BARBADIAN TONI THORNE has been chosen from among several other young people in the Caribbean by the CARICOM Secretariat to sit on the Interim Festival Directorate (IFD) for the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) as the representative of young regional artists.
Thorne, a cultural entrepreneur, performing artist and festival arts creator, has been elected by the regional body to represent the voice of young artistes and artisans when the festival is staged in 2015 and 2017.
The IFD is the regional advisory body to CARIFESTA with overall responsibility for planning, coordinating and managing the programming and logistical arrangements of the festival in collaboration with the host country. Barbados’ representative on this body is the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), which was charged with the task of nominating a candidate.
At age 27, Thorne has already achieved a collection of accomplishments such that today she is recognised as one of key players in the cultural and creative industries. She is a Barbados National Youth Awardee with degrees in economics and accounting and law; an avid debater, who has participated in international competitions; as well as the first person of African or Caribbean descent to sit on the Global Youth Leader’s Summit in Prague, Budapest and Vienna and as a Global Shaper. (PR/GE)
