Belize is sending a 13 member delegation to the 15th Caribbean Festival of Arts, known as CARIFESTA, which will be held in Barbados starting later this week. The delegation is led by the director for the institute of Creative Arts, Kim Vasquez who spoke with us today on the importance of creating meaningful exchanges in the arts within the Caribbean community.
Kim Vasquez, Director, ICA
"This is the 15th staging of the Caribbean festival of the arts which is a regional, largest regional arts festival in the Caribbean and so our delegation is comprised of 13 members including myself and we are focusing on three areas, we are focusing on fashion design, handmade by Belize which is an initiative that NICH launched earlier this year in February that speaks to the development of handy craft and handmade designs and we are also focusing or participating in the area of music. We are taking with us Chico Ramos, a living legend, Chico will be performing of course there on one of the various lineups that they have at the Carifesta but Chico we also submitted for him, for something that Carifesta this year is having called icons of the Caribbean where they are recognising icons in different areas, in films, in visual arts and he is being recognised in the area born of the rhythm so he will be on a concert where icons who have contributed to indigenous music forms are performing so that is something special that Chico is going to be doing."
Gilvano Swasey, Curator, Handmade by Belize
"My main focus here is not just to showcase the art but Carifesta affords you an opportunity where you liaise with other artists and artisans but most importantly we are at a stage now where many things are happening in the world. We are part of CARICOM of course but I don't think that we have taken that as an advantage, fortunately I had actually had contact with the mother of the prime Minister, Ms Mottley I had contact with her when her husband was a judge here in Belize and she had a greta interest in somehow connecting Belize with Barbados. They are a small island and so resources are limited and when she visited the image factory and she walked around and saw the artisans making stuff from zerictoe, mahogany, conch shell, Jippi Jappa, basket and clay she was very much amazed and excited to see how we can help the industry here and also make some connections so that is what I am looking for. Where our artists can get a better input and export of their product."
Designers who also presented in the Handmade by Belize show earlier this year will also be attending. The event focuses on presenting a diverse range of artworks from handmade art to music.
