Barbados Landship Renaissance: School Initiative Shines at Bridgetown Market for Crop Over

The Barbados Landship, the island’s longest-surviving Afro-Barbadian cultural organisation, is experiencing a renaissance through a pioneering school initiative, as demonstrated by a spectacular display at the opening of Bridgetown Market for Crop Over.

Scores of secondary and primary school students brought the spectacle of rough seas and platoon drills to the Mighty Grynner Highway, showcasing the fruits of a two-year-old programme commissioned by the Ministry of Culture.

Andrea Wells, Chief Cultural Officer of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), told Barbados TODAY: “The ministry commissioned the National Cultural Foundation to work closely with the Landship Association to ensure the preservation of this cultural heritage institution.”

Wells explained the impetus behind the initiative: “We’ve noticed in recent years it’s declined. There’s so many other options and choices, but we believe that the landship has unique skills and values to teach Barbadians, future generations of Barbadians.”

The School Landship Programme, piloted in 12 schools over the past academic year, goes beyond teaching traditional calls and manoeuvres. Wells elaborated: “The less well-known and maybe the even more important aspect of the landship [is] understanding its history and traditions, understanding its community work, understanding the principle of saving money, raising money, pooling money, and doing a greater good.”

A team of assessors, including creatives and senior Landship members, evaluated the schools’ performances in various aspects such as the maypole, manoeuvres, uniforms, and fundraising projects. “I must say they all did well, but coming up on top for the best secondary school’s Landship overall was assessed to be the Princess Margaret Secondary School, and among the primary schools, the Deacon’s Primary School would have come out on top,” Wells said.

Each participating school’s landship had been promised a paid performance opportunity during Crop Over. “It is a paying gig where the school can then utilise the funds to help invest further in uniforms and other programmes for the children at the school,” the culture division chief said.

Among the schools performing at Bridgetown Market were Frederick Smith Secondary, which placed second in the high schools category, and Holy Innocents, which came third among primary schools.

Wells praised the enthusiastic participation and community support for the programme: “These kids have really embraced the whole concept and principle of Landship, and you would see they’re accompanied by teachers, parents, and aunties who see the value of their involvement, and they come out to give their support.”