Canada comes to Carifesta

A contingent of nearly 50 nationally recognised artists, arts administrators and their supporters will arrive in TT on August 15 for the 14th edition of Carifesta. The contingent is being managed by the Toronto-based Canadian-Caribbean Arts Network (C-CAN). Canada is the only country with a Caribbean diaspora contingent participating in this year’s festival.

TT-born Rhoma Spencer, artistic director and co-founder of (C-CAN), said, “We are excited to make an impact with our performances and to make potential artistic collaborations between Canadian-Caribbean artists and their counterparts in the Caribbean. This is an incredible opportunity for our youth to not only perform the work they love, but to also showcase in the Caribbean what we in the diaspora have to offer. We are also looking forward to engaging our youth in cultural exchange workshops with local groups.”

The Ontario Arts Council has provided funding support.

This year’s contingent will include five-time 2018 Dora nominee Daniel Ellis presenting the play Speaking of Sneaking, KasheDance, joining as part of its tenth anniversary international tour, calypso jazz ensemble Kalabash, carnival artists SugaCayne Designs, the Children and Youth Dance Theatre Toronto (CYDT) and the Roots and Branches Dance Company

“We are pleased that Canada is part of a festival that has historically been created and designed for countries of the wider Caribbean region,” said co-founder Michael GA Lashley, chef de mission/project manager of the contingent. “Two years ago, we participated at Carifesta in Barbados with great success. This year we have an even bigger group and we are expecting an enhanced international experience for our Canadian contingent.”

For more infor visit www.ccanarts.com or Canadian-Caribbean Arts Network on Facebook.