We extend a sincere welcome to Carifesta IX, which opened on Friday, September 22.

The ten-day festival, which ends October 1, will see the introduction of some of the elements of a Strategic Plan for a New Carifesta.

This plan received the full support of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Heads of Government in 2004 as they accepted the new mission “to stage a mega multi-disciplinary festival that develops Caribbean Arts and Culture.”

Under the theme Celebrating our People, Contesting the World Stage, Carifesta IX is billed as a mega event that will feature participation from an estimated 30 countries.

These include Caricom Member States and Associate Members as well as Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Brazil, French and Dutch Overseas Countries and Territories.

The Hasely Crawford Stadium, on the outskirts of the Port of Spain, is the venue for the Carifesta IX Grand Market, the festival’s central point for showcasing outstanding art forms of the various countries represented.

Noteworthy in this year’s Carifesta was the September 1 launch of Community Festivals, which will allow for the staging of activities in communities such as San Fernando Rio Claro, Caroni, Princes Town, Sangre Grande and Tarouba as well as Tobago to coincide with the main events being staged in Port of Spain.

Signal events in which distinguished individuals or groups (Master Artists) from the artistic Caribbean Community will be invited to present their work, as well as a Carifesta Calypso Competition are also earmarked as new elements of the Festival.

This is in addition to displays involving the performing, literary, culinary and visual arts.
Carifesta is a project of the Regional Cultural Committee, the advisory body to the Ministers of Culture of Caricom and is currently supervised by the Caricom Secretariat and implemented by the Host Country Management Committee of Carifesta lX.

This is the third time that Trinidad and Tobago will be hosting Carifesta, having previously staged the cultural extravaganza in 1992 and 1995. Under the new Strategic Plan Carifesta will be staged every two years and The Bahamas is the venue for Carifesta X in 2008.

Welcome Caribbean, welcome to Carifesta 2006!