100-strong T&T team for Suriname… Cabinet approves $3m for Carifesta 2013

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Guardian - Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to send a contingent of 100 people to Suriname for the Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta) at a cost of $3 million. Deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism Vel Lewis confirmed that the details of this country’s participation had been finalised, and the contingent would participate in a number of activities at the event from August 16-26.
“We will have participants in visual arts, literary arts exhibitions and several cultural symposiums, including fashion and runway,” Lewis said in a telephone interview with the T&T Guardian on Friday. He said the fashion and runway contingent would be co-ordinated by the University of T&T’s (UTT) Caribbean Institute of Fashion. He said T&T would also participate in craft displays and theatrical productions to be staged by the Secondary Schools Drama Association.

Raymond Ramnarine, winner of the 2013 Chutney Soca Monarch competition, will also be a part of the contingent, along with soca artistes, calypsonians and jazz artistes. Lewis said the ministry’s culture division would co-ordinate the contingent’s activities. Dr Kim Johnson will be leading the literary contingent that will be going to Suriname.