Above: CARIFESTA in 2006 in Port of Spain (Photo: CARICOM)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

CARIFESTA, the Caribbean festival of the creative and performing arts, will return after what will have been a five-year hiatus, with Suriname hosting the event in 2013.

Guyana last hosted the festival in 2008, and although some countries, such as the Bahamas, expressed interest, the festival was largely halted.

“The Caribbean Community welcomes the offer of the government of Suriname to host CARIFESTA XI in 2013, and we are all looking forward to the event with great anticipation,” said Dr Hilary Brown, CARICOM’s Programme Manager for Culture and Community Development.

Brown said CARICOM had been at a “crossroads” in the development of the festival.

A new approach for CARIFESTA includes providing more opportunities for professional and artistic development for the region’s artists, Brown said.