分类： entertainment

Organizers of the highly anticipated musical battle event FACE OFF have confirmed that performer Sir Oungku’s health and personal well-being will always take precedence over scheduling and performance commitments, as the beloved entertainer faces an unexpected health challenge. The entire FACE OFF organizing team has extended its deepest support to Sir Oungku and his loved ones during this difficult period, sharing messages of hope for a smooth, complete, and rapid recovery. The team also expressed their eagerness to once again welcome Sir Oungku to the stage, where he has built a reputation for delivering electrifying, joy-filled performances that leave lasting memories for audiences across the globe.

For fans and followers who have reached out with questions about the future of the event, organizers have moved quickly to reassure the public that FACE OFF will proceed as planned. Stepping into the leading role to fill the gap left by Sir Oungku is experienced performer Tian Winter, who has stepped forward willingly to take on the high-stakes musical battle against Dominica’s most acclaimed talent, Triple K.

To honor Sir Oungku’s legacy with the event and reinforce Team Antigua’s competitive standing, Winter will be joined on stage by a roster of some of the biggest and most influential names in Antigua and Barbuda’s music industry. Together, the group will prepare to represent their nation with pride and carry Sir Oungku’s spirit into the upcoming clash.

In a public message shared ahead of the event, Winter called for unity among fans and supporters across Antigua, emphasizing that now is the moment to come together to keep the event’s energetic momentum alive, grow the pre-show excitement, and deliver an unforgettable evening of entertainment that honors the event’s original vision. Winter stressed that standing united, representing Antigua with national pride, and honoring Sir Oungku’s contributions are the top priorities for the entire team heading into the battle. The message closed with a note of dedication: this edition of FACE OFF is not only for the people of Antigua, but for Sir Oungku himself, and the team extended an open invitation for all fans to join them for what promises to be a historic night of music.

The twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda is gearing up to welcome art lovers and travelers for the fourth iteration of its popular Antigua and Barbuda Art Week, scheduled to run across the country from November 11 to 18, 2026. The full preliminary program was revealed earlier this year at an official media launch hosted at Quay Studio, located in the historic Redcliffe Quay district, where organizers introduced a slate of fresh initiatives designed to deepen engagement between local creatives, residents and international visitors.

At the heart of the new programming is ‘Dual Thresholds’, a one-of-a-kind public art installation developed by Quay Barracks Art Galleries. The concept reimagines reclaimed wooden doors as canvases, with each transformed artwork drawing inspiration from the islands’ people, vibrant culture, sweeping coastal landscapes and everyday local life. During the launch, Tourism Authority representative Spencer joined acclaimed visual artist Dylan Phillips to preview two vividly painted doors that will anchor the exhibition — these opening pieces were co-created by Phillips and celebrated local artist Heather Doram, MFA, GCM. In total, the exhibition will showcase 28 freestanding, double-sided door works, all crafted by artists based in Antigua and Barbuda.

Notably, the installation will make its first public appearance ahead of Art Week, during the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which Antigua and Barbuda will host from November 1 to 4 that year. It will remain on display for general public viewing throughout the official Art Week program.

Another centerpiece of the 2026 event is a career retrospective honoring the late Maria Ross Iztueta, a foundational figure in Antigua and Barbuda’s art scene who lived from 1934 to 2024. The exhibition will be the flagship show at The Barracks Gallery, and the announcement was made jointly by curator Stephen Murphy and Iztueta’s daughter, Amaya Ross, at the launch. Murphy emphasized Iztueta’s outsized impact on the local creative community, noting that the retrospective will introduce her groundbreaking work to a new generation of audiences during the week-long event.

The full 2026 Art Week lineup brings a diverse range of experiences beyond the two flagship exhibits. Highlights include the popular ‘Art in the Quay’ showcase, the return of the fan-favorite ‘Art and Cultural Village’, open access to private studios and public galleries paired with intimate ‘Meet the Artist’ sessions, a cross-island ‘Art Trail’ with a new interactive ‘Art Trail Passport’, ‘Flavours & Canvas’ — an immersive experience that blends local culinary arts with open-air painting — a live competitive ‘Art Battle’ where artists create works in real time, curated fashion presentations, and multiple additional pop-up and solo exhibitions. Organizers note that full schedule and ticketing details will be released incrementally in the months leading up to the November 2026 event.

Attendees at the launch event, which included tourism and culture officials, working artists and invited community guests, were treated to two special preview performances tied to Art Week 2026’s overarching campaign theme: ‘Every Destination Has a Story. Ours is Told in Colour.’ These included the world premiere of the first entry in Art Week’s new ‘Meet the Artist’ video series, featuring Heather Doram, as well as a moving dub poetry performance by renowned local poet O’dane Doyley. Several prominent local visual artists, including Emile Hill, Stephen Murphy and Dylan Phillips, also delivered remarks urging fellow creatives across the region to take part in the 2026 event.

The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority has extended an open invitation to artists based in Antigua and Barbuda and across the wider Caribbean to apply for the event through the ongoing ‘Call for Artists’ process. Submission portals will remain open until July 30 of this year, with the online entry form available on the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority’s official Art Week webpage. Organizers are also welcoming involvement from local businesses, nonprofits and community partners through sponsorship opportunities and collaborative programming. For the ‘Dual Thresholds’ initiative specifically, the Tourism Authority is asking local businesses, contractors and community members to donate gently used, structurally sound wooden doors to the Quay Barracks Art Galleries in Redcliffe Quay for participating artists to transform into original works.

In an official statement released this week, legendary frontman Sir Clarence Leonard Emmanuel Edwards has announced the cancellation of all upcoming scheduled performances with his iconic band Red Hot & Burning Flames, following an unexpected acute medical incident that required urgent inpatient care.

The veteran performer shared that after extensive discussions with his specialized medical care team and a full round of diagnostic evaluations, clinicians have issued a clear mandate: he must step away from all strenuous performance-related activities for a mandated recovery period of four to six weeks. This clinical recommendation is rooted in a priority to safeguard Edwards’ long-term health and lay the groundwork for a full, sustainable return to live performance down the line.

Edwards emphasized that the call to cancel shows was one of the hardest he has ever had to make. With the high-demand carnival season just around the corner – a period that traditionally draws some of the band’s biggest live audiences and most high-profile sets – the musician expressed profound regret over the inconvenience and disappointment this announcement will bring to loyal fans, event promoters, and the band’s long-standing industry partners.
Despite the unexpected disruption to the band’s touring schedule, Edwards said he has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support from across the entertainment industry and fanbase. He acknowledged that stepping back from the stage at a peak point in the seasonal calendar is challenging, but stressed that full focus must now turn to prioritizing his recovery. The performer added that he is eager to get back in front of audiences and create new shared live memories as soon as his medical team clears him to return to work.

Closing his statement, Edwards extended a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has sent well wishes, messages of support, and expressed patience during this period. He noted that the encouragement he has received means more than he can put into words, and every gesture of kindness is deeply appreciated.

Questions of credibility and power have long lingered at the intersection of storytelling and society: When a young person brings a claim against someone in a position of authority or public influence, whose voice gets prioritized? How do our biases shift when the accuser is a young boy targeting a woman, or a well-regarded young woman calling out a member of the clergy? These provocative, unaddressed questions form the thematic backbone of a new short story anthology, *Believe Me When I Say*, which has officially opened its call for original submissions from writers across all experience and age groups.

Conceived by Antigua and Barbuda-based author Kimolisa Mings, the anthology carries a core mission: to lift up and showcase literary creativity from writers who call the twin-island nation home, while also creating a collection that resonates with global audiences. Unlike many anthologies that lean into simple, black-and-white narratives of guilt and innocence, *Believe Me When I Say* centers the complex, nuanced gray areas that shape how society responds to accusations. All selected stories must revolve around a central accusation, fitting into one of four specific narrative frameworks that challenge conventional assumptions: the accused committed the act and concrete evidence exists; the accused committed the act but no evidence is available; the accused did not commit the act and no evidence exists; or the accused did not commit the act despite the presence of incriminating evidence.

Writers are asked to anchor their work to a core prompt: A young person accuses a person of influence of sexual or power-based exploitation. Submissions must fall between 1,500 and 5,500 words to fit the anthology’s formatting requirements. The submission process carries no entry fee, making the opportunity accessible to emerging and established writers alike. Simultaneous submissions to other publications are permitted, though contributors may not submit the same story to multiple of the anthology’s narrative categories. One key rule restricts the use of generative artificial intelligence in the creation of submitted stories, prioritizing original, human-led storytelling.

For writers whose work is selected for publication, the terms are creator-friendly: authors retain full copyright of their work, and each accepted contributor will receive two complimentary paperback copies of the finished anthology. The collection will be distributed both locally in Antigua and Barbuda and to international audiences, offering participating writers a chance to share their work with a global readership. Organizers frame the project as both an opportunity for publication and a creative challenge: to craft layered, complicated stories that transcend cultural borders and push back against simplistic cultural narratives around power, accusation, and truth.

The submission window will close at 11:59 pm on August 15, 2026. Full submission guidelines, entry forms, and additional details about the anthology are available on the official project website at www.believeme268.carrd.co.