With the 2017 Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) set to be held later this year in Barbados, the nation’s Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart, has hinted at a rounded cultural experience for the hundreds of regional and international patrons expected for the Region’s premier festival.
CARIFESTA XIII will be held from August 17 to 27 under the theme “Asserting Our Culture Celebrating Ourselves”.
Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of the recently concluded Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caribbean Community (Caricom), the Barbadian leader outlined that his Culture, Sports and Youth Ministry which is leading the charge on the preparations for the festival, has been very active and timely in its planning.
“We’re getting all of our infrastructure ready and significant numbers of countries have already indicated that they are coming to Barbados and that they are going to be participating in CARIFESTA. So we are, on present indications, on score to be ready for the day on which the festival is supposed to begin and we’re optimistic that we are going to have a very successful CARIFESTA.”
According to Prime Minister Stuart, the level of enthusiasm evident not only in Barbados, but also in those member countries willing to participate gives the satisfaction of an impending successful CARIFESTA in Barbados in August.
Alluding to what visitors can expect from Barbados at this year’s festival, the Head of State explained that all CARIFESTAs have their own unique characters because they take place in different countries. He noted that since the first CARIFESTA held in Guyana, the festival has since changed its character to reflect the nation where it is being held.
“Each host country tries to put its own cultural stamp on the festival and therefore, we expect that Barbados, while we’re having visiting artistes from other parts of the hemisphere, there will be a peculiar Barbadian stamp on CARIFESTA 2017.”
Additionally, the Barbadian Leader sought to remind that his home country had hosted CARIFESTA back in 1981 and so this is not virgin territory for them. “So we know the course. CARIFESTA 81 was, from every report that I can remember, was a successful and we intend CARIFESTA 2017 to a resounding success as well.”
Local media has reported Barbados’ big plans for the usual spectacular opening and closing ceremonies, the super concerts featuring some of the Region’s top artistes, and sultry country nights.
During the recent Caricom Inter-Sessional Meeting, the regional Heads of Government acknowledged the importance of the festival to the Caribbean identity and urged full participation in the event. In fact, they accepted the offers of Trinidad and Tobago to host CARIFESTA XIV in 2019 and Antigua and Barbuda to host CARIFESTA XV in 2021.
