Over the next four weeks, 650 students from 40 schools will perform 250 items on one stage. That stage will be the bliss center and all those performances will be part of the annual Children's Festival of the Arts. The show's first night is tonight but the official opening ceremony took place this morning. 7NEWS was there.
Keith Swift Reporting
This year's children Festival of the Arts kicked off in the streets with this impressive and vibrant parade of students from participating schools in the Belize district. The marching bands, dancers, and even tumblers endured
the stifling sun and marched up Albert Street enroute to the Bliss Center.
And inside the Bliss Center is where our coverage picks up. The students flooded the gallery where it was standing room only, or in this case sitting room only. Minister of Culture Mark Espat and NICH boss Yasser Musa got to sit in the front row but this morning it was clear the children were front and center beginning with the host 13-year-old Raheem Lozano from All Saint's School.
The first performance was a memorable rendition of "we are the world" by the St. Luke's Methodist school choir.
[Performance of We Are The World']
And from harmonizing to dancing from Ladyville's R.C. School.
[Clip of Students Dancing: 'Muevelo']
Culture Minister Mark Espat symbolically cut the ribbon to declare open the festival. He says that in every sense of the word, this is truly a festival.
Hon. Mark Espat, Minister of Culture
"But I want to say how gratifying it is for me to see this auditorium so packed, standing room only, this morning for the official opening of the Belize District Festival of the Arts for primary schools. Boys and girls this is really your auditorium as young Belizeans, boys and girls, men and women, this is your auditorium and this is your stage. This is a festival in every sense, we are celebrating the talent of our children. You all are the artists, this is a festival, it is a pleasure for me to be here to celebrate and I look forward to the shows over the next few weeks."
And over the next few weeks the art of dance, song, and drama will be celebrated on the Bliss stage by 650 students from 34 schools. Leroy Green is ICA's Coordinator and he says while today's dances and songs were good, the best is yet to come.
Leroy Green, ICA
"From this year's Festival of the Arts you can expect performances from a lot of city schools and this year especially a lot of the village schools; they have really turned out this year. You can expect very good performances in the fields of drama, dance, and music and of course there is the art exhibition going upstairs."
That beat box performance was from Gwen Lizarraga High School student Erron Golanche who was the outstanding student in the Secondary School Festival held earlier this year. Again the festival begins tonight and runs through to May 30th every weeknight with the exception of Teacher's Day and the May 22nd holiday. And as has been the tradition for the last 5 years, starting tomorrow, we will have a nightly highlight package featuring all the gold winners. The arts and craft section of the festival is now on display second floor of the Bliss.
