The National
Independence Festival
of Creative Arts

The late Arden Clarke and his wife Jeanette Layne – Clarke, both fierce nationalists, creative writers and arts activists first conceptualised a national arts festival in the 70s, during the early dawn of Barbados’ nation-building period.

The island had just achieved Independence from Great Britain in 1966. It was an exciting and critical time for those involved in the arts and culture where there was great interest in mobilising the local creative community to explore national cultural identity. Later conversations and subsequent committees with devoted cultural workers and fellow creatives such as Jean Holder, Cynthia Wilson, Elombe Mottley, Nigel Harper, Virginia Seely, Arthur Atkinson, Janice Millington- and later others- stewarded by the father of Independence, the Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow, saw the emergence of the very first National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA) in November 1973. read more