Michael Manswell interview Bushwoman Conversation at Lefferts Historic house for Caribbean Heritage Month 2023 This Legendary Traditional Carnival Characters workshop is designed to empathize the significance of the Traditional Carnival Characters in Trinidad and Tobago and other Carnival cultures. These characters represent the theatre of the streets, fictional characters that tells a story of man and womankind life lessons during this process we call life.

Jouvay, as described by author John Mendes, in his book Cote ci, Cote la – Trinidad and Tobago Dictionary epitomizes “The Opening of the Day. It’s a time, strange characters of folklore appear in the streets making weird noises whilst it’s still dark, since they cannot face the full light of day, a time when revelers take to the stress in rags and old clothing – (coined the term Old Mas) to mark the opening of the two days of Carnival on the streets.”

Purpose:

In this workshop, we commemorate the Legendary Traditional Carnival Characters that represent art, it’s a dance, it tells a story of the challenges, woes and rivalry that we as humans experience on a daily basis.