Biggest ever delegation to Carifesta 14 for St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Kitts and Nevis is fielding a delegation of approximately seventy persons at Carifesta 14, its largest ever contingent to the regional cultural expo, which is being held in Trinidad and Tobago.
Carifesta 14 is being held from August 16 to 25 under the operational theme Connect, share and invest; celebrate the arts.
The St. Kitts and Nevis delegation arrived at the Piarco International Airport on Thursday afternoon, August 15, ahead of the opening ceremony, which is slated for 6 p.m. today, Friday August 16.
Top Ministry of Culture officials, including the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Sport Tom Buchanan- who travelled ahead of the main body- welcomed the contingent at the airport.
The St. Kitts and Nevis government has invested over half a million dollars in the initiative, which is geared toward assessing best practices regionally and showcasing St. Kitts and Nevis’ culture to regional and extra regional audiences.
While welcoming the delegation, Buchanan said he was excited at the opportunity for St. Kitts and Nevis’ culture to be showcased. He also revealed that a proposal was on the table for the twin island state to host Carifesta in 2023, to coincide with the twin island state’s fortieth anniversary of Independence.
St. Kitts and Nevis’ delegation includes arts and crafts vendors, masqueraders, dancers, drummers, a playwright and actors and musicians from both islands.
Carifesta, which is the leading regional cultural expo, is being seen as the ideal platform to establish long-lasting networks. 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 symbolize a Caribbean commonality, the Festival reinforces our unity in the midst of our splendid diversity.
