, 180 young people from the Youth Training Centre (YTC) and the St Jude's School for Girls were graced by the presence of several local and international spoken word artistes during the week-long event Cascadoo: Caribbean New Voices International Festival of Spoken Word, sponsored in part by Evolving TecKnologies and Enterprise Development (E teck).
A release from E teck said the two events were Male Call, hosted at the YTC facility, and I am Woman was the event hosted at St Jude's. Hosted by the Oral Tradition Roots Foundation in collaboration with The Poetry Society of T&T, the theme of this year's Cascadoo festival commemorated the annual global theme: What Will Be Your Legacy?
The festival ran from August 11�18 and focused on the promotion of spoken word and performing arts.
Presentations were made by spoken word artistes from across the globe: Thobekile "Thobs the Zulu Queen" Mbanda from South Africa, Lamont Carey from the US, Randy "The Kriativ Aktivis" McLaren, Ashley "Muslim Belal" Chin from the UK, Greg "Ritallin" Frankson from Canada, Rae-Anthony "Curious Ringo" Samora and Emmanuel Villafana from Trinidad.
Mtima Solwazi, organiser of the Cascadoo festival, said the two events were "an opportunity for the youth to connect with people who have made similar mistakes in their lives and see how they overcame through the use of the spoken word."
Carey shared a similar desire when he said, "My hope is that they see how our lives are similar and recognise that success is still achievable despite their circumstances. Determination and a vision can overcome any barriers that await them upon their freedom..."
Two gifted 17-year-olds from YTC showcased their spoken word talent during Male Call.
The first said the Cascadoo event, "was a time to remember. It felt like euphoria consumed me and I'm not rueful of the feeling. Also it's a benediction to hear the words and voices of Thobs the Zulu Queen straight out from South Africa."
The other youth described his experience as "...fantastic and also life-changing. I'm sure there were prisoners out there who paid attention and by doing so they triggered off a craving for change, because these people that came here offered us a life in disguise. They took their precious time to come here and share their life experiences through talent."
E teck said as part sponsor of the festival, it sees a natural alignment between the objectives of this programme and E teck's corporate philanthropic pursuits, specifically its NGOs and CBOs support to groups who support at-risk youth in the areas of career enhancement or personal development.
E teck's corporate communications department manager, Carol-Ann McKenzie, said, "E teck is happy to be a part of this initiative and to impact positively in the lives of the young people of YTC and St Jude's."