EVERY two years, countries of the Caribbean come together in a single space to showcase the rich and diverse culture that we possess within our relatively small geographic area. This space is the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA).

CARIFESTA XIV is being held in Trinidad and Tobago this year. It got underway on August 16 and will conclude on August 25. So that’s 10 days where some of the most creative minds in the Caribbean will congregate and hopefully lend to each other’s development.

A bit on the history of CARIFESTA- The festival has its underpinnings in the staging of the first Caribbean Festival of Arts in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1952. But, actual CARIFESTA began in 1972, right here in Guyana. In 1972, a 60-member troupe from Jamaica’s National Dance Company led by one of the creative giants of the Caribbean, Rex Nettleford performed a folklore illustration at our very own National Cultural Centre (which was, by the way, unfinished at the time).

Since then, CARIFESTA has grown from strength to strength, with more countries- even those outside of CARICOM- participating. And, it might just be one of the few actual successful attempts at regional integration (but that’s a story for another day).

This year alone, Guyana will be sending a delegation of 100-strong; some of the most talented dancers, artists, actors, writers and designers.

For me, I am particularly excited about the ‘Guyana Night’ presentation. Now at CARIFESTA, during one of the 10 nights, countries have a special segment dedicated solely to them illustrating the culture and country-life encompassed within their borders. And for the first time, Guyana is taking a coordinated and integrated approach instead of just meshing all the genres into one presentation.

I was at the rehearsal for Guyana Night and what I saw was that the creative minds decided to portray the festivals found throughout the year into a few minutes. Added to that, the entire scene is set in the Stabroek Market Square, which, as you already know, is a kaleidoscope and cacophony of the diverse Guyanese culture.

And this Guyana Night is slated for tonight, August 18. Gentle plug: Check out the Guyana Chronicle (online and newspapers) for all the happenings at Guyana Night, and every other day of the CARIFESTA season.

Aside from the Guyana Night, the Guyanese delegates will be participating in 12 contingents: Visual Arts, Fashion, Symposia, Music, Literary Arts, Craft, Dance, Heritage, Culinary Arts, Film and Animation along with Drama and Masquerade.

These contingents have some of those very popular names you know about in the creative scene; like Mark Batson, Keon Haywood, Big Red and the like. And, the smallest contingent comprises of the three young writers, barely in their 20s. They are Scott Ting-A-Kee, Gabriella Mohamed and Darryl Goodchild.

More than just showcasing Guyanese creative arts, Keon Haywood- who has been to CARIFESTA a few times before- noted that this forum provides an opportunity for Guyanese to learn from the other territories and improve on the local art scene here.

If we’re being honest, the creative field in Guyana is yearning for a chance to propel itself to acclaim. And to do that, much more support is needed. Just last weekend, two young guys (one of which was just 19 years old- my age!) organised an art exhibition, called Filling the Void, at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre. Now in its second year, the activity seeks to provide a space for people in the creative industry. Even so, at this event, artists lamented that the arts are not supported as much, as an industry, in Guyana.

Seventeen-year-old Latoya DaSilva was one who said that she does not believe that art is something that many people really support in Guyana, and resultantly, she is forced to paint just for fun most of the time. Her sentiments were not too different from those raised by stakeholders in the Guyana Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition (GVACE) and at the launch of the Guyana Annual Magazine. I wrote about this in a previous column- “Supporting the Arts in Guyana”.

So all-in-all CARIFESTA is a major platform for these local creatives to propel themselves and garner support from the crowds that are expected to be in the Twin Island Republic. And with the heavy social media coverage, perhaps we will see Guyanese creatives being duly recognised back home and abroad.