New! Warri Gets a Boost
The Warri Revival Programme kicked off on July 3rd with a dynamic week-long Train the Trainers Workshop. Sponsored by the UNESCO ICH FUND and facilitated by the Antigua and Barbuda Warri Academy (ABWA), the initiative produced five new Warri trainers—all students, aged 11 to 17.
Did the students enjoy the experience? Did they truly connect with the game?
You be the judge. Enough long talking—roll the video!
What’s next for the Warri Revival Programme?
The Warri Revival Programme, part of the UNESO ICH Fund-Sponsored National Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Project, will train 550 students and 50 NGO members in Warri-playing. The Revival will also birth a new generation of 18 Warri board makers, including youths from vocational programmes and the national prison. Furthermore, throughout this and the next year, ABWA will also plant 200 of the Caesalpina Crista, the “nickal”/”nicker”/seed-producing tree. Three varieties of the seeds are typical in Antigua and Barbuda: the grey, the brownish-orange, and the black.
Stay tuned for updates on how YOU could be a part of this project!
To learn even more about the WARRI REVIVAL PROGRAMME, see this previous article: Warri’s Epic Rebirth
Warri’s Epic Rebirth
Remember when we promised an EPIC REVIVAL of our traditional board game Warri? Well, here comes the Revival! The WARRI REVIVAL PROGRAMME kicked off at the National Public Library with an exciting Train the Trainers session. Running from July 3-10, 2025, this is the opening move towards bringing Warri back into the hearts and hands of our communities! Catch the details in the video below!
So, to recap:
The Warri Revival Programme, part of the UNESO ICH Fund-Sponsored National Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Project, will train 550 students and 50 NGO members in Warri-playing. The Revival will also birth a new generation of 18 Warri board makers, including youths from vocational programmes and the national prison. Furthermore, throughout this and the next year, ABWA will also plant 200 of the Caesalpina Crista, the “nickal”/”nicker”/seed-producing tree. Three varieties of the seeds are typical in Antigua/Barbuda: the grey, the brownish-orange, and the black.
Stay tuned for updates on how YOU could be a part of this project!
To learn even more about the WARRI REVIVAL PROGRAMME, see this previous article.
Get Ready! Warri Revival!
Exciting times are ahead! The traditional game of Warri, an important African cultural retention, is in for a revival of EPIC proportions in Antigua and Barbuda!
Our nation is renowned as the “last bastion of Warri in the Caribbean”. It is the one Caribbean country where Warri is still very much visible as a heritage game/sport. Indeed our players are renowned as international champions/grandmasters!
Photo courtesy Trevor Simon (CN)
To ensure the safeguarding of our Warri-playing and board-making traditions, the UNESCO ICH-funded National Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Project, led by Cultural Advisor, Dr. Hazra C. Medica has launched the Warri Revival Programme.
According to Dr. Medica, The Warri Revival Programme is one of the flagship pilot safeguarding exercises within the larger National ICH Project. She revealed that the revival programme will be coordinated by the Antigua and Barbuda Warri Academy (ABWA) under the watchful eyes of founding member and International Grandmaster Trevor “Simple” Simon (CN), with assistance from public, private, and civil partners.
During the first week of July 2025, the ABWA will train six students to become Warri trainers. Following this, the history and fundamentals of the game will be taught to five hundred and fifty (yes, 550!) students. These five hundred and fifty students will be selected from private and public educational institutions in Antigua AND Barbuda. Their training will occur throughout the 2025 summer and Christmas school holidays, and possibly extend into the 2026 Easter holidays.
Excitingly, fifty (50) members of selected NGOs will also benefit from similar training sessions. What is more, eighteen (18) young people will be trained in the craft of making Warri boards. One group of youths will be drawn from vocational programs and the other group from within our national prison.
Warri Boards created by Mr. Karl Henry. Photo credit: Trevor Simon (CN)
Attention will also be given to the seeds of the game. Throughout this and the next year, ABWA will embark upon a project to plant two hundred (200) of the Caesalpina Crista, the “nickal”/”Warri seed”-producing tree. Three varieties of the seeds are typical in Antigua/Barbuda: the grey, the brownish orange, and the black.
International Grandmaster Trevor Simon (CN) is urging the public to rally behind the programme. He acknowledges the current lull in the traditional sport/game noting that in the past Warri was played in all the villages throughout the nation. According to him, participating in the playing of Warri enhances social bonding, problem-solving, and mathematical skills.
The ABWA is promising that all training sessions and activities will be interactive, entertaining, and geared towards reigniting the entire nation with the Warri fever we once had. Training sessions for students will be held at the National Public Library, and the Multipurpose Cultural Centre.
It is anticipated that during, and following the Warri Revival Programme, competitive and frequent Warri championships will be staged. It is also anticipated that the Programme will increase women’s participation in the game.
To learn more about the Warri and the Antigua and Barbuda Warri Academy, click here.
To learn more about the Antigua and Barbuda National ICH Project, click here.
The Grinding Hole
We continue our informational video series, highlighting the crucial intersection between our tangible and intangible cultural heritage elements.
Today, we journey along with archaeologist Reginald Murphy, CN, MBE, GOH, PhD to spotlight the Grinding Hole at the Blockhouse within the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park.
This Grinding Hole, once used for food processing, is located at the barracks where the West Indian Regiments of African soldiers were stationed in English Harbour. The hole is oval in shape, smooth, and polished from continuous use as a processor in the absence of wooden mortars. Dr. Murphy considers this Grinding Hole and others in the area solid evidence of West African tangible and intangible cultural heritage retention in Antigua. Learn more in the below video:
Guide: Reginald Murphy, CN, MBE, GOH, PhD. Archaeologist, Antigua and Barbuda’s UNESCO National Commission Secretary-General, and a relentless heritage advocate.
Videographer: Mr. Jeremiah Joseph. Data Entry Clerk, National Archives of Antigua and Barbuda.
Location: The Blockhouse.
Talking THE POINT
No long talking, let get’s straight to The Point! What is The Point? Where is The Point?
In keeping with the implementation of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Project, we are conducting a series of in-depth interviews, showcasing important elements of our cultural heritage.
Last time around, Dr. Reginald Murphy gave us a brilliant breakdown of the nation’s first-ever cultural heritage (protection) law. Today, we take a journey into The Point community through the eyes of Director of the National Archives, and a proud Point Man, Mr. Gavin Emmanuel. In this interview, Mr. Emmanuel, born in 1977, shares with us traditions, iconic figures and institutions, places of memory, and memories of being raised in and by The Point.
Be sure to listen out for mention of:
- legends of The Point in calypso, business, and sports
- The King of The Point
- Brownie’s Bakery
- Westham Football Club’s origins
- coal pots vs/and stoves
- charcoal sellers
- fast food back then
- Rat Island adventures
- boyhood days—experiences and ingenuity
- community Spirit—back when a community DID raise a child
- men who were nurturers
- nicknames all around—“Wizard”, “Tiger, “Lion”…
- Booby Alley, the heart of The Point.
Interviewee: Mr. Gavin Emmanuel, Director of the National Archives of Antigua and Barbuda. Also, a staunch “Point Man”.
Interviewer: Dr. Hazra C. Medica. Cultural Advisor, Ministry of Sports, Culture, and the Creative Industries.
Videographer: Mr. Jeremiah Joseph. Data Entry Clerk at the National Archives of Antigua and Barbuda.
Location: The National Archives of Antigua and Barbuda, Victoria Park, Factory Road, St. John’s, Antigua
Heritage Law Triumph
Have you heard the news? During the first week of March, the aptly named Cultural Heritage (Protection) Bill (2025) was approved by both houses of Parliament! Antigua and Barbuda, with over 56 forts, 100 prehistoric sites, 250 known shipwrecks, 200 sugar estates, and churches and architectural masterpieces, NOW has comprehensive heritage protection legislation.
Twenty years in the making, the legislation provides for the inventorying and efficient management of our tangible and intangible terrestrial (land) and marine (underwater) cultural heritage resources. This will allow for the safeguarding of our heritage for future generations. It will also advance our economic and sustainable development by creating additional tourism revenue streams, generating jobs, and enriching both our education and heritage sectors.
We recently caught up with the legislation’s longtime champion, renowned archaeologist Dr. Reginald Murphy, who gave us a closer look at the origin, significance, and implementation plan of this important piece of legislation. Please view and/or listen to the interview below:
Interviewee: Dr. Reginald Murphy, CN, MBE, GOH, PhD. Archaeologist, Antigua and Barbuda’s UNESCO National Commission Secretary-General, and a relentless heritage advocate.
Interviewer: Dr. Hazra C. Medica. Cultural Advisor, Ministry of Sports, Culture, and the Creative Industries.
Videographer: Mr. Jeremiah Joseph. Data Entry Clerk, National Archives of Antigua and Barbuda.
Location: The Copper & Lumber Restaurant, Nelson’s Dockyard National Park, English Harbour.
See the full text of the legislation here: The Cultural Heritage Protection Bill.
Quay Studio & Art Gallery
It is official! Antiguan and Barbudan Artists have a new place to call home or hub!
The recently-opened Quay Studio & Art Gallery, located in Redcliffe Quay is dedicated to showcasing the diverse incredible talent of local artists. Its stated mission is to “create a vibrant community hub where creativity thrives, and the artistic expressions of the island is celebrated.”
Situated just above the C&C winehouse and next to the Rendezvous Tours, the Art Gallery is accessible by stairs, featuring artwork from established artists as well as “up-and-comers”.
Artists wishing to showcase their work or arrange for use of the space may contact the Gallery via telephone at (268) 780-7618 or email quaystudiosanu@gmail.com. The Gallery is intended not only as a space for the showcasing of art but, also for creation, collaboration, and discussion.
Writing OUR STORY
Hip! Hip! Hooray!
The National ICH Project is now in the data collection stage. The information collected will be used to create our first-ever Antigua and Barbuda Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Inventory/Database.
And the best part is: the stories captured about our ICH elements over the next few months will be coming from you—the general public!
Do you have knowledge about cultural heritage elements such as our traditional foods, houses, crafts, toys, and medicine? Kindly share this information with us! The public is being invited to volunteer for interviews, submit suggestions, or share images and videos with us for storage in the database. Please contact us here to be a part of this history-making process of writing our own story(ies)!
Know something? Share something! Become custodians of our cultural heritage!
(Photo Credits clockwise : Mr. Dwight Benjamin, Mr. Trevor Simon, and Dr. Hazra C. Medica)
Our trained data collectors have already begun interviewing and collecting information from community members, with the aim of capturing information from each parish in the coming months. Interviews and information collection in Barbuda are also slated to begin shortly. The information to be collected is expected to register a range of elements from traditional festivals, foods, and music to traditional agricultural practices, social practices, craftsmanship, and architecture.
This first phase of the information collection exercise will run until February 2025 as an integral part of Antigua and Barbuda’s National ICH Project. The project is being funded to the tune of US$ 97,754, / EC$ 264,185.07 by the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund.
The interviewing of and collection of information from communities follows the conclusion of two training workshops. The first workshop, the historic ICH Community-Inventorying Training Workshop – September 16-20— facilitated by UNESCO Global Facilitator David Brown, was attended by twenty-six (26) heritage experts and enthusiasts who received specialised training in information collection methods and best practices.
This was followed by the Database Training Workshop on October 16, which was attended by a smaller cohort of seven (7) participants who were trained in the use of the archival software that will be used to create the Antigua and Barbuda ICH Inventory.
The National ICH Project’s full title is: Strengthening Capacities for the Implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Antigua and Barbuda.
It is a first-of-its-kind mammoth project that will inventory, promote, and safeguard important elements of our cultural heritage. Antiguans and Barbudans, here and in the diaspora are being invited to share their knowledge of Antiguan and Barbudan cultural heritage.
The implementation of this crucial intersectoral and inter-ministerial project is being led by Dr. Hazra C. Medica, the Cultural Advisor in the Ministry of Creative Industries, supported by Reginald Murphy CN, MBE, GOH, PhD, Antigua and Barbuda’s UNESCO National Commission Secretary-General.
For more/background information on the Antigua and Barbuda ICH project, please see our previous posts below:
Inventorying-Ready!
Spirited discussions about our intangible cultural heritage (ICH) elements, pledges to unite in the cause of safeguarding, and, of course, newly certified ICH Superheroes!
These were the results of bringing together twenty-six (26) heritage experts and enthusiasts for a historic September 16-20 ICH Community-Inventorying Training Workshop.
ICH SUPERHEROES equipped and ready to rescue and safeguard our ICH! With Global Facilitator, David Brown (sixth from left).
Day 5 of the Workshop
Location: Outside Copper & Lumber Store Hotel, Nelson’s Dockyard.
The recently concluded training workshop officially kicked the national UNESCO ICH Fund-sponsored ICH safeguarding project into high gear. Participants included: tour guides, local historians, entrepreneurs, artisans, authors, and staff of the Department of Culture, the National Parks Authority, the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, the National Archives, the Barbuda Council, and the Ministry of Creative Industries.
Scenes from Days 1,2,&4 of the Workshop. Location: Dept. of Environment’s Conference Room. Calypso singing, debates over the ingredients of a “true” fungee, authors signing copies of their books, and more!
During the workshop, UNESCO Global Facilitator, Mr. David Brown delivered training on the ethics of inventorying, methods and techniques for extensive documentation, effective use of digital recorders and cameras for interviews, and information organisation, storage, and usage. The final day of the workshop was devoted to practical exercises, allowing participants to test their grasp of the training material.
Day 5 at the Nelson’s Dockyard. Participants trial interviews of specially-invited holders of ICH knowledge.
The specialised training received by participants is an important step in moving the nation towards its first-ever ICH inventory/database.
Cultural Advisor and the project’s manager, Dr. Hazra Medica expressed her gratitude for the diverse turnout, and the robust contributions of the participants. She noted that a concerted effort to safeguard ICH has been a long time coming. Addressing the gathering on the opening day of the workshop, she assured:
‘This is not just about inventorying or creating a national database that will sit on someone’s coffee table or look “nice” on a website. It is for the purpose of safeguarding and formulating an implementation plan that will ensure that.’
For his part, Secretary-General of the country’s National UNESCO Commission, and project co-lead, Dr. Reginald Murphy also stressed the importance of ICH and of establishing an inventory:
‘I have focused a lot of my life on the tangible side of culture, but we need the intangible. The intangible is what makes the tangible. That’s where the knowledge comes from and that is where it is stored. It is really important for us to get on board with this and I’m really excited.’
Photo courtesy National Parks Authority.
With the workshop concluded, the project will now move into the data-gathering phase. Over the next two months, the newly trained group will collect data from communities. Data collected during this period will be used to create the first draft of the national inventory. This will be followed by a further three months of data collection, using diverse methods and sources. This second data collection exercise will be used to record additional information for the national ICH inventory/database.
For more/background information on the Antigua and Barbuda ICH project, please see our previous posts below:
Related: See the nation’s first-ever online map/directory of creatives here — A&B Map of Creatives.
