Alwin Bully Foundation Launched

A Foundation named after the late cultural icon Alwin Bully was launched on Thursday, 27th May, at a Corporate Launch at the Alliance Francaise Building in Roseau.

Thursday's launch was an expression of solidarity with the Bully family, many of Alwin Bully's friends and contemporaries, to create an institution that can carry on with the work he started and help inspire this and future generations of artists and cultural workers to action.

The Alwin Bully Foundation, which aims to honour and perpetuate the memory and to build on the rich legacy of this outstanding Dominican and Caribbean cultural and artistic giant, will become one of the primary vehicles to stimulate and support the growth of the art and cultural sector in Dominica and the region, through scholarship, learning, exhibition of artistic work, advocacy for the arts and other endeavours to sustain a vibrant art and cultural sector.

The Foundation describes Bully as "a quintessential Caribbean man, someone whose life-long work helped to build a modern-day Caribbean cultural and artistic aesthetic". The Foundation further revealed that: "Alwin dedicated his life to the service of his people using his artistic talents to create outstanding works in theatre, visual arts, carnival, music and other creative forms to help build a new and more dynamic Dominica and the Caribbean. Therefore, he deserves to be specially honoured and celebrated as one of the Caribbean's most outstanding contemporary artists and cultural workers. "

The Alwin Bully Foundation's launch brought together representatives of corporate Dominica, critical public sector officials, artists, and cultural workers who have worked with Alwin for many decades.

In addition, the launch heard presentations from members of the Bully family and leading members of the Foundation, focusing on the main goals and mission of the organization in the short, medium and long term.

The launch will also be used to build and forge partnerships to undertake a proposed work programme and make a special call for support from the corporate and public sector entities to fund the implementation of activities the Foundation considers.