The National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA) has launched its 50th-anniversary celebration with more than a quarter-million dollars in prizes and scholarships.
The milestone festival, which opens on Friday with the dance finals at Frank Collymore Hall, introduces a new award.
“This year, NIFCA introduces a prize to recognise the rich portrayal of Barbados’ intangible cultural heritage across all disciplines,” said Chief Cultural Officer at the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) Andrea Wells, during the official launch of the festival this week.
She added that the prestigious Prime Minister’s Scholarship, valued at $35 000, remains available to gold award winners in any art form.
For the second year, NIFCA is offering $15 000 prizes in business development awards, for artists to invest in their creative businesses.
NCF’s Chief Executive Officer Carol Roberts stressed the festival’s inclusive nature during this week’s launch.
“NIFCA truly is a celebration of Barbadian creative expression, and best of all, it is for all Barbadians,” she said. “The beautiful thing about participating in NIFCA is that you simply have to have a dream. Whether you write poetry or you write plays in your spare time, whether you are a member of a community singing group or a choir, [or] whether, like me, you love to cook and you want to participate in the culinary arts.”
The festival programme features the NIFCA Culinary Arts Exhibition and Food Fair on Saturday at Queen’s Park Steel Shed, culminating in the Performing Arts Gala on November 17 at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium.
Roberts urged Barbadians to support their fellow citizens as they showcase their creative process, noting that the “tradition of excellence continues”.
The festival offers various incentives, including prizes, scholarships, and opportunities for further training and skills enhancement.
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