FOR THE SECOND TIME in its 35 year history, the Richard Stoute Teen Talent Competition will be offering a grand prize of a motor car.
In a release, founding director Richard Stoute disclosed that McEnearney Quality Incorporated (MQI), the major sponsor will not only provide the fully loaded Kia, but will be sponsoringa workshop tomorrow at 9 a.m.
The last time the Richard Stoute Teen Talent Competition offered an automobile as a prize was in 1993 when Rupee won and received a Suzuki Swift.
Stoute said this year there were over 100 interested persons and because of this he was forced to select the best from the group to go forward to the preliminaries. This, he said, was in the interest of producing a quality show.
Interestingly, more boys have entered the competition, with at least eight from the Pinelands area.
Stoute said Teen Talent has made provision for patrons to make donations to Irvin Fatman Weekes, who will also be on hand every Sunday. The ailing entertainer was a product of the competition.
This year’s honoree is Ronnie Morris of Timeless Barbados, with Krystal Austin, a 2001 Teen Talent winner, as the featured artist.
A Down Memory Lane segment will also be a new feature of the programme. For this, Stoute said Teen Talent graduates would be invited to be part of the Sunday showcase.
A church service was held on Sunday, July 31, at Our Lady Queen of the Universe Cultural Centre, Black Rock, St Michael, to officially start the season, followed by an opening ceremony last Sunday at the Plantation Garden Theatre, Maxwell, Christ Church.
Preliminaries get started this Sunday at the Plantation Garden Theatre, with another the following Sunday. The next seven will be held on consecutive Sundays, from August 21 until October 2.
The semi-finals will be held on October 16 and 23, with the finals slated for November 6.
The finals for the juniors will be held on October 9; the Over-21 semi-finals on November 13 and their finals on November 27.
Workshops for the contest are held every Thursday at the Clement Payne Centre, Crumpton Street, Bridgetown.
A date for the presentation of prizes is yet to be determined. (MH/PR)
