Some of the most exotic islands in the world will provide a colourful (and tasty) theme for next week's spectacular fund-raiser in aid of Bermuda's art groups to be held at Government House next week.

Lady Waddington is hosting the event, which has been called `Islands in the Sun'.

"We chose that theme because we thought the idea of six different islands would provide a vehicle for our food booths. So people will get a flavour of these exotic places around the world, with music, entertainment and dancing in a lovely, relaxed atmosphere,'' she explains. "We were anxious to do something that was pleasant, original and interesting without being vastly expensive like a ball or a dinner for under $100 so that we can encourage the young set to turn out. The dress is casual -- so they don't have to dress up and get all hot and bothered: jollification in a nice, relaxed setting.'' As a Board member of both Masterworks and the Bermuda National Gallery and an active member of the Society of Arts, Lady Waddington says that, besides raising much-needed money, this coming together of the art community should help dispel the myth that the groups do not co-operate. "Actually, it's quite the reverse! Many of the memberships and board members overlap and not only do we often work together, we enjoy working together,'' she says.

A dedicated and `hands on' supporter of the visual arts (and no mean artist herself), Lady Waddington says she is sure that the event will give everyone a wonderful evening "but I want to bring home the message that it is very important to support the arts -- both for ourselves and for the future of our children. We have four wonderful groups here who work very hard indeed and are doing extremely well -- but we must support their efforts.'' Voicing her deeply felt belief that every developed society has a vigorous cultural environment, Lady Waddington says that Bermuda is certainly a well-educated and sophisticated community. "So it's a vital part of peoples' lives to appreciate beauty and the aesthetics of life as well as the commercial and financial aspect of things,'' she explains.

Cautioning against complacency, she points out that Bermuda is "extremely fortunate'' to have four major art groups, devoted to improving the quality of life on the Island for all Bermudians and visitors. "I believe, emphatically, that we would be impoverished as a nation, if we didn't have these societies.

It is absolutely vital that everyone who is remotely interested in the arts turns out to support us and help raise money. It's really extraordinary to think that an island of this tiny size even has a national gallery, a Foundation such as Masterworks which has been able to acquire art by such international artists as Winslow Homer and Georgia O'Keeffe, and to have the amount of really top-flight artists who are working here now as painters or sculptors. The whole object of `Islands in the Sun' is to enable the National Gallery to keep its doors open, for Masterworks to bring more pictures home to Bermuda and for the Society of Arts and Dockyard to continue to support our own working artists.'' To help achieve this, Lady Waddington and her co-chair, Jane West, came up with the idea of approaching some of those artists to donate work (estimated as a total worth of over $30,000) to be raffled during the evening.

"This will give art lovers a unique opportunity to acquire valuable artwork by some of our most famous artists.'' These include Norma Christensen, Susan Curtis, Desmond Fountain, Sheilagh Head, John Kaufmann, Elmer Midgett, Bruce Stuart, Michael Swan, Diana Tetlow, Otto Trott, Sharon Wilson -- and, of course, Lady Waddington, who has donated a watercolour.

"My husband is going to buy a substantial amount of tickets because he says he'd like a shot at the Desmond Fountain sculpture! All of these people have been so generous -- not one person turned us down -- so, with raffle tickets at only $5 each (available from any gallery in advance as well as on the night) it's a fantastic opportunity to win a wonderful piece of art,'' enthuses Lady Waddington.

`Islands in the Sun' will take place on Saturday, October 19 in the lower grounds of Government House, commencing at 7.30 p.m. The entire area will be fully tented, with food booths representing the islands of Bali, Bermuda, Capri, Cozumel, Hawaii and Jamaica. Rhythms of the Islands will be showcased by the Gombeys, the `How Low Can You Go' Limbo Show, with Island D.J. Allan Young. Tempting Island Libations will include Singapore Slings, Tequila Sunrises, Rum Sours, Margueritas, Hemingways -- as well as the urban island favourites of Manhattans, Martinis and Italian Iced Teas.

Tickets at $75 (each ticket provides "all the food you can eat'' and two free drinks, and are available from the Bermuda Society of Arts at City hall, telephone number 292-3824.

Entry is through the North Shore Gate, where tickets will have to be shown.