Kingston, 16 August 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, is leading Jamaica’s delegation to CARIFESTA which begins on Friday (today) in Trinidad and Tobago.

CARIFESTA — the Caribbean Festival of the Arts — is the largest cultural and artistic event to be staged in the Caribbean.

Minister Grange says CARIFESTA presents an opportunity for Jamaican creatives to market their products and services.

“This year, Jamaica is sending one of the biggest delegations ever to CARIFESTA — 168 people including artisans, fashion designers, writers and publishers, dance companies, theatre groups, and gospel performer Kevin Downswell,” said Minister Grange.

The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has facilitated Jamaica’s participation in CARIFESTA 2019 through financial support of 73 performers in the delegation.

Minister Grange says it is important for the Ministry to help finance the delegation especially after the tremendous success of Jamaica’s delegation to the last CARIFESTA two years ago.

Minister Grange says:
“In 2017, Jamaica’s delegation to CARIFESTA in Barbados, which numbered approximately 50 members, benefitted tremendously from the business opportunities generated by their participation. I am pleased to demonstrate the full support of the Government again — as we did in 2017. We are the mecca of creativity and we are determined to monetise our creativity for larger income flows to practitioners, and facilitating the participation of Jamaican creatives in activities such as CARIFESTA helps us to achieve our objective.”
CARIFESTA XIV will be held from August 16 to 25 under the theme Connect, Share, Invest.

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