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History of Carifesta
CARIFESTA has been hailed as “the inspirational exchange of creative flows”.
The Caribbean Festival of Arts, CARIFESTA, has assumed a pre-eminent place among the elements that define and give expression to the uniqueness of our Caribbean reality. Like other significant institutions such as cricket, CXC, and CARICOM that symbolise a Caribbean commonality, the Festival reinforces our unity amidst our splendid diversity.
CARIFESTA, which has been hailed as “the inspirational exchange of creative flows”, has its foundations in the staging of the first Caribbean Festival of Arts in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1952. This event sparked enthusiasm across the Region for celebrating the excellence of Caribbean artistry.
The creation of the West Indies Federation was marked by the staging of a festival in Trinidad, through the auspices of the Extra-Mural Department of the then University College of the West Indies. This celebratory spirit infused the artistic community of the Region, and it was at a regional gathering of artists in Guyana in 1970 that the idea of a grand Caribbean festival was conceived.
St. Lucian Banjo Man Players pose with late President of Guyana H.E. LFS Burnhamat CARIFESTA 1972 (source: caricom.org)
Masqueraders from Montserrat at CARIFESTA 1972 (source: caricom.org)
The enthusiasm of the artists attending the Caribbean Writers and Artists Conventions in Georgetown in 1966 and again in 1970 during Guyana’s Independence and Republic celebrations found favour with Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, who spearheaded the conversion of the idea into a resplendent exposition of artistic forms and cultural artefacts, leading to the first Caribbean Festival of Arts in Guyana in 1972.
CARIFESTA XI – Suriname
The first CARIFESTA attracted over 1,000 artistes from more than 30 Caribbean and South American countries, expressing their creativity through music, dance, drama, painting, sculpture, folk art, photography, and literature.
The vision of Caribbean leader Forbes Burnham, who is most directly credited with the emergence and success of this event, was to have a “Caribbean Arts Festival, featuring Guyanese and Caribbean artists whose work in poetry, painting and sculpture project our dreams and visions and help us to foster and develop a Caribbean personality.” He envisioned hosting the festival as an ongoing event across different Caribbean territories.
The cultural and artistic momentum generated by the success of CARIFESTA 1972 gave impetus to calls for the festival’s institutionalisation within the emerging structure of the Caribbean Community.
In response, the Heads of Government, at their 1972 meeting, approved the establishment of a permanent unit within the CARICOM Secretariat with oversight for coordinating subsequent CARIFESTA events.
At the closing ceremony of CARIFESTA 1972, the CARIFESTA logo was unveiled - a dark hand grasping the sun, symbolising the skills and aspirations of the tropical man with talents untold.
In the foreground are (second and third from left respectively) the then Prime Minister of Guyana, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, and then President of Guyana, Arthur Chung.
At the closing ceremony of CARIFESTA 1972, the CARIFESTA logo was unveiled — a dark hand grasping the sun, symbolising the skills and aspirations of the tropical man with talents untold. In the foreground are (second and third from left respectively) the then Prime Minister of Guyana, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, and then President of Guyana, Arthur Chung.
Our Legacy, Our Future:
Barbados and the CARIFESTA Story
Barbados is proud to embrace its deep-rooted history with the Caribbean Festival of Arts as we prepare to host CARIFESTA for the third time. Our journey began with CARIFESTA IV in 1981, a pivotal moment that, while sometimes considered a "silent and forgotten cultural legacy," planted enduring seeds of artistic infrastructure, innovation and regional collaboration, that have quietly blossomed over the decades.
Returning to the stage as host for CARIFESTA XIII in 2017 further solidified our commitment to this vital regional institution, adding legislation and some regulation to the existing local framework. Now, we stand on this rich history, ready to honour the contributions of the past while boldly stepping into the future.
This year, under the theme "Caribbean Roots; Global Excellence," CARIFESTA XV is not only a celebration of the present but a significant investment in the future. We are moving beyond the ten-day festival model to create a lasting impact through a comprehensive five-year Legacy Program. This ambitious initiative is designed to ensure that the creative energy, strategic partnerships, and cultural dialogue fostered during the festival translate into tangible, sustainable growth for our artists and cultural industries across the region. CARIFESTA XV is our pledge to build an enduring cultural and economic legacy for the next generation.
The evolution and transformation of the event over its thirty-four-year existence can be seen as a response to achieving the objectives of CARIFESTA, which aim to:
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Establish and celebrate the arts as the most important dynamic force for reflecting on our dreams and visions in affirming the Caribbean personality;
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Maximise people’s participation in the arts, promote integration, and intensify interaction between the peoples and artists of the Region;
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Deepen awareness and knowledge of the diverse aspirations within the Caribbean Community by exposing the peoples of the Region to each other’s cultures through the development of creativity;
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Embrace developments in communications technology and media - whilst accepting the challenges this technology poses - to positively advance Caribbean culture at home, throughout the diaspora, and across the world;
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Foster a vision of Caribbean unity and potential by documenting and disseminating artworks as highlights of the ongoing historical and cultural development of our people;
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Expose children and Caribbean youth to the arts and traditions of the Region as a foundation for building vibrant and dynamic institutional support for their development as future Caribbean citizens;
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Encourage excellence by bringing masters and youth together to initiate systems of apprenticeship for young artists;
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Promote the development of cultural industries and merchandising in order to maximise the economic potential of CARIFESTA and the arts, for the benefit of artists and Caribbean societies as a whole.
These objectives underscore the vital role CARIFESTA plays as a living embodiment of regional integration, as captured by Edwin Carrington, then Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, during CARIFESTA VIII in Surinam.
