Louise Bennett-Coverley Festival gives tablets, bursary

The Louise Bennett-Coverley Festival hosted its inaugural festival in honour of Louise Bennett-Coverley on Saturday, October 15, 2022 at the Louise Bennett-Coverley Square in Gordon Town, at her former residence.

A successful event, attended by approximately 300 people, the Louise Bennett-Coverley Festival was able to honour two of its major goals: i) To preserve the work and legacy of Louise Bennett-Coverley and ii) To support two schools in Gordon Town and provide a bursary for a drama student from the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.

The management team on Friday, March 10, donated to the eponymous Louise Bennett-Coverley Primary school seven tablet computers that the principal, Tanya Lynch-Davis, indicated will go towards starting a tablet loan programme for students who will be sitting the online grade four literacy test and PEP exams. St Martin de Porres Primary also received seven tablets. In addition, both schools received a copy of the anthology, 100 Plus Voices for Miss Lou edited by Professor Opal Palmer Adisa, the founder of the festival, as well as 50 copies each of Portia Dreams. The Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts was the beneficiary of a donation of $100,000 for a bursary to a drama student and a copy of the anthology at a presentation on Saturday, March 11 at the college.

The Louise Bennett-Coverley Festival will collaborate with the non-profit, Uncommon Arts, to launch a scholarship for low-income, rural women. This scholarship will provide tablets, data plans and sponsorship for the payment of the CSEC English Language fee of scholarship recipients. The launch of Louise Bennett-Coverley Festival Technology Scholarship in collaboration with non-profit, Uncommon Arts, will be held in May, child month

Palmer Adisa, said, “I am confident Miss Lou would be proud of our efforts as she believed in not only preserving our culture, but in each in of us helping others to develop their talents and skills.”

Annika Simone Rowe, managing director of the Louise Bennett-Coverley Festival, concurred with Professor Adisa and added, “It is a sense of accomplishment and purpose being able to honour our pledges to our beneficiary organisations. We consider this an important responsibility and achievement. The Louise Bennett-Coverley Festival is grateful to the government and corporate sponsors who worked in solidarity with us to help make the festival a success and by extension allows the festival to carry on our work to preserve the legacy of our beloved national icon.”