EXCITING NEW INNOVATIONS are on the bill for this year's 21st Fine Craft Festival taking place on December 6.

Christina Skeete, marketing officer for the Barbados Museum & Historical Society, host of the annual event, explained some of these included shuttle services to neighbouring hotels, additional participants who will be offering their handmade ware, extended food courts and fun zone for children.

Speaking to a small gathering at a recently held media advisory for the event, she expressed enthusiasm for the growing interest shown by both patrons and participants.

"We've had a really high demand from crafts people who wanted to take part and we've actually had to put them on a waiting list because of the limited space," she said.

Sixty-five exhibitors, up from 62 last year and the largest number to date, will showcase their functional artistic products on the grounds of the Barbados Museum at the Garrison.

"Some of the new participants will be showing new ways of interpreting Barbadian and Caribbean culture", using materials such as silk and handmade paper from banana leaves and bagasse, Skeete explained.

These, she stated, added significantly to the already comprehensive range of items that will be on sale, such as jewellery, textiles, wooden scultptures and paintings.

Skeete confirmed partnership with eight hotels on the South Coast of the island, including Blue Horizon, Coral Mist and Hilton Barbados. While they traditionally sent press releases and flyers to these hotels, this year the museum will be organising shuttle services to and from the hotels with the aim of attracting overseas visitors to the family oriented fair.

Sharon Thomas, business development officer with the Small Business Development Centre of the Barbados Investment & Development Corporation (BIDC), briefly addressed the artisans present on techniques for business plans, marketing strategies and product development.

This year's sponsors include the Barbados Manufacturers' Association and the Bajan Fuh Real Campaign, Barbados Shipping & Trading, Caribbean Broadcasting Corportaion, SMJ Beverages, Pine Hill Dairy, The Nation Publishing Co. Ltd, Starcom Network, Cot Caribbean Graphics, The Advocate Publishers Inc., Print Source, and M.W Consulting Inc. (MS)