RAYMOND
LAWRENCE
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NAME
Raymond Lawrence
BORN:
Raymond Lawrence
14th January 1954
Roseau, Dominica
PROFESSION
Chief Cultural Officer
Also radio broadcaster, television broadcaster, playwright, director, author, actor, choreographer, dancer & painter
FAMILY
PARENTS:
Doris Lawrence (née Durand) and Hugh Lawrence
SIBLINGS:
Wendell Lawrence, James Lawrence, Randolph Lawrence, Zillah Lawrence (deceased), Attfield Lawrence, Remie Lawrence, Peter Lawrence (deceased), Paul Lawrence (deceased), Jean Lawrence-Mathurin, Anthony Lawrence, Bernadette Lawrence, Ursula Simon
EDUCATION
| 1959–65 | Convent Preparatory, Roseau, Dominica |
| 1965–70 | Dominica Grammar School, Roseau, Dominica |
| 1970–72 | St. Mary’s Academy, Roseau, Dominica |
| 1984–85 | University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica |
| 1987–90 | Franciscan University of Steubenville, Steubenville, Ohio, USA |
| 1995–97 | University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA |
| DEGREES: | |
| 1985 | Certificate in Management Studies, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica |
| 1990 | Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications (Radio and Television), Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, USA |
| 1997 | Master’s in Mass Communications, University of North Texas, Texas, USA |
| OTHER TRAINING: | |
| Dance courses in Jamaica and Trinidad, 1972 & 1977 | |
| 1974 | BBC Radio Production Course in London, England |
| 1975 | Commonwealth Broadcasting Union News Preparation and Presentation course, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados |
| OAS-sponsored Cultural Policy courses in Jamaica and in Dominica, 1982 & 1983 | |
CAREER
| 1971–present | Director, Waitukubuli Dance Theatre Company |
| 1972–78 | Radio broadcaster, DBS (Dominica Broadcasting Corporation), Roseau, Dominica |
| 1978–82 | Radio broadcaster, Radio Antilles International, Montserrat |
| 1978–present | Director, Miss Teen Dominica Pageant |
| 1979–82 | Director & founder, Montserrat Dance Theatre |
| 1982–87 | Deputy Chairman, National Culture Council, Dominica |
| 1982–90 | Cultural Officer, Cultural Division, Government of Dominica |
| 1983–84, 1994 | Member, Board of Directors, Dominica Broadcasting Corporation, Dominica |
| 1990–93 | Acting Chief Cultural Officer, Dominica |
| 1991, 1992, 1993 | Deputy Chairman, Board of Directors, Dominica Broadcasting Corporation, Dominica |
| 1991–95 | Television news presenter, Government Information Service (G.I.S.), Dominica |
| 1991–present | Chairman, National Culture Council, Dominica |
| 1992–present | Dominica’s Representative on the Regional Cultural Committee (R.C.C.) |
| 1993–present | Chief Cultural Officer, Old Mill Cultural Centre, Government of Dominica |
| 1997–2002 | Host & producer of Cultural Connection, weekly radio programme, Kairi FM |
| 1999 | Chairman of the 10th Annual Regional Cultural Committee meeting |
| 2002–present | Host & producer of Culture in Action, bi-monthly television programme |
WORKS
| PUBLICATIONS | |
| 1995 | Dance Dominica—The Creative Dance Experience , Tropical Printers, Dominica |
AWARDS
| 1991 | Fame Gold Award for outstanding contribution to cultural development, Dominica |
| 2002 | Person of the Year, The Chronicle newspaper, Dominica |
| 2004 | Meritorious Service Award, Government of Dominica |
| 2006 | Creole Lifetime Achievement Award, Cable & Wireless (now LIME) |
| 2008 | Outstanding Award for Culture, Mayor of Roseau, Dominica |
| 2008 | Edward Oliver Leblanc Trophy for outstanding contribution to culture, Dominica |
| 2012 | Caribbean Hall of Fame for Arts, Sports and Culture, Caribbean Arts and Culture Foundation, Jamaica |
NOTABLE
| With the Waitukubuli Dance Theatre Company, he has staged many dance productions through the years within Dominica and in several Caribbean countries |
| Organised 3 Caribbean Queen Shows, several local Queen Shows. Also the Teen Talent show from 2002–07 (as part of Talent Promotions which he formed) |
| Organised several Carnival bands |
| Published Dance Dominica—The Creative Dance Experience in 1995, a book on the history and development of creative dance in Dominica |
| Wrote and directed several productions for the Waitukubuli Dance Theatre Company. Directed short plays for the Montserrat Dance Theatre, 1979–82 |
| Wrote a number of short stories and won some prizes in the National Short Story competitions in the 1970’s including two first prizes |
| Paints in his spare time and has won prizes in the National Art competitions in the 1970’s including a first prize in the watercolour category |
| Acted in several plays in primary school, secondary school and with the People’s Action Theatre in plays such as Pio Pio and Jesus Christ Superstar |
| He is also a dancer and a choreographer |
| In 2012 he was inducted into the Caribbean Hall of Fame for Arts, Sports and Culture by the Caribbean Arts and Culture Foundation in Jamaica during ceremony for the island’s 50th anniversary of independence, November 2012 |