Belize’s Young Creatives Are Having Their Moment This Week

Music, poetry, and performances filled Belize City’s Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts on Monday as Belize kicked off its Primary School Festival of Arts, putting the country’s youngest creatives front and centre.

The weeklong celebration opened with the Belize District showcase, featuring back-to-back performing arts segments and the launch of a national visual arts exhibit displaying 50 student pieces submitted from across the country.

The director of the Institute of Creative Arts, Kim Vasquez, said the festival is designed to be as inclusive as possible across all artistic disciplines. “We want to have participation in the performing arts, but also it’s very important that the visual arts is included.”

Monday also marked the release of a literary arts publication, only the second since the discipline was revived last year, after nearly thirty years of absence from the festival. The publication features short stories and poems from students nationwide and will be available for free download on the 501 Academy platform.

Performances continue at the Bliss today, with showcases also taking place in San Pedro and Caye Caulker.

For those who cannot attend the daytime events, Vasquez says something bigger is coming. “We’re bringing back the Golden Nights this year. You can look forward to an evening showcase where all of the items that placed gold, the best of the best, will be coming to a Golden Night in your city or in your town.”

Golden Nights are expected to begin as early as next week, Vasquez said.