New competition echoes voice of young people

Months after the curtains closed on CARIFESTA XV, the region’s flagship cultural festival is still making waves. This time the spotlight is honing is on the voices, stories and creative expressions of Caribbean youth.

The Division of Culture in the Prime Minister’s Office has officially launched Echoes of Us – Our Voice. Our Vibe., the CARIFESTA XV Creative Youth Legacy Competition, a regional initiative designed to ensure the impact of the festival extends far beyond its final performance.

More than a creative contest, the programme transforms CARIFESTA XV from a moment into a movement — one authored by young people themselves.

Registration for Echoes of Us – Our Voice. Our Vibe. opened yesterday, with submissions closing on Friday, February 27.

The winners will be announced in March. Young people are invited to submit original creative works in one of three categories: Literary Exposition – essays, poetry or short stories; Songwriting Composition – original songs inspired by Caribbean culture, and CARIFESTA XV Multimedia Exposition – short films, animation, photography portfolios or digital artwork. Eligibility reflects the programme’s dual focus on festival legacy and regional inclusion: The Literary and Songwriting categories are open to secondary school students who participated in the CARIFESTA XV Youth Jamboree in Barbados.

Investment

The Multimedia category is open to youth under 21 across CARICOM Member States and Associate Members. All submissions must be original, human-created works. Investing in Youth, Culture and the Creative Economy with prizes ranging from USD$5 000 to USD$25 000, the competition also represents a concrete investment in the region’s emerging creative economy.

Winners will receive not only cash awards, but professional development opportunities, including studio recording for the winning song and regional showcasing of multimedia works.

Selected entries will be preserved in the CARIFESTA Youth Legacy Anthology and the Digital CARIFESTA Legacy Archive. Cultural officials say this approach reflects a broader shift in how Caribbean festivals are leveraged — not just as celebrations, but as platforms for youth development, skills-building and regional storytelling.

At the close of CARIFESTA XV in August 2025, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley underscored the importance of youth in shaping the region’s cultural future.

“ CARIFESTA is not just a celebration of where we have been, it is a declaration of where we are going,” the Prime Minister said in her closing address. “If we are serious about safeguarding Caribbean identity, then our young people must be trusted not only to inherit culture, but to define it.” That vision now takes tangible form through Echoes of Us – Our Voice. Our Vibe., which invites young creatives to reflect on their CARIFESTA

experiences — and their wider Caribbean identity — through writing, music and multimedia storytelling.

Turning Cultural Energy into Lasting Legacy

Developed as part of the official CARIFESTA XV Legacy Programme, the competition builds on the cultural momentum generated by the Youth Jamboree and festival activities in Barbados, channeling that energy into lasting creative works that will form part of a permanent regional archive.

Kim C Butcher, Programme Coordinator for the CARIFESTA XV Creative Youth Legacy Competition, said the initiative was intentionally designed to shift how festivals are measured.

“Too often, we talk about festivals in terms of attendance numbers and closing ceremonies,” Butcher explained. “This competition asks a different question: What happens after the tents come down?

“Echoes of Us is about cultural continuity. It tells young people that their memories, their perspectives, and their creativity are not side notes – they are primary historical records of who we are as a region.”

According to Butcher, the competition places value on authenticity over polish, ensuring access for students regardless of resources. “This is not about who has the most expensive equipment or studio access,” she added. “It’s about voice. It’s about truth. And it’s about trusting young people to carry the Caribbean story forward in their own way.”

As Prime Minister Mottley noted in her CARIFESTA XV closing remarks: “Our culture is our renewable resource. When young people are empowered to create, document and innovate, they are not only preserving heritage they are building futures.”

From poetry to pixels, from rhythm to reflection, Echoes of Us – Our Voice. Our Vibe., invites young people to claim their place in the Caribbean’s cultural record.

As the festival echoes forward, the next chapter is being written not by institutions alone, but by the young voices who experienced CARIFESTA XV and are ready to define what it means. (BGIS)

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