In a previous analysis of the Caribbean Festival of the Arts (Carifesta) reasons were elucidated as to why on the 50th anniversary of this grand historic event, instead of celebratory glory, there were so many critical questions. It is important to focus on the artistic progress of Carifesta since its inauguration in Guyana in 1972, and the state of the festival as an exhibition of the arts of the Caribbean. How has it served the territories? How has it served the advancement of the arts?
Jamaican novelist Andrew Salkey has provided the most comprehensive coverage of the conferences in Georgetown, Guyana (1966 and 1970) during which Carifesta was created in Georgetown Journal: A Caribbean Writer’s Journey from London via Port of Spain to Georgetown Guyana 1970 (London, 1971). He was able to capture the intentions, concepts and collective mind of the artists who outlined what the festival should look like, what it should represent and what it should do for the regional arts. We can, therefore, measure Carifesta’s accomplishments against that blueprint and see whether it has made any impact on the arts in the West Indies.
