THE Second Inter-Guianas Cultural Festival, wherein the cultures of Suriname, French Guiana and host country, Guyana will be on showcase, is slated to be held from August 23 to 27 this year. Six disciplines will be contested at this festival, namely the Performing Arts, Literacy, Culinary Arts, Fashion, Film, and Visual Arts.

Events will be held at the Guyana International Convention Centre, the National Cultural Centre, Main Street Avenue, and the Craft Association facility in Kingston under the theme “Celebrating culture, bridging friendship”.

Guyana led a delegation of about fifty participants to the inaugural Inter-Guianas Cultural Festival (IGCF), held in Paramaribo, Suriname on August 26-28 last year. After that festival had been successfully hosted, the objectives were adopted of exploring and identifying common historical and other ties among The Guianas, regardless of political borders.

There was also the objective to conduct interactive workshop sessions between the artistes and the artisans of The Guianas, and to showcase aspects of the culture in a move to foster unity and understanding among the peoples of The Guianas.

Organisers
A local organising committee comprising Assistant Director of Culture, Colonel (rtd) Lindon Ross; Ms Desiree Wyles-Ogle; Lennox Canterbury; Linda Griffith (dance); Lorraine Barker-King (international co-coordinator, performing arts); Alim Hosein (literary arts); Penelope Harris (culinary arts); Carol Fraser (fashion); Enrico Woolford (film); and Denzil Hollingsworth (craft) has been set up to undertake planning and execution of this festival.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, noted that some $30M has been budgeted for the festival, with the organisation and work on the ground all being done voluntarily.

Patron
Guyanese-born novelist, writer, teacher and diplomat, E.R. Braithwaite, author of “To Sir with Love” and other outstanding titles, best known for his stories of social conditions and racial discrimination obtaining especially in First World countries, is to be Patron of this festival.

Braithwaite graduated from Cambridge University in England with a degree in Physics. He also received honorary doctoral degrees from Oxford University and the University of Paris-Sorbonne.

His numerous writings primarily deal with the difficulties of being an educated person, a black social worker, a black teacher, and simply a human being in inhumane circumstances.

This former Guyana Representative to the United Nations, now living in Washington, D.C, recently retired as Writer in Residence at Howard University. The book “To Sir, with Love” (1959) was based on his experiences as a school teacher in the East End of London. The novel was adapted into the 1960s critically acclaimed film starring Oscar-winning actor Sydney Poitier.

While writing the book, Braithwaite turned to social work, which resulted in his second novel, “Paid Servant” (1972).