By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
Guyana and Colombia are strengthening cultural relations through the upcoming Ethnic Roots Festival 2025, spearheaded by Colombian playwright and actress Marilyn Biscaino Miller. The festival seeks to promote theatre, creative arts, and the cultural legacy of Raizal women from the Colombian province of San Andrés.
A Platform for Cultural Exchange
The Ethnic Roots Festival 2025 aims to recognize and celebrate the artistic expressions rooted in Afro-Caribbean heritage, while fostering cultural exchange between Guyana and Colombia.
It will feature a diverse program of workshops, films, and theatrical performances, all centered on preserving ancestral traditions and empowering women through the arts.
The initiative also opens doors for collaboration between artists, academics, and cultural institutions from both nations, particularly in theatre and performing arts.
Ambassador Livingston: “A Shared Heritage of Collaboration and Creativity”
In his address, Ambassador of Colombia to Guyana and CARICOM, Graybern Livingston, highlighted the significance of the event in promoting unity through culture.
“Together, we are laying the foundations that will inspire collaboration, creativity, and inclusion between our two countries for years to come. I invite you to open your hearts to dialogue, cooperation, and the beauty of our shared heritage,”
— Amb. Graybern Livingston
University of Guyana: Academic Growth Through the Arts
Bonita Hunter, representing the Faculty of Education and Humanities at the University of Guyana, described the event as a valuable opportunity for students interested in theatre and creative arts.
“Since we have shared cultural history, this unique event aims to showcase cultural exchange, deepen our historical understanding, and strengthen regional ties,” she said.
Hunter further noted that the festival aligns with the university’s plan to establish four Centres of Excellence that will promote research, academic transformation, and analysis of both historical and modern cultures.
“These centres will support this transformation and encourage constructive and applied disciplinary research, theoretical and non-theoretical analysis of historical and modern cultures,” Hunter added.
Marilyn Biscaino Miller: “Honouring the Raizal Women”
Through an interpreter, Marilyn Biscaino Miller explained that the festival will highlight the identity and resilience of the Raizal people, an Afro-Caribbean community native to San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina.
“Our objective is to host the Ethnic Roots 2025 Festival to honour our ancestral culture. This will highlight the history and culture of the Raizal women in the province of San Andrés,” she stated.
The Raizal People: A Living Cultural Heritage
The Raizals are a Creole-speaking, Protestant Afro-Caribbean people inhabiting Colombia’s San Andrés archipelago.
They make up more than half of the population on the island of San Andrés and have long fought for recognition of their language, traditions, and cultural autonomy.
Their unique San Andrés Creole language traces back to African dialects brought by enslaved people during the English colonial era.
Guyana’s Theatrical Heritage
Adding a local perspective, Guyanese playwright and actress Mosa Telford reflected on the evolution of Guyana’s creative industry — from colonial-era theatre to modern, indigenous storytelling.
“The early theatrical performances were primarily for the colonial elite, focusing on European dramas and comedies. But as Guyana moved towards self-identity in the 20th century, new theatrical genres began to emerge.
Local playwrights and performers started crafting stories that reflected Guyanese struggles and political aspirations,” Telford noted.
