Kiddies' Euphoria of Mas at Queen's Park Savannah on February 22

Jill De Bourg, president of the TT Red Cross Society, says this year’s Red Cross Children's Carnival theme is one to remind people about the magic and creativity of mas.

The theme, The Euphoria of Mas, will be on display at the Queen’s Park Savannah on February 22.

“We wanted to bring out the essence of what makes the heart and soul of Carnival – our children. Because when you look at children’s mas – the creativity, craft, the detail, the beauty of it – that’s what we wanted to encapsulate. That essence that takes us back to what our culture is cemented in – creativity.

“The theme takes us back to that place of being a young masquerader, feeling that energy, that vibrancy, that love, that magic, that passion, that joy, that feeling that transcends and takes you over when you’re on that stage.”

She said earlier in the year, there was some concern about the lack of people registering, but now there are over 300 registered bands and individuals including four large bands, seven medium bands and 32 small bands.

De Bourg expressed fear that if people did not start investing in children’s mas and creating a safe space for children to have fun, mas would be lost in a few years. She also believed producers of adult mas should find a way to create a path from children to adult mas.

She said the Ronnie and Caro Mas Band supported the Red Cross Children’s Carnival and the culture every year. This year, it offered a discount on cloth and craft items to children’s mas bandleaders. She added she would love to see some adult bands bringing out children’s bands.

“We have to understand that if our young people are not seeing our culture as something to participate in, in a safe way, who’s to say we will have adult mas in 20 or 30 years?”

She added that a space needed to be created for up-and-coming creatives, where they could be encouraged to get involved and invest in the culture. She said that was the point of the organisation’s 2021 and 2023 V65 Emerging Designer Competition – to create a pathway for young creatives who never thought about mas, to try their hand at designing and creating costumes. And some were given commissions here and abroad to work on various costumes.

She also expressed gratitude for the of the Red Cross Children’s Carnival sponsors and encouraged others to be a part of the event.