Funtopia Living Statue introduced to Saba youth

The Funtopia Youth Initiative Founda­tion, in partnership with the Child Focus Founda­tion, introduced children in Saba to the art of living-statue performance during the 2026 Summer Cultural Exchange Programme. The mini—Living Statue Pre­sentation formed part of the programme’s activities, giving children the oppor­tunity to demonstrate the skills they had developed throughout the week while introducing the art form to a new generation on Saba.

Students learnt character development, controlled breathing, concentration, facial expression, statue poses, slow-motion move­ment and techniques for engaging audiences with­out speaking. They also painted and prepared their own costumes before pre­senting their characters. The workshop was led by Quair Hodge, a Funtopia performer, youth leader and cultural ambassador who has been involved in preserving and promoting the art form for more than a decade.

Hodge gained regional recognition in 2011 after placing second in the Ca­ribbean Living Statue Pre­sentation in St. Maarten, an event hosted by Beyond Kultura Events Foundation President Loekie Morales. Since then, he has contin­ued performing with Fun­topia while appearing at cultural exhibitions, community events and festivals in St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius and Dominica.

The Foundation said the workshop reflects its com­mitment to preserving Ca­ribbean cultural traditions by training young people in the performing arts. Sever­al of Funtopia’s current in­structors first participated in the organisation’s youth programmes before return­ing as performers, mentors and cultural ambassadors.

Funtopia Founder and Creative Director Lucinda “La Rich” Audain said the presentation dem­onstrated how cultural knowledge can be passed from one generation to the next through structured training and mentorship. The Foundation said the Living Statue Presenta­tion marked another step in expanding the art form throughout the Dutch Ca­ribbean while encourag­ing young people to ex­plore cultural expression through performance.

Living-statue performance by Funtopia Youth Initiative Foundation.

The Daily Herald.