Directors of Rupununi Music Festival invite investors to fund ‘iconic’ Festival Village

Rupununi Music and Arts Festival, an event that is initially held for three days is now moving to be a year round event with the development of a Rupununi Music and Arts (RM&A) Festival village in Region Nine.

On Tuesday evening, a fundraising campaign was launched at the British High Commissioner’s residence to offset the development of the RM&A Festival Village.

Director of the Rupununi Music Festival Bob Rhamdhanie

“The idea tonight was about launching a campaign to raise funding for a festival village in Coverage City, just outside Lethem, starting a five year development programme,” Director of the festival Bob Ramdhanie told News Update.

Ramdhanie explained that the organisers are looking for support from the Government, private sector and other potential sponsors to fund different aspects of the five year long project.

The RM&A Festival Village will be developed in stages and will be an eco-friendly destination that will feature a museum, band stands, food courts and other attractions.

With this development, training and employment opportunities will be made available for the indigenous peoples in this area.

“For example in year one, which is next year we might build a bit of the stage, some accommodation, a bit of the museum and every year build and grow the site, use as much as natural materials,” Bob explained.

Although the project will take some time to become a reality, Ramdhanie stated that it will be an environment where persons in the art and music industry can grow and develop their talents to international standards.

At the fund raising activity on Tuesday evening, paintings made by local Rupununi artists were auctioned at varying prices to persons at the event.

Some of the art that were auctioned at the fund raising campaign.

The Rupununi Festival is the first music festival in Guyana and was birthed in 2014 at Rock View Lodge on February 14 by a group of volunteers including Mr. Bob.

The Festival was officially launched by Prime Minister Sam Hinds and President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who was the acting Minister of Tourism at that time.

President Ali at the music festival in 2014.

It was a memorable weekend with over 3,000 attendees. Eight years later, with the support of the Government, Private Sector, a committed group of volunteers and enormous investments of social and human capital, the Festival continues to drive innovation within the cultural sector.

The actual Rupununi Music and Arts Festival has been postponed this year due to unforeseen circumstances and will be held in February of next year.