Guyana Carifesta delegation arrives in Haiti

Guyana’s delegation of one hundred and eighteen persons arrived in Haiti yesterday morning, a day ahead of the Opening Ceremony of the Caribbean Festival of Arts in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.

Of this figure, eighty are artistes who were selected after months of auditions to represent Guyana as Cultural Ambassadors.

The Guyanese contingent, led by Special Projects Officer of the Department of Culture, Lennox Canterbury and his team of officials, including Assistant Coordinator Desiree Wyles-Ogle, the Administrator of Allied Arts of the aforementioned department left Georgetown on Wednesday evening after a meeting with the Minister within the Ministry of Education, with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport Nicolette Henry at her Main Street, Georgetown office.

Henry charged the delegation to represent Guyana to the best of their ability and hold their pride and nationalism up high.

“You are representing your country in a festival that bears its name, existence and history to Guyana, you are selected from the best of our artistes and what we can showcase to the region. I trust that you will make us proud” she said. She is expected to be in Haiti tomorrow.

Guyana’s delegation comprises five persons in the visual arts, one in body arts (body painting), three in craft, three in literary arts, two for the cultural and academic symposium, three for fashion, three for culinary arts, sixteen for music, two for indigenous elements (craft, arts and culture), seventeen for dance, three for film, thirteen for drama and two for youth. The remainder of the delegation comprises officials, assistants, media and self-sponsored artistes.

Guyana’s artistic direction came from a team compromising of Dr Seeta Shah Roath, Technical Director; Lennox Canterbury, Logistics Director; Al Creighton, Literary Arts Director; Margaret Lawrence, Drama Director; Vivienne Daniels, Dance Director; Penelope Harris, Culinary Arts Director. (Jairo Rodrigues in Haiti)