BVI artists selected for CARIFESTA through competitions, vetting

BVI artists representing the territory at this year’s CARIFESTA in Barbados were chosen through a process of competitions and vetting.

This is according to K’Mari Fahie, Assistant Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

Fahie told reporters  that the CARIFESTA delegation was chosen through a mix of competitions, recommendations and targeted selections. Dance groups were evaluated against set criteria, with the BVI Dance School emerging as the best fit. Film and media representatives came through established competitions, while poets and writers were selected from a poetry competition and recommendations by Poet Laureate Dr Richard Georges.

Visual artists were identified through consultations with the Department of Culture, alongside a fashion designer chosen from a design competition. For the youth component, one student was selected after a talent showcase on Virgin Gorda, while others were nominated by school principals. Fahie emphasised that the process ensured broad representation and quality across the artistic disciplines.

Meanwhile, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley shared that the delegation’s cultural ambassadors would tell the Virgin Islands’ story to an international audience.

“These cultural ambassadors will not only share their gifts with regional and international audiences, but also tell our stories in a way that ensures the Virgin Islands is recognised as a vibrant and integral contributor to the Caribbean’s cultural tapestry,” he explained.

The premier defended the funding committed to the trip, which totals over $200,000, and said it should be viewed as an investment. “If my crime is investing in the young people of the territory, all of the young people that you see here, giving them opportunities for exposure at the Caribbean Festival of the Arts, then I’m guilty as charged,” he said.

CARIFESTA, the Caribbean Festival of Arts, is held every two years and attracts performers, writers, artists and cultural practitioners from across the region. The event showcases music, dance, theatre, craft, literature and cuisine, and offers countries a chance to promote their heritage to regional and international audiences.

The Virgin Islands delegation includes musicians, dancers, actors, visual artists and culinary specialists, with more than a dozen students among them. Junior Minister for Culture and Tourism Luce Hodge-Smith will lead the team.

Dr Wheatley highlighted the benefits of previous participation in the festival.

“I’ve been to CARIFESTA, so I know the impact that CARIFESTA has on young persons,” he said. “We’ve had persons who went to CARIFESTA in 2019, and I’ve just seen them blossom and grow in the arts,” he added.

Critics have questioned the decision to allocate substantial funds to the event at a time when the territory faces pressing needs in healthcare and infrastructure. The premier responded that supporting the arts strengthens the territory’s cultural identity while also creating opportunities for tourism and marketing abroad.

He insisted the investment would deliver long-term value, particularly for young people developing careers in the creative industries. The delegation is expected to perform and exhibit in Barbados between August 22 and 31 under the festival theme “Caribbean Roots, Global Excellence.”