Voice of Guyana International

By Wendella Davidson
THE Caribbean Festival of Creative Arts (CARIFESTA), which was slated to be held in The Bahamas next year, will now be held in Guyana, according to a report in The Bahama Journal.
The article said the announcement was made at a CARICOM heads meeting in Barbados earlier this month, and at the request of The Bahamas.Minister of State for Culture in the Bahamas, Charles Maynard, according to the article, gave as one of the reasons why his Government took the decision not to host CARIFESTA next year, is that “the previous administration made no plans to ensure that that country was prepared to host the event.”

He was quoted as saying too, that the present administration only took office in May of this year, and “we met absolutely nothing in place in terms of physical infrastructure or human resources in the advancement of CARIFESTA.

“ We had to analyse what work was done. Some work was done in an inter-administrative committee that had no terms of reference, no scope of work and no resources.”

He said too, that repairs at different cultural venues would have to be completed in order to host an event.

The Bahamas, according to the report, will host CARIFESTA in 2012.

The Chronicle was unable to reach Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony. However, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Keith Booker, said the report emanated from an undertaking given by President Bharrat Jagdeo during a recent meeting of heads, to have Guyana host CARIFESTA.

He added that the Ministry will be making a statement shortly.

CARIFESTA, is a regional cultural extravanza which attracts more that 30 Caribbean and Latin American countries to one venue.

The brainchild of the late President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, CARIFESTA began in Guyana in 1972

A housing area was developed specifically for hosting of the event, and has since been renamed Festival City.

Tagged: CARIFESTA, Guyana