| By Rustom SeegopaulDespite the late departure of the entourage, the launch of CARIFESTA X in Berbice was deemed a success. Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Dr Frank Anthony, was in the Ancient County on Monday for the launch and also to meet with the stakeholders to work for the successful execution of the festival.The first stop was at the Guyana Teachers’ Union Hall, New Amsterdam, where the Minister and his entourage met with members of the Regional Democratic Council and the stakeholders within Region Six. Faizal Jaffarally, the Chairman of the National Events Committee for Region Six welcomed those present to the gathering and noted that Berbice and Region Six would play an important role in both hosting and participating in CARIFESTA X.Nigel Dharamlall, the Chief Executive Officer of the CARIFESTA X Secretariat, said that he was happy to be a Berbician. He too reiterated that Region Six would play a vital role in the event. He launched into a description of the responsibilities Guyana, as a nation, has in hosting and participating in CARIFESTA X.The three main responsibilities, he said, are hosting the delegations from the various nations, participating in CARIFESTA X and adding new innovations to CARIFESTA X.There should be public arts projects, the Youth Interactive Village, Edutainment (using entertainment to educate), and Child Art Competition, among other things, he added.Dharamlall told those at the meeting that there was already lots of support for CARIFESTA X, noting the 24 countries had already confirmed their participation in the festival. This, he said, would make CARIFESTA X a “wide cultural fusion” of people from all parts of the world, each with their own culture.From here, he proceeded into the promotion of the festival. Apart from the official launch and the various meetings, the Secretariat and Ministry was having all over the country with the regional and cultural stakeholders, Dharamlall noted the use of television, radio and newspaper to promote the festival.The uses of other types of media were also touted. He paid particular attention to the CARIFESTA X website and the use of advertisements on airlines. According to Dharamlall, the Secretariat and the Ministry have also been working with Guyanese living abroad to promote CARIFESTA X in the foreign countries.In Guyana there will be 25 official venues and this number does not include the community venues, fringe or open access venues. There will be four ‘Super Concerts’.Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Dr Frank Anthony spoke about the historical significance of bringing CARIFESTA back to Guyana.“We want it (CARIFESTA X) to be a memorable activity.” He encouraged Berbicians to participate in the festival and noted that Region Six was lucky to be one of the regions selected to host CARIFESTA X.Noting that some of the delegations from other countries could perform in Berbice, the Minister said that the central CARIFESTA X activities could all be done on a regional level. He went on to say that the Surinamese delegation was planning on passing through Berbice on its way to CARIFESTA X, so they could stop and perform before heading to Georgetown.He said that ever since Guyana decided to host CARIFESTA X, a ‘momentum’ has been built. The Minister called the change that was happening in Guyana a ‘cultural renaissance.’ He noted the refurbishing of the Theatre Guild, the government purchasing $30 million worth of Steel Band equipment, and the large turnout for applications for training in lighting and production, all of which he termed part of the ‘cultural renaissance.’Region Six Chairman, Zulfikar Mustapha said that Region Six was behind the Ministry and the Secretariat, as he assured the support of Berbice for CARIFESTA X.Sandella, one of the regional performers, staged the chutney dance she did at the official launch of CARIFESTA in Georgetown. This dance was followed by the presentation of CARIFESTA Live Logo, the regional entertainment group.The Minister took the opportunity of his Region Six visit to hand over some cricket gear to the Regional Chairman, who received it on behalf of some children in Bush Lot. The Minister had promised the sports equipment to the children on a previous visit to Berbice. |
