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Clive Meyers, Coordinator Festival of The Arts
"This year the feeling is very overwhelming, because we realized that the participation from the districts is growing every single year. This year for us at the Institute of Creative Arts we are working on a different look for the entire national festival. We just didn't want to have an opening ceremony where the kids will come in and do a couple of performances and stuff. We want to do a parade along with this opening ceremony. We want at least one or two representation from each district, where the students and participants will be wearing costumes or a festive outwear to walk through the streets of Belize City to let the public be aware that the festival is here and ready to start."

Elisa, student - La Inmaculada - Orange Walk
"It's about balancing. You need to trust yourself so that you can balance. You need to practice with the tray, so that you can move with the tray and do 360 degrees spin with the tray. I have been dancing with the bottle from a long time ago. I realized that I am growing bigger and I need to go up the level, that's why I decided to try the tray dance, I did a lot of practice so that I can be here."

Clive Meyers
"Every year you get not just 1, 2 and 3 but you get a good influx of children that can wow you away whenever they get on the stage. There is music, dance and drama, you name the discipline and we can definitely identify one or a group of children that can wow you whenever you come and see the performances."

The Schedule of Performances

• Wednesday, May 26th, - Stann Creek and Toledo District
• Thursday, May 27th, - Corozal and Orange Walk District
• Friday, May 28th, - Cayo and Belize District

Channel 7

NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS KICKS OFF WITH PARADE

Opening Ceremonies for the Annual National Festival of Arts were held this morning at the Memorial Park. It included participants from all over the country showcasing some of their golden performances that will be featured in this week's festival. A parade was also held after, where students marched their way downtown Belize to the House of Culture. Love News spoke with Clive Meyers, Coordinator for the National Festival of Arts.

Clive Meyers; Coordinator, National Festival of Arts

"This year the feeling is very overwhelming and because we are realizing that the participation from the districts is growing every single year. We at the Institute of Creative Arts worked on a different look for the entire national festival. We didn't just want to have a opening ceremony at the Bliss where the children would come in and do a couple performances so we looked at having a parade along with the opening ceremony this morning. We have at least one or two representations from each district where the students and participants will be wearing costumes and we are going to walk through the streets of Belize City to let the public know that the festival is here and we are ready to start. We have two categories; we have the junior and we have the seniors. The juniors present from ten to twelve in the morning and the seniors from seven to nine. The price to come in and watch the performances is five dollars for adults and two dollars for children. We are inviting everyone to come out and watch the performance showcase." 

Tickets are two dollars for children and five dollars for adults. The show starts at 7 o'clock tomorrow night.

The National Festival of Arts 2010 now showing at the Bliss

clive myers

The National Festival of Arts 2010 was launched today and according to the Institute of Creative Arts, this year's lineup is quite impressive. Aside from the primary and high school performances, independent artists have also been invited to take the stage. But it doesn't end there; ICA Program Officer, Clive Myers, says there will be other activities coinciding with the festival for even more entertainment. He told News Five what the public can expect from this week of events.

Clive Myers, Program Officer, Institute of Creative Arts

"This year you can definitely expect a bigger national festival than in previous years. We have not only the performance showcase that everybody is used to with the primary schools and the high schools coming on stage to do their outstanding performances from the district festivals. But we also have the craft and culinary fair that will take place at the House of Culture starting tomorrow at ten a.m. and finishes on Friday at four p.m. We also have, as a closing gala, the Ozzy and Chispe Clown matinee here at the Bliss on Saturday where the family can bring out their children, mothers, fathers and enjoy a nice fun filled event here at the Bliss at three o’clock on Saturday."

Delahnie Bain

"The festival itself is already an entertaining experience, why did you all decide to add all these extra activities?"

Clive Myers

"Well, because looking at it we decided to add a new flavor to it where we invited also senior participants. Upcoming and fruitful artists that are passionate about their artistic discipline and have not gotten that exposure nor that opportunity to excel in the art. So we opened the category-we separated the juniors and the seniors where from ten to twelve in the morning starting tomorrow right here at the Bliss we have the junior performances which will consist of the primary school entries along with a few entries from the public along with the senior performances in the evening from seven to nine p.m."

The festival runs until Friday.