Queen’s Hall has been the home of events in this country for more than 50 years. It has been an integral cog in TT’s cultural wheel and it is hoped that continues for decades to come.

To achieve this, the facility’s board has been steadily transforming Queen’s Hall into more than a space but a content-generating brand. It began this transformation with its Together Event, its general manager Garfield George said.

In a face-to-face interview at the hall, St Ann’s Road, Port of Spain, George said the event began as an initiative to have the facility stage its own productions.

“Traditionally Queen’s Hall is known for just being a rental space and the board felt it was time that we showcase we can also produce our own events as well. One of the challenges was we did not want to compete with other producers to be doing the same type of event.”

So it decided to host one in September, outside the peak theatre season. This year’s event will take place from September 20-23 and will feature traditional Japanese theatre, Kabuki and Taiko drumming, courtesy the Japanese Embassy.

The first Together event took place in 2022, as the country eased out of covid19 restrictions. It was designed to bring people back together and, that year, attendees were even invited to take a group selfie on Republic Day, George said.

The first event showed the building’s versatility, the event was successful and the board decided to make it an annual happening, he added.

Last year, the Together event was a symposium discussing artificial intelligence’s role in culture and Carnival. Reimaging Queen’s Hall was important as many see it as simply a rental space for theatre productions, George said.

Besides different spaces such as the car park, green spaces, garden theatre and lobby that could accommodate various events, it plans soon to have a different kind of content produced there.

George and the board see cultural exchanges as an essential part of Queen’s Hall’s future – hence the exchange with the embassy.

A release about this year’s event said it will be a dynamic cultural exchange between TT and Japan and will comprise a series of performances, workshops and collaborative activities.

The release said Japanese Ambassador Matsubara Yutaka revealed plans for Japan Culture Week as part of the 2024 celebrations, which will also include an exhibition of artwork crafted from wood.

“Aligned with the National Development Strategy (Vision 2030) and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts’ policy, Together 2024 aims to accelerate growth initiatives for the tourism and creative sectors in TT,” the release said.

“The four-day event will feature an array of activities, including cultural workshops on origami and calligraphy, interactive exhibits showcasing TT’s national instrument, pan, and collaborative performances blending local and Japanese musical traditions.

Attendees can also enjoy film screenings of Japanese and local short films, indulge in a food festival featuring Japanese-Trinidadian fusion cuisine, and explore