The public is cordially invited to the Annual St. Patrick’s Lecture which takes place in the Conference Room at the Cultural Centre in Little Bay on Thursday, March 15, 2017 at 6 pm. The presenter this year is the Honourable Claude Hogan, Trade Economist and Member of the Legislative Assembly, who has chosen to speak on the topic “Montserrat:  Still Masquerading?â€
Masquerading has been described as a unifying force, a powerful tool for resistance and development, and a therapeutic antidote to the bondage of slavery and colonialism suffered by Afro-Caribbean people.
Drawing on scholarly work from across the region, the Honourable Hogan intends to show how the masquerade tradition was used by our oppressed ancestors to maintain a sense of pride and self-worth. The role of this cultural tradition in communicating messages of warning, survival tactics, and transition arrangements will also be discussed.
Examples of mockery, escapism, rites of reversal and ritual license will be provided to make this lecture both entertaining and educational. As the title implies, listeners will be invited to consider whether Montserratians still need to bring their traditional masquerading skills to bear on current political and socio-economic realities.
We hope that on this holiday to mark the 250th anniversary of the planned uprising in 1768, you will be able to find attend this lecture and participate in the discussion which follows.
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About The Honourable Claude E. S. Hogan
The Honourable Claude E S Hogan currently serves as a full-time legislator and Member of the Montserrat Legislative Assembly, and a part-time regional Trade Economist. He considers himself an avid sportsman, an economist, global consultant and regional integrationist.  His academic achievements include earning the BSc in Political Science (Law option) with honours from Kean University, New Jersey, and the MSc in Trade and Economic Law from the University of London.
Hon. Hogan has done post-graduate work with the International Development Bank (IDB) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). He has had more than 25 years of experience working with various regional and international organisations to include the Department for International Development (DFID), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the European Union (EU), The United Nations (UN), The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
He was the Project Manager for the Montserrat Airport Development Project which resulted in the construction of the John A. Osborne Airport and he has served as Deputy Speaker in the Legislative Assembly. Hon Hogan was until recently (September 2017), the Minister of Agriculture, Trade, Housing, Lands and Environment in Montserrat.
