(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The inaugural (Caribbean Festival of Arts) CARIFESTA X Child Art Competition was launched in Guyana on 16 July 2008 at the Umana Yana with an exhibition that exemplified the meaningful contribution young people could make to the visual arts in future CARIFESTAs.

In his remarks, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony said that the aim of the activity was to create a space for the youth to actively participate in CARIFESTA X.

The Minister said that when the Board of Directors explored options to engender youth involvement in the festival, it was agreed that a visual arts competition was a fitting activity and the competitive feature was incorporated to stimulate their interest.

He explained that initially the Competition had a national focus but was later broadened to ensure that it was representative of the Region and the theme of CARIFESTA X: One Caribbean, One Purpose, Our Culture, Our life. As a result, other countries participating in the festival were invited to execute similar competitions. Dr. Anthony noted that the response, so far, had been encouraging and a Regional winner would be announced during CARIFESTA X.

Close to 100 young people between the ages of 8 to 18 participated in the Guyana-leg of the competition, which was sponsored by the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF). The first second and third place winners were awarded IPods, DVD players and bicycles, respectively.

Chief Judge of the competition, Artist Mr. Micheal Khan, commended the CARIFESTA X Secretariat for creating space for what he described as “practical participation of children” in the festival. He said that the art works submitted reflected high creative quality and young people’s profound understanding of their society, their dreams and aspirations, and the Caribbean.

Other visual arts activities organised by the CARIFESTA X Secretariat, in which young people are involved, include the painting of a 413 meters-long mural on the Atlantic Sea Wall. Minister Anthony said that there would be several such features in the run-up to CARIFESTA, also aimed at "changing the face of Georgetown into the art capital of the Caribbean."