The message from Guyana, host for the 10th Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta) is that "all are now on board" for this greatest regional cultural event to be showcased over 10 days from August 22 in the Caricom state where it had its inauguration 36 years ago.

RICKY SINGH

Guyana's minister of culture, Dr Frank Anthony, said the Government and the Community secretariat were very much encouraged by "the overwhelming response" from across the Greater Caribbean, as well as from some foreign nations and 'Diaspora chapters' in the USA, United Kingdom and Canada.

As of last week, out of an originally anticipated 32 countries, 29 had officially registered to participate in various activities, and further requests from others to send delegations were now being discouraged. Impressive contingents are expected from Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Brazil and Cuba.

One of the unique features of Carifesta 2008 will be an Amerindian complex to provide a glimpse of the traditional ways of life of the nine tribes of indigenous habitants of Guyana, "land of six peoples" whose national motto is: 'One People, One Nation, One Destiny'.

Another will be a Regional Child Art Competition, broadened from an original national initiative, and designed to exemplify the "meaningful contribution" young people could make to the visual arts in future Carifestas.

These will be in addition to at least a dozen major dance and musical performances and 16 theatrical presentations, as well as symposia and book exhibitions.

The other side of the story is one of disappointment in the coverage this premiere cultural extravaganza has so far attracted from regional media - print and electronic - partly as a consequence of failure from participating governments to provide, as expected, required promotional support.

The Carifesta Secretariat has been lamenting the paucity of promotional support and media coverage outside of Guyana, for what is fundamentally a Caricom project to keep nourishing the history, creative imagination and richness of the diverse cultures of the "people who came" and belong to a Caribbean homeland that is a microcosm of the world.

To follow regional media coverage, one could empathise with this feeling of disappointment over the paucity of any serious attempt to focus public attention on preparations for Carifesta X.
Caricom's Project

Since its inauguration in Guyana in 1972, Carifestas have been hosted in five other Caricom states and Cuba between 1976 and 2006. Trinidad and Tobago has thrice hosted the festival, the last being the ninth Carifesta in 2006. Other host countries have been Jamaica, Barbados, Suriname and St Kitts and Nevis.

As is customary, when a Carifesta is being staged, the host country shoulders the major responsibility and becomes immersed in activities in preparation for the event, and Caricom partner states are relied upon to help in providing promotional support. Carifesta, after all is a Caricom project.

In the circumstances, while looking forward to the region's free enterprise media to demonstrate their own responsibility to devote some serious attention to Carifesta X, the Caricom Secretariat is understandably left to wonder what initiatives have been pursued by the representatives of national cultural councils - who had participated in meetings of the standing Regional Cultural Committee (RCC) with Carifesta always a major issue of importance.

In Barbados - currently preoccupied with its Crop-Over Festival - it is not known to what extent, if any, the Government Information Service (GIS) or the National Culture Foundation has been honouring commitment to help generate local interest in the arrangements and programmes for Carifesta X.

This disappointing situation - I have been advised by the Carifesta Secretariat, which operates out of the Caricom Secretariat - is replicated across countries of the 15-member Community whose governments are expected to inspire local interest, often through their respective ministry of culture and/or public information service.

A question of relevance, then, is to what extent has this been done to date as part of what is supposed to be a regional collaborative effort in promoting Carifesta X?

At the 19th meeting of the Regional Cultural Committee that took place in Georgetown April 23-25, it was determined that "a joint approach should be taken by the host country, member states, associate states and the Caricom Secretariat to ensure that there is adequate coverage..."

To facilitate media coverage and inspire public awareness, each country delegation at that April meeting was given a package of information that included proposed planned programmes, venues for various events, the Carifesta song and animated logo and other material, such as a large banner for placement at a major local port of entry, or some other appropriate public place.

Perhaps some accountability may be in order. At this stage, however, it seems more useful for the RCC representatives and their governments to become activated in playing their part in the promotion of Carifesta X.

The fear factor

Feeding the multitude

DANGEROUS PETS