CARIFESTA 13 is the perfect platform to enable Caribbean artists to position themselves at the world class level in cultural activities.
This is coming from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley, who spoke at a press conference to provide the media with updates on the planning stages of CARIFESTA 13 recently at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC).
“At its core, CARIFESTA 13 will focus on the development and the promotion of the cultural industries and I believe that certainly within the context of where we are at in Barbados and where the CARICOM Secretariat is seeking to position many of the Caribbean terrorises, the cultural industries is looming large as being one of the most critical aspects of the development of the region.”
In fact, he referred to this festival as the “Olympics” of the creative arts because it would provide the same opportunities for the artists that the Olympics provides for athletes and that is to bring their talents and skills to the stage.
“You will be aware that Barbados will be hosting this event which we consider to be the Olympics of Culture in the Caribbean because it is the biggest and the most important festival in terms of culture in the region.”
“In fact, the theme for 2017, which is ‘Asserting our Culture: Celebrating Ourselves,’ was chosen because it reflected where the region is in terms of its cultural industries and how they view its contribution to the growth of the sector,” stated Lashley.
“We feel that that particular theme is very critical particularly within the context of where we stand in the Caribbean; where we identify the cultural industries as a key growth strategy and a growth pillar upon which we believe the economies of the Caribbean can be further expanded and further diversified.”
Lashley stated that the programme for this event, which will take place from August 17 to the 27, 2017; will include all genres of culture and the different artists from across the Caribbean will be given the opportunity to showcase their talents.
There will also be tremendous opportunities for persons who may not be involved with any particular delegation to come and take part as there are various events that will facilitate their participation.
The venues for the ten day festival include Kensington Oval; Frank Collymore Hall; the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC); the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus; the Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium, which is currently being refurbished and the Queen’s Park House, where the contract to refurbish it has recently being given out.
In addition, several open spaces such as that at the Barbados Community College (BCC); the Village Green and the Jackie Opal Theatre will also be utilised for hosting various events of the festival. (PJT)
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