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Arts and culture still not promoted after 50 years
Stilts man Julio Thijs returns to make masquerade dancing a mainstream art form
Julio Thijs on stilts
Despite being 50 years old, Guyana-born Stilt master, Julio Thijs, stated that he has yet to see any major promotion of performing arts and culture in Guyana.
Thijs, who has spent almost 40 years on stilts and dancing in masquerade bands, returned to Guyana specifically for the country’s Golden Independence Anniversary celebrations.
Being a member of the original independence masquerade parade 50 years ago, Thijs stated that it was an honour to participate in the golden celebration. However, one issue glared out at him—there was hardly any promotion of Guyanese artists; and arts and culture seemed to be progressively disappearing.
“I was 11-years-old when I participated in the masquerade band when Guyana attained independence. When we gained independence the government decided that all schools will have to participate in a pageant. Culture was important. As children we understood unity…they made us dress up as our forefathers,” he said.
His passion for the arts was fuelled that very year.
But as he got older, respect for the arts started to dwindle; soon there was hardly any room for him to pursue his dreams.
He stated that 50 years later there is scarcely any evidence of cultural development in Guyana. “And for that reason I keep returning, I keep offering and I keep eating the rejections that are fed upon me but I will continue returning to Guyana and I will keep trying,” he said.
He added that although masquerading has lost respect in the eyes of its own people, he plans to move it into the mainstream art forms in Guyana.
“Guyana has very talented people and all they need is a break and some respect,” he said, recalling his own experience with the previous government, specifically the then Ministry of Culture.
He stated that he was invited to a symposium to share his knowledge in the arts and his ideas were met with fervour but eventually they were cast aside. “It was very insulting the way I was treated by that administration,” he said.
He stated that it is a norm for cultural ideas to be pushed aside, while other issues such as politics take precedence. “But where is the evidence of our uniqueness as a people? And why on most occasions are cultural ideas met with enthusiasm initially and eventually people lose interest?” he asked.
He added that Guyana has nothing to celebrate 50 years after its independence. “While it is a different scenario— emancipation from colonial rule in 1966—what are we celebrating 50 years later? We are still polarized…we are still deeply divided along racial lines, and the racial lines that we are divided by have nothing to do with the Guyanese population. It is to do with the political leaders of the Guyanese population who has indoctrinated them not to vote on issues, but to vote racially.”
He said while there is room for development, Guyana has a foreboding future as long as it continues to be divided along racial lines.
“I have a very foreboding vision of Guyana’s future. I can stand up and state nothing has changed in the last fifty years.”
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