(CMR) The Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF) has announced the Cayman National Choir and Orchestra (CNCO) as the FJ Harquail Cultural Centre's new resident company.
As a resident company, CNCO will now be permanently based at the complex, rehearsing and performing on-site. The new partnership was celebrated with CNCO’s inaugural concert at the Harquail Theatre this past weekend, which saw the debut of international award-winning flutist Aleksandra Henszel with the wider choir and orchestra under Director of Music for the Orchestra, Alina Makhina and Director of Music for the Choir, Melody Gifford.
This move to welcome more creative companies to the Cultural Centre is part of CNCF's new strategic vision and the result of an 18-month strategic redevelopment project by the CNCF Board, staff, and stakeholders.
Building on a strong 40-year legacy, this exercise explored the ways and means of returning to a version of the original mission for CNCF as an ‘umbrella’ cultural management body that is responsive to evolving cultural sector needs. This model shifts CNCF’s primary role from that of ‘producer’ to facilitator. This expands support for the creative sector via professional development initiatives and a larger annual grants program.
The restructuring is also increasingly focused on the development of culture and heritage resources, sector-wide promotions, advocacy, and supporting the implementation of the National Cultural and Heritage Policy priorities. A key part of the restructuring includes opening up the site as a National Cultural Campus—a concept that was originally envisioned for CNCF in 1984—in partnership with adjacent landowners the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands.
“As we evolve our primary focus from developing in-house productions and festivals to facilitating a wider cultural program through partnerships, our Resident Companies, Artist/Scholar-in-Residence, and Creative Partnerships programs will provide unique opportunities for creative organizations, individuals, and charities to develop creative, collaborative relationships with us,” said CNCF CEO Natalie Urquhart.
She added, “This enables us to expand the scope of CNCF’s work, build on our strong creative legacy, and support the growing creative sector in Cayman across all disciplines.”
The Cayman National Choir and Orchestra (CNCO) will be based in the smaller stage space called The Studio Theatre for twice-weekly rehearsals, with several annual performances held at the Harquail Theatre.
“We are delighted to become partners with the Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF). High rental costs for our rehearsal rooms had threatened our existence, but becoming a Resident Company of the F.J. Harquail Cultural Centre has provided us with an ideal rehearsal room at a greatly subsidized rent and performance space, which will secure our future. The Harquail Theatre is the natural home of the arts in Cayman, and we are thrilled to make this wonderful theatre the venue for our future concerts,” CNCO said.
CNCF also recently launched its new Artist/Scholar-in-Residence (AIR), program which was piloted by leading Caymanian artist Nasaria Suckoo-Chollette. The program provides AIRs with a creative residency studio at the Minds Eye Centre and a monthly stipend. It is designed to provide artists (performing, visual, literary, and so forth) and scholars with the opportunity to undertake funded creative or cultural heritage-inspired research projects of their choosing.
Also new to the CNCF roster is the Creative Partnerships Program (CPP), where CNCF provides in-kind support to performing arts companies and creative charities via the use of the Harquail Theatre venue and technical support. Over the past few months, CNCF has collaborated with multiple companies via the CPP, including the Cayman Islands National Dance Company, the Cayman Arts Festival, the Red Boat Experience, UCCI Performing Arts, Floetry, Cayman Talent Expo, Needles and Friends Sewing Circle, Pan N’ Riddim, Matt Brown’s ‘Wha Happening’, and others.
CNCF Chairperson Lorna Reid said, “These new initiatives are helping CNCF to transform its role as a national cultural management body and to greatly widen our impact. We are grateful to CNCO for joining us to help make this new vision a reality and congratulate them on their first concert as a Resident Company, which welcomed a packed and highly engaged audience. We are excited to continue growing our partnership and collaborative programming in the coming months.”
Information about all of these initiatives will shortly be available via CNCF’s new website. In the meantime, persons may email [email protected] or call (345) 949 5477, and follow CNCF social media @CaymanCulture to learn more.
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