Cultural and literary royalty turned out in their numbers on Sunday for the start of the 2009 National Poetry Festival at the National Museum and Art Gallery National icons such as Earl Lovelace Bill Trotman and Brother Resistance showed their support for the young poets of our nation who launched the Festival in fine style

The National Poetry Festival 2009 which culminates on March 21st World Poetry Day will deal with the critical issue of HIV and AIDS The theme of the Festival is Defying the Disease through the Power of the Word Resisting Stigma and Discrimination The organisers Idakeda and the Circle of Poets have partnered with the National AIDS Coordinating Committee NACC to put together a week long programme geared at both adults and children with all activities focussing on this theme

The announcement of a new Poet Laureate of Port of Spain will be the highlight of the 2nd Annual National Poetry Festival being held in Trinidad and Tobago March 16th21stThe Festival jointly hosted by Idakeda and the Circle of Poets of Trinidad and Tobago has been possible as a result of the support of the National Aids Coordinating Committee and the National Museum and Art Gallery of Trinidad and Tobago

The Eintou Springer street production Canboulay came off on Carnival Friday morning without a hitch and impressed all present visitors residents and dignitaries alike The success of the show is even more significant for us as this was the first year that Idakeda was actively involved in its management

Chibale pron cheebahleh the drumming and performance group made up of the children of the Idakeda family will be part of the drumming contingent for the 2009 street production of Canboulay

Students from one the schools benefiting from a long term intervention by Idakeda received an absolute treat when they visited the Brian Mc Farlane mas camp recently

Idakeda will play a critical role in the management of the Canboulay Street play for Carnival 2009 The play based on an original script by Eintou Springer will be performed at 5am on February 20th Carnival Friday morning

The first few weeks of 2009 have been a veritable whirlwind for Idakeda Our workshops in schools continue to be warmly received and the good vibes have been attracting talented and committed people to our cause

We have been asking for this kind of intervention for years now so we are extremely happy that it has finally taken place so says one of the teachers who experienced an Idakeda intervention on Friday 16th