Teachers coursed on Mash constume making
THE Umana Yana, in Kingston, Georgetown, was a hive of activity Tuesday, with rolls of wire, bits of cardboard and pots of adhesive everywhere as teachers knuckled down to the art of costume making. The one-day workshop grouped participants from Georgetown, Linden and Regions Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands) and Five (Mahaica/Berbice). A similar exercise was scheduled for yesterday in Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) at the Regional Education Department offices, Triumph, East Coast Demerara. The instructor on Tuesday was this year's Mashramani activities coordinator and accomplished artist, Mr John Fernandes, who was assisted by two young designers he previously trained to work with him. The objective of the courses is to see an improvement in the standard of children's costumes at this year's Mash parades. Those involved Tuesday were taught how to design and build disguises, effectively using cardboard, papier mache, wire and fibreglass rods, among other basic materials. They were also shown to differentiate between the various categories of camouflage and make things like head and shoulder pieces. Meanwhile, T. Geddes Grant (Guyana) Limited, the local distributors of Fernleaf milk, has pledged $1.4M towards the children's Mash costume band parade, popularly called the `Fernleaf Road March'. It is the sixth successive year the firm is funding this event and it takes place on Saturday, February 19 this year, not February 23. Convenor of the Children's Mash Competition, Ms Desiree Wyles-Ogle said the start and finishing points this time are also different. The procession moves off from Independence Square (formerly Parade Ground) in Middle Street (and not the Botanical Gardens on Vlissengen Road as on previous occasions), goes west along Middle Street, south on Main Street, east on Church Street, north on Camp Street and Camp Road before entering Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary. Wyles-Ogle said the children's activity is being staged separately to give those from outlying Administrative Regions, who will be in the city for the finals on February 16, 17 and 18, a chance to participate in that aspect of the Mash programme. She said some Regions are due to begin staging semi-finals today.
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