Bermuda's Massive Birthday Bash - Tall Ships' Race

by Jessie Moniz The Royal Gazette on 29 Oct 2008 A massive year-long Birthday Bash is planned for 2009 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the wreck of the Sea Venture(**see story at end of article), which occurred in the infancy of the tiny Bermuda settlement. The celebrations will involve a many celebrations including a book, plays, a royal visit and a tall ships race.

July 28, 2009 marks four hundred years since the Sea Venture wrecked on Bermuda's shores during a violent storm. The Sea Venture was part of a flotilla on its way to repopulate the starving British colony of Jamestown, Virginia.

The Royal Gazette recently met with the Bermuda 2009 executive committee to learn more about what is in store for next year.

'We are going to be celebrating Bermuda and her people for the entire year,' said committee chairman Conchita Ming. 'We want people to embrace that theme.'

A royal visit is anticipated, but it has not yet been decided which royal will be delivered.

President of the Bermuda National Trust and committee member Bill Holmes said the 2009 celebrations would be a great opportunity for visitors and residents alike to learn something about Bermuda's history.

'In keeping with the theme of celebrating Bermuda and Her People, we are looking at the wreck of the Sea Venture as the starting off point to tell the story of Bermuda,' said Mr. Holmes.

'But it is not the 400th celebration of the wreck of the Sea Venture. It is about the 400 years that followed. It is about how Bermuda started from there. It is about the struggles and triumphs we went through to get to here. So it won't be so focused on the Sea Venture. It is about the journey we have been through.'





Ms Ming said the organisation of the event had been a 'mammoth task. It has taken a lot of hours,' she said. 'And yet it has been very rewarding.'

'It is such a monumental milestone for the island,' said Mr. Holmes. 'There are not a lot of things in this world that reach 400 and we won't see another one. We have to make this one count.'

Celebrations kick off on January 3, on the heels of New Years.

'There is going to be a big party,' said Ms Ming. 'We thought it was important to have something as a stand-alone celebration at the beginning of the year. We are so excited about the line-ups.'

The highlight of the January 3 event will be a performance by Animate Objects Physical Theatre from Florida. Bermudian Tyler Barker is a performer with this group.

'The most amazing one of their acts will be something called ricochet where they propel themselves off a wall to the sound of Japanese Taiko drummers,' she said.

'The sound will be resounding throughout Hamilton. It will be similar in flavour to the opening of the Beijing Olympics.'

At first it was thought that the performers could propel themselves off of buildings along Front Street, but there were too many windows and porches.

'So the company said they would just build a wall,' said Ms Ming.

There will also be reenactments of the wreck of the Sea Venture, The Bermuda Regiment Band, The Bermuda Islands Pipe Band, The Vasco Da Gama Folklorico dancers, the H&H Gombeys and more.

'Everyone we have approached has been very excited about the year and wanting to get involved,' said Ms Ming. 'It is going to be a really great splash of a beginning.'

The committee is located at the offices of the Ministry of Community & Cultural Affairs and Social Rehabilitation.

'Minister Dale Butler has shown a lot of leadership,' said Mr. Holmes. 'Our honourary chairman is Premier Dr. Ewart Brown. He has been very supportive.'

Members of the executive committee include Ms Ming, deputy chairman, E. Michael Jones, Mr. Holmes, Heather Whalen of Community & Cultural affairs, Gary Madeiros, and treasurer Michael Schrum.

The executive committee directs a number of other subcommittees that are affiliated with many of the islands major organisations including Government House, The Bermuda National Trust, The Corporation of Hamilton, the Corporation of St. George's, the St. George's Foundation, The Bermuda Maritime Museum, Government, and The American Consulate, among others.

In 2009, there will be five signature events, plus a number of smaller events.

Bermudian filmmaker Lucinda Spurling will be showing her new film, 'The Lion & The Mouse'. It is about Bermuda's relationship to the United States over the years, and includes a part about the wreck of the Sea Venture.

July will be one of the more important months. There will be a play written by Barbara Jones, about the Sea Venture wreck performed at Fort St. Catherine's through the Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society (BMDS).

The committee is also working to get permission to uncover the actual Sea Venture wreck which is buried under several feet of sand. They wish to photograph it and film it. This was last done in 1980.

'On the actual day (July 28) we are going out with the Spirit of Bermuda over the wreck site,' said Ms Ming. 'We want to have a live feed from the actual wreck itself, but we understand that during July the waters can be hazy. We are hoping that we can uncover the wreck.'

In addition, artifacts from Jamestown, Virginia will be on display in Bermuda in the fall.

The artifacts will be shown in March and will include clay pipes, and cahow and turtle bones found in Jamestown during recent archeological digs.

The exhibition runs until October and will illuminate Bermuda's unique character: strategic location and historic stone forts.

In June, the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge will be a big draw. Crews from all over the world will race from Spain to Tenerife, Canary Islands to Bermuda. The race is run by Sail Training International.

Although many things will be happening in St. George's, Hamilton City will not be left out of the picture. There will be a special walkway to mark its founding, and key moments in its history.

'There have been more than 24 sites that we have identified to be part of the walk,' said Ms Ming. 'It goes through Hamilton and North Hamilton. It is not just the places on Front Street.

'There will be plaques in the road and people will be able to take self guided tours through the city. The beauty of this project is that if it is successful, and we are pretty sure it will be, it could expand and go to other places on the island.

'We are very excited about this. The Corporation of Hamilton has been marvelous in giving us permission to do this. They will do the installation and maintenance for it.'

The committee is trying to involve all segments of the community. They are holding a competition and calling for works of art, music, writing, photography and poetry that celebrates Bermuda. There is an adult category and a youth category. Winners will be noted at a special gala dinner.

'We can still find people who say they remember the 350th anniversary celebrations,' said Mr. Holmes. 'We are hoping that fifty years later people will remember this.'

Helping the community to remember will be a number of potential souvenirs.

A commemorative book of 400 of Bermuda's most remarkable citizens is under production. The committee is still selecting people to go in the book.

'Walker Christopher Ltd. has done a fabulous ornament that will be available Christmas 2008,' said Ms Ming.

'Gibbons Company is going to do clothing, and there will be many other things for sale.'

It is hoped that the event will be a big draw for tourists.

'When the planning began two years ago, it was a joint tourism and community & cultural affairs mandate,' said Mr. Holmes. 'Internally, one of the things we said was that it is an incredible milestone for Bermuda, but it would probably draw a lot of tourists also.

'The Tall Ships party alone will be phenomenal.'

To learn more and to see a schedule of events, go to the website at http://www.bermuda2009.bm/