The National Institute of Culture and History (NICH), through the Institute of Creative Arts (ICA), in conjunction with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and UNICEF invite entries for CARIFESTA X Regional Art Competition under the theme: One Caribbean, One Purpose, Our Life, Our Culture. The competition is open to children and adolescents (both in and out of school) between the ages of 8 to 18 years and will be judged in three categories: 8 to 11, 12 to 14 and 15 to 18 years. Each Caribbean country is hosting individual national competitions and the top three entries from each age category will be submitted to the CARIFESTA SECRETARIAT in Georgetown, Guyana to form part of the Regional judging. ALL entries submitted by each country will be displayed as part of CARIFESTA X Visual Arts Exhibition. At the Regional level, first place winners in each category will be awarded prizes of desk and lap top computers.

The national competition-to select Belizean artists-will be mounted at the Belize City House of Culture located at the Government House from May 12 to the May 16, 2008. To feed into the regional competition Belize's national competition is also open to children and adolescents between the ages of 8 to 18 years and will be judged in three categories based on the following guidelines:



� Entries submitted must reflect the artist's interpretation of the theme: One Caribbean, One Purpose, Our Life, Our Culture

� It must be an individual artwork done on paper, print, collage, card, fabric, batik, painting, textile or any two dimensional medium or media

� It must include colour

� It should NOT exceed 2ft x 3ft.

� Only one entry per person is allowed

� Each entry must have the following information: name, age, address, e-mail if any, and contact number(s) pasted in the lower left hand corner on the back

� It should be accompanied by a separate sheet of paper that bears the name of the artist, the name of the art work and a brief explanation

� The deadline for entries is May 9, 2008.



Only entries that meet the requirements will be accepted. Winners will be determined by a panel of judges/artists selected by NICH with representation from around the country. However, the general public is also invited to view the entries at the Belize City House of Culture during the week of May 11 to 17, 2008 and to vote for their favourite entry in each category. Prizes will be awarded in each of the categories and the top entries will be forwarded to the regional competition.



Entries must be submitted to the Belize City House of Culture, Government House, Regent Street, Belize City, no later than Friday May 9, 2008. All entries must be marked "CARIFESTA Regional Art Competition".



For more information please contact:



Gregory T.A. Vernon

Institute of Creative Arts (ICA),

Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts

Belize City, Belize

Ph: 227-2110/ 227-2458