Youth in Focus at CARIFESTA Youth Village
CARIFESTA XIV’s Envision Youth Village kicked off to a jammed packed start with performances from Nailah Blackman and Reigning Chutney Soca Monarchs Neval Chatelal and Nishard M on Saturday 17th August at Bishop Anstey High School. Crowds of young people were gathered at the venue for performances from their favourite soca performers. The stars of the daily Forever Young Concert Series however were the many talented youth groups that took to the stage including the energetic Presentation Boys College of Grenada, the ASHE Performing Arts Company of Jamaica and the Couva Anglican Primary Ensemble of Trinidad.
Scores of young people also paraded the streets of Port of Spain for the COSplay parade which served as the opening ceremony for the CARIFESTA XIV Envision Youth Village. The children and their parents chipped around the streets of uptown Port of Spain to regional music as they danced in their various Cosplay parade costumes.
Participants were also eager to join the various workshops the Youth Village had to offer including acting workshops facilitated by both Penelope Spencer and Arts in Action. Young persons also learned the art of Henna design from Henna Trinidad and the art of drummology from Musa Saheed out of Belize. The skilled based masterclasses are intended to inspire Young People to seek viable careers in the arts and cultural industries. The workshops will serve as a networking platform connecting young talent with seasoned veterans in the fields of film, music, fashion, dance, theatre, literary arts, visual arts and culinary arts.
The Youth Village powered by Republic Bank and Bmobile, is a break out space for young persons, created to ensure youth indulge in the creative and thought-provoking display of historic art and culture of the Caribbean. Attractions include a haunted house, readings from Boy Boy and the Magic Drum, daily creative masterclasses, mural painting, a youth forum and the Forever Young Concert Series.
The Eight (8) day Youth Village continues until Saturday August 24th at Bishop Anstey High School, Port of Spain and will include performances from Freetown Collective, Preddy and Voice. It is open daily from 10am to 6pm and is free to the public. No ticket is required to attend. For more details about Youth Village, follow Envision Youth Village on Instagram and Facebook. Also visit carifesta.net/events-2019/youthvillage/ for all details of how you can get involved.