Georgetown -- August 13, 2008 -- Oliver Samuels, Derek Walcott and Rex Nettleford are among some of the popular Caribbean icons who will be participating in the tenth Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA), sharing their theatrical and philosophical experiences.

 Artistic Director attached to the CARIFESTA Secretariat Dr. Paloma Mohamed, said Derek Walcott will be running a master class for talented writers that will compromise 12 persons from across the region.

Derek Walcott was born in 1930 in Castries, St Lucia. In 1953, Walcott moved to Trinidad, where he worked as a theatre and art critic. At the age of 18, he made his debut with 25 poems but he reached a peak in his career with his collections of poems called: ‘In a Green Night’ in 1962. In 1959, he founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop which produced many of his early plays. Walcott has travelled to many countries but has always felt deeply rooted in the Caribbean society with its rich cultural diversity.

Jamaican ‘King of Comedy’, Oliver Samuels, will stage two productions: ‘River Bottom’ and ‘Love Games’. Samuels will also be holding an open Master Class on August 26 for persons interested in comedy and acting.

 The Jamaican comedian participates in both
stand up comedy and comic theatre. Samuels found fame on the Jamaican Broadcasting Corporation’s television series ‘Oliver At Large’.

Dance professor and founder of the Jamaican National Dance Theatre, Professor Rex Nettleford is one of the region’s finest dance choreographers and one of the best philosophers.

 Dr. Mohamed said although the final Symposium on Caribbean Philosophy will be the highlight of Professor Nettleford’s participation, he has indicated his interest in facilitating a dance workshop.
She said his interest in this area stems from his deep feelings for Guyana since he was one of the founders of CARIFESTA in 1972 and is interested in contributing again.

Meanwhile the Trinidadians will hold a drama workshop while the Venezuelans will conduct a session on master drumming. Additionally, the Brazilians will conduct a workshop on capoeira, a type of dance using martial art techniques.
Capoeira has a history which includes slavery, oppression and war. It was first born in the Brazilian sugar cane plantations in the early 16th century. In order to conceal what they were actually practicing, the slaves created an unusual way of fighting. They hid all the movements of self defence like kicks and leg sweeps, within traditional West African dances and rituals. Over the years it has adopted many features from the Brazilian and Portuguese culture.