On this day, March 25, eight years ago, the home of Saint Lucia’s culture, the Folk Research Centre (FRC), was burnt to the ground in one of the most devastating fires in recent memory. Along with the building, historic artefacts, literature and cultural collections were also lost.
The historic building, nestled at Mount Pleasant, was a place where culture came to life. It hosted classes, lectures, book launches and gatherings where people came together to celebrate Saint Lucian culture. That was all taken away on that fateful Sunday in 2018.
The day after the fire, FRC founder Monsignor Patrick Anthony, after whom the centre is named, reminded the nation what the FRC truly stood for.
“FRC was in a building but FRC was not a building. FRC was a concept of development, FRC was a vision of culture and national development and identity, and whereas fire can burn a building, fire cannot burn a vision, cannot burn a concept,” Anthony said.
Eight years later, the Folk Research Centre continues its work from its new location at Barnard Hill in Castries. Over the years, the organisation has made steady efforts to salvage and restore some of the items lost in the fire, with some success, but challenges still remain.
Though the building at Mount Pleasant is gone, the work of the Folk Research Centre continues.
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