Even before the establishment of the Caribbean
Community (CARICOM), artists in the Region had
already lit the torch for Caribbean integration when
they gathered at the first Writers and Artists
Convention in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1970, and the
vision of a Caribbean Festival (CARIFESTA) was born.
It was this vision that inspired the late President
of Guyana, Hon. L.F.S. Burnham to host the first
Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA), from 25
August -15 September 1972.
Dr. Carole Maison-Bishop, CARICOM Consultant for
CARIFESTA, recently acknowledged that the success of
that initial CARIFESTA followed by seven successive
festivals, served to convince the Region’s policy
makers that the cultural industries can play an
integral role in the economic development of the
Region. Events like CARIFESTA can “help the Region
to hold its own in today’s globalised environment
and thus contribute significantly towards its
insulation from the hegemony of developed
countries,” Dr. Maison-Bishop said. It was her
belief that CARIFESTA must be seen as a
developmental process, which facilitates recognition
of artists, their work, and worth.
New, Vibrant CARIFESTA – Cultural Aspects
Dr. Maison-Bishop is working with the Culture
Sub-programme in the Directorate of Human and Social
Development at the CARICOM Secretariat. Her major
task is to work with the host country of CARIFESTA
IX, Trinidad and Tobago, to ensure its successful
staging, September 22 – October 1, this year.
The Culture Sub-programme is engaged, inter alia,
in ensuring the creation of a supportive environment
for the growth of cultural industries and the
sustainability of indigenous culture as essential
features of development. New Vibrant CARIFESTA –
Managerial Focus
The concept of a New CARIFESTA, raised at several
fora, but crystallised at the symposium on the
‘Artist and the Community’, which was convened
during the Eighth CARIFESTA in Suriname in 2003, led
to the establishment of a CARICOM Task Force on
CARIFESTA, comprising members of the artistic
community and representatives of key stakeholders,
such as the private sector. The main mandate of the
Task Force was to ensure that CARIFESTA be
re-positioned as a world renowned hallmark festival.
The Task Force developed a Strategic Plan for a
New CARIFESTA which was endorsed by the Heads of
Government of the Caribbean Community at their
twenty fifth meeting held in Grenada in July 2004.
Among the major recommendations were the
establishment of a new managerial process, the
introduction of new programme elements and a
reformulated system for hosting the Festival.
Adoption of these measures would guarantee that the
Festival is responsive to the current economic and
cultural realities of the Region, that it “generates
economic benefits, unites the Region and excites the
people”. Among other initiatives were the
appointment of Directors of CARIFESTA in the host
countries and the establishment of a CARIFESTA
Secretariat.
It is in this context that CARIFESTA IX is set to
be unveiled under the theme, “Celebrating Our
People: Contesting The World Stage”. While not
fully embracing all the elements of the “New
CARIFESTA”, it is expected that CARIFESTA IX will
incorporate some of the new elements and in this
sense can be described as a transitional process.
For example, in the absence of a Festival
Secretariat, an Interim Festival Directorate (IFD)
has been established to function as an advisory body
to the Host Country Management Committee of
CARIFESTA IX. The IFD comprises the current host,
(Trinidad and Tobago, the immediate past host
(Suriname), the immediate future Host (The Bahamas),
the Chairman of the CARICOM Task Force on CARIFESTA,
the Chairman of the Regional Cultural Committee and
representatives of the CARICOM Secretariat and the
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. In
addition, since the festival embraces a strong youth
component a representative from the CARICOM Youth
Ambassador Corps is also included.
“It will not be the host country alone
managing it with some help from the Secretariat.
The whole idea is to set up a festival
directorate with a director and board of
directors who will work fulltime. But a
structure like this is very costly, hence the
necessity for the IFD,” Dr Maison-Bishop pointed
out.
New, Vibrant CARIFESTA – New Elements
In addition to the programme elements that are
regularly featured at CARIFESTA such as the
performing arts, symposia, literary arts, book fair,
culinary arts and the grand market, several new
programme elements are expected to be in evidence at
this year’s Festival. In some cases, former elements
such as the Youth Village and Community Festivals
will be presented in a new light.
Among the new elements will be the signal events
which will be showcased at strategic times during
the festival as CARIFESTA honours the best of the
cultural tradition of the Region. Dr. Maison-Bishop
stated with emphasis that, “the signal event is
something really magnificent in terms of artistic
contribution to the Region. Participating countries
will be asked to ‘tell us, what do you have, apart
from the people that you will bring to participate
in the performing arts, culinary arts, book fair,
that is so unique that you would want to be
specially showcased. Understandably, however, the
Interim Festival Directorate will have the final
word in selecting the best of the signal event
entries for showcasing.
Among the elements that will give additional
flavour to this ‘new’ and vibrant CARIFESTA will be
the performances by top Caribbean artists at the
Super Concerts which will include, Soca, Zouk,
Reggae, Jazz, Chutney, Gospel and Pan. There will
also be a vintage calypso competition.
New, Vibrant CARIFESTA - Participation
All CARICOM Member States and Associate Member
States have been invited to participate in the
forthcoming Festival. In addition, invitations have
been extended to members of the Forum of Ministers
of Culture and Officials in charge of cultural
policies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
These include the French, Dutch and Spanish speaking
countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. So
far, some twenty seven countries have signified
their intention to participate in CARIFESTA lX but
the list is growing daily.
Dr. Maison-Bishop acknowledges that coordinating
and managing an event of such magnitude and
importance is a serious challenge for the host
country and the Secretariat alike and her appeal to
participating countries is to assist in expediting
the process by transmitting vital information to the
host country and the IFD in a timely manner. Her
advice to these countries “Open the lines of
communication more widely; don’t feel that because
you know what you’re sending that the host country
will (likewise) know; the host country can only
respond to what it receives in order for the
programme to be well planned.”
As the CARIFESTA lX jingle declares, “It will be
a time to remember, CARIFESTA in September”.
Off to CARIFESTA IX everyone!!
UWI-CARICOM Project
August 8, 2006
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