Taking place in various artistic spaces in and around Bridgetown, the Barbados National Independence Festival for the Creative Arts (NIFCA) is staged throughout November – known as Independence month. You can’t fail to notice the Independence theme as Parliament and other central Bridgetown buildings are lit up at night in blue and gold, and many roundabouts on the highway are also creatively illuminated in Barbados colours.

In NIFCA, groups and individuals compete according to age groups for gold, silver and bronze medals for their artistic endeavours in various categories. These span the performing arts (music, dance and drama) through to the fine arts, literary arts, photography and even culinary arts. The finals take place as close to Independence Day as possible.

The performing arts tend to be dominated by faith groups, which inevitably limits the range of subject matter and mode of delivery. Performances are usually short and vary in quality, with some highly proficient and creative, whereas others are more reminiscent of an end-of-year school show – which is hardly surprising since the festival is open to both professionals and amateurs, both young and old. Still, a cultural experience of sorts is guaranteed.

Practical Info

The programme of events and information on purchasing tickets can be found on the National Cultural Foundation’s NIFCA webpage