Bermuda’s team of student actors got a round of applause from new Education Minister Grant Gibbons and Junior Minister Leah Scott after racking up awards at the Caribbean Secondary School Festival in Barbados.

Dr Gibbons said the group deserved extra recognition for their performance of Kim Dismont Robinson’s ‘Emancipation: A Love Story’, directed by Alan Smith.

“Congratulations — it’s fantastic; you guys did a superb job down there,” the Minister told the students. He and Ms Scott met them as they presented eight accolades from the weeklong festival.

Ms Scott added: “I’m always encouraged when I see young people doing positive things — keep it up.”

The cast lined up to present their plaques: best ensemble, outstanding performance, most innovative set design, best use of production elements, outstanding acting male and female, best music and best choreography.

“One of the most exciting parts was the cultural experience,” said Saltus student Tess Spencer, 16. “There were so many differences and similarities — and everyone was so friendly to us.”

Bermuda High School for Girls student Jade Weaver agreed: “We made a lot of new friends. We became really close with the teams from Jamaica and the British Virgin Islands.”

Warwick Academy’s India Wilson, 16, said: “I loved watching the other countries doing their plays. It was really cool meeting people and then seeing them transform on the stage. There was an intensity that was very interesting to watch.”

Musician Dylan Hollis, 18, said the high point of the Caribbean trip was “being surrounded by people who really love what you love and who share the passion”.

“It’s a brewing pot, which amplifies your own passion.”

Treasure Tannock, 15, from Warwick Academy, said: “The people were amazing. It just shows that no matter where you’re from you can engage in a conversation with someone you don’t know. We made instant friends. There were so many people with the same passions that we could connect with and express our feelings.”

CedarBridge Academy’s Ashanti Stovell, 16, said that participants from all the countries — eight overall — spent “a lot of time together, and bonded really quickly”.

“It didn’t even feel like a competition,” she added. “We talked about having a school of arts for the whole Caribbean.”

Seventeen-year-old Marquedelle Rodriguez, from the Berkeley Institute, said: “Every person from down there has become a friend. Especially the team from Anguilla. It was great to see how people can bring their unique passion onto the stage.”

Saltus student Marcus Smith, 17, said: “You just have to embrace it when you get in circumstance like that. Try to meet an many people as you can. This industry is all about who you know.”