The Department of Culture within the Ministry of Creative Industries will host a comprehensive Socaand Calypso Adjudicators’ Training Workshop on Saturday, 20th June, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Culture Department Host Soca
A press release from the department said that the workshop, which will be held at the Harrison Centre Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies, forms part of the division’s ongoing commitment to strengthen the integrity, professionalism, and credibility of Antigua and Barbuda’s Carnival competitions.
Current and prospective adjudicators responsible for evaluating performances in the major Carnival competitions, including the Soca Monarch, Party Monarch, and Calypso Monarch contests, will receive practical instructions in scoring methodologies, rubric application, performance analysis, and bias awareness.
The training will be facilitated by cultural practitioner and adjudication specialist, Kimdale Mackellar, who will also examine key areas of assessment including lyrics, musical composition, originality, stage presentation, audience engagement, communication, and overall performance quality.
Interactive and hands-on methodology featuring group discussions, mock adjudication exercises, calibration activities, audio and video analysis, score comparison exercises, and guided feedback sessions will also be included.
As Carnival competitions continue to evolve and attract increased public interest, the Department recognizes the importance of ensuring that adjudicators possess a thorough understanding of official judging criteria and are equipped to apply them fairly, consistently, and transparently.
Through initiatives such as the adjudicator training workshop, the Department of Culture continues to strengthen the systems that ensure artistic achievement is assessed consistently, objectively, and with the highest degree of professionalism.
For additional information regarding participation in the workshop, interested individuals are encouraged to contact the Department of Culture at telephone number 562-9606.
