‘Journey Round Myself’: CARIFESTA XIV Symposia Calls for Papers

January 24, 2019

‘Journey Round Myself’ is the theme of the Symposium for CARIFESTA XIV, which is scheduled to take place from August 19-22, 2019 at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port of Spain.  The theme is taken from an article of the same name that was written by Errol Hill twenty years ago and contemplates what he believed were necessary devices for Caribbean people to deploy their cultural resources and assets in the service of their own well being. The symposium seeks to reflect on and interrogate his views.

The Symposia component of CARIFESTA has a long history within this premier arts festival as a place where artists, practitioners and academics can meet and discuss their techniques and motivations.  It is also a platform for the community of Caribbean people to discern the symbolic and commercial values that can be obtained from the various artistic endeavours that are part of the region.  In the past, the CARIFESTA symposia have hosted Caribbean luminaries such as Derek Walcott, Rex Nettleford and Louise Bennett.

This year’s symposium embodies the key philosophy of CARIFESTA XIV which is Connect, Share and Invest.   Given the role of the new communication and media technologies, climate change and the fragmentation of regional alliances on the region’s cultural and creative output, the symposium ‘Journey Round Myself’ will position discussions on cultural policy as a significant vehicle in activating the arts and cultural industry sectors and in promoting the sustainable development of the Small Island States (SIS) of the Caribbean.

Dr. Suzanne Burke, Lecturer in Cultural Studies at The UWI, shared that the symposium is “community oriented, inspirational and educational.  This year’s event taps into each of these areas by celebrating the ideas of Errol Hill, by specifically looking at how Caribbean citizens make meaning and sustainable livelihoods from their art and culture.”  In this regard, the symposia will address the areas such as arts and cultural policies, art practices and programming, production and consumption popular art as shown in the Call For Papers.   Participation can take the form of paper presentations, short films, master classes, clinics and posters.

The organizing Committee invites interested parties to visit www.carifesta.net/event/workshop-symposia/ to access further details of the Call For Papers.