The December Festivals are a series of traditional and historical festivals which bring Saint Lucians together in the spirit of community through artistic creativity with the use of light – a symbol of rebirth.
One of the highlights of the December Festivals is the Lantern Festival – a unique and extravagant expression of creativity through lanterns.
Since 1993 the lantern workshops have given participants an opportunity to acquire the skills required to create exquisite lanterns from the simplest of materials and to be part of an age old tradition. The initiative was started by Julian Calderon and Cedric George, through the Ministry of Education and Culture, who visited schools and engaged students creatively.
Today, the workshops have moved into the wider community and encourage participation from people of all ages who wish to express themselves through this traditional art form.
This year, five venues have been identified and the sessions began on Saturday November 7th and continue every Saturday during the month of November, until the 28th. The following individuals are facilitating the training sessions:
Sean Greaves – CDF Conference Room & Boys Training Centre
Gary Butte – Desruisseaux Community Centre
Vivian duBoulay – The Papel Craft Centre, Laborie
Shawn Francis – CDF Conference Room
Delthia Naitram – District IV Schools
The public is invited to be part of these training exercises as we hope to keep the tradition of lantern-making alive. Interested persons can join the sessions at a venue nearest them for the two remaining weeks of training.