The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs has launched
an international cultural exchange program to provide opportunities for
international cultural exchange between the City of
Los
Angeles and other international cities. According to the DCA, ‘The
goal of the program is to
enhance
Los Angeles as a national and international art center, fostering
cultural understandings through the expansion of networks and exchange
of knowledge by creative professionals…Creative professionals chosen to work abroad must return from their
exchange and provide at least one public educational or creative
presentation about their experience and work.
Marie Kellier, Artistic Director of CARICABELA Los
Angeles Carnival, is one of a select group of Los Angeles artists to
have been selected to conduct a professional cultural/artistic residency
abroad, representing the City of Los Angeles. Marie will be
conducting scholarly research at the University of the West Indies, St.
Augustine and will do a joint professional residency with Mr. Keith
Carrington of Mt Hope Connection and Mr. Brian MacFarlane, the 2010 Band
of the Year winner in Trinidad and Tobago carnival. As part
of representing the City of Los Angeles, Marie will take
approximately 20 adults and children, members of the award-winning Los
Angeles Carnival On Tour to participate in the 2011 Trinidad and Tobago
Carnival on March 7th & March 8th. The group will present a Los Angeles section in the band,
Mount Hope Connection, under their theme, entitled 'Cities of the
World.'
This projected will be conducted
through a residency in the Department of Creative and Festival Arts at
the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, Trinidad; with
hands-on production training with master carnival artist Brian
MacFarlane at the Art Factory, and a performance in Trinidad by Los
Angeles Carnival On Tour, representing the City of Los Angeles under the
auspices of Designer, Keith Carrington of Mt. Hope Connection in
his 2011 presentation, ’Cities of the World’.
Upon her return to Los Angeles, Marie
will provide a public artistic and educational presentation of her
experience in Trinidad and Tobago, to the City of Los Angeles
