The refurbished Arawak House of Culture has been opened to the general public since 1994. It is located on Kennedy Avenue, opposite the new Financial Centre in Roseau.
Several different types of shows have already been staged there including plays, musicals, dance productions and song contests. Other functions which have been held there include debates, graduations, lectures, annual general meetings and conventions.
The establishment of a Folk Research Centre was originally proposed in 1981 by Alwin Bully to be housed at the Old Mill Cultural Centre. This centre was opened in 1989 at the opening of DOMFESTA Celebrations. The National Cultural Council (NCC) is responsible for the overall functioning of the Folk Research Centre space at the Old Mill.
The Writers’ Guild was established by the Cultural Division to strengthen efforts geared at encouraging writers in Dominica to meet to exchange ideas and share their works and also to organize sessions of poetry aimed at promoting the poets and giving them an opportunity to read or perform their works. The Writer’s Guild is currently headed by Harry Sealey.
The Dominica Festivals Committee (DFC), a Division of the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA), has special responsibility to further promote, market and manage Carnival (see the Carnival website at http://www.dominica.dm/masdomnik/) and the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF) (see the WCMF website at http://www.worldcreolemusicfestival.dm/) in October/November. The DFC also gives support to selected special events in Dominica. It is located on the ground floor of the Financial Centre on Kennedy Avenue in Roseau.
The Dominica Institute for the Arts is a premier arts training institution serving Dominica and the Eastern Caribbean. It is housed at the Old Mill Cultural Centre and adjacent properties.
The Institute’s main objective is to provide top quality arts education and certified courses for children and adults.
The National Cultural Council is a semi-autonomous cultural body set up by in 1981 to formulate cultural policies and guidelines for Dominica’s cultural development. The Council is governed by the Culture Act, No.22 of 1981. Every year Government appoints about nine persons to serve on the council.
Kalinago Barana Autê, the Carib Cultural Village by the Sea, honors the diversity, history and heritage of the Kalinago people by presenting their customs and cultural traditions. It provides an opportunity for guests to experience, learn about and appreciate their way of life.
The Pan Association was set up in the early 1980’s by the Cultural Division and is the umbrella body for all steel bands in Dominica. The Association has been responsible for assisting Festivals through the years. One of the Association’s Major achievement was the staging of the first-ever OECS Junior Pan Festival here in Dominica in 2006 in which Dominica emerged second after Antigua.
The Old Mill Cultural Centre was officially established in 1985 to provide facilities for the administration of the arts and culture in Dominica. The establishment was also intended to be a centre of learning on the island in the various artistic disciplines. The centre is also a tourist attraction. It is a beautiful example of environmental, architectural and cultural heritage.