April seems to be becoming the month for great events in Bermuda.

The Bermuda International Film Festival, the XL Capital Bermuda Open, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival at the Agricultural Exhibition are all world class events with a uniquely Bermudian flavour.

They demonstrate what Bermudians can do when they come up with an idea and follow it through. In doing so, they also provide a blueprint for other events and how the Island can remain relevant in a changing world.

The Film Festival attracts filmmakers from around the world who go on to make their marks at major film festivals and in mainstream movies.

The XL Open does much the same thing with tennis and is becoming a fixture on the tennis circuit.

Both these events follow the philosophy of the Bermuda Festival in attracting up and coming stars to Bermuda where they play to audiences of locals and visitors.

What these events have in common is that they are homegrown but do not allow that to limit their ambitions.

They also draw much of their funding from private sources, although they do receive some Government assistance. That’s important because Bermuda has to recognise that Government cannot and should not do everything. Instead, privately inspired events, with the support of Government, bring energy and innovation to the Bermuda scene and the people behind the events do the work with passion and not because it’s part of a job.

The Smithsonian event is somewhat different in that it is a one-time only event. While Government led this event and organised it in conjunction with the Smithsonian, it would not have been possible without the wide participation of Bermudians from all walks of life who came together in a way which is too rarely seen.

If Bermuda can continue to build on these kinds of events and help them to thrive, then the Island can both develop a greater sense of its own culture, broaden the horizons of residents and encourage visitors to come to the Island to enjoy these great events.