Bermuda is to become involved in international cultural events as it bids to tell its own people and the world about its heritage.

Next year, a plane load of performers and other participants will travel to St. Kitts to take part in Carifesta -- a Caribbean festival in which all countries from the region take part.

And Community and Cultural Affairs director Grace Rawlins told Hamilton Lions there could be more opportunities for Bermudians to take their culture across the world.

Bermuda is set to send musicians, artists, cooks and other representatives to take part in the popular Carifesta.

Each year a different nation hosts the gala, and Ms Rawlins said it was something that Bermuda should consider hosting.

"Countries like to be represented because it gives exposure and people from outside the region travel to it,'' she said.

"We have participated in the past and at the moment we are trying to decide who we are going to send.'' As well as events on the Island, Ms Rawlins said there is also a planned project with the famous Smithsonsian Institute in Washington D.C.

The department has its focus for the next century as "Renewing our Sense of Community'', and will look inward towards improving the public's understanding of Bermuda and its history.

"It is known that if you want to destroy a country, you can do it quite easily by destroying their culture,'' she said.

"That is why it is imperative that we know our culture which is also the factor that gives us our identity.'' Although there have been multiple programmes and projects detailing the Island's physical history, architecture and traditions, Ms Rawlins said the area that needed to be tackled most was Bermudian history, values and beliefs.

"The test is to get the history to as many people as possible without boring them,'' she said.

The director also called on the public to take part in courses run by the Community and Cultural Affairs Department.

Courses, currently run in several parishes, will soon come under the same structure with a central advisory council helping to determine what the community's needs are in night classes.

Culture club: Director of Community and Cultural Affairs Grace Rawlins spoke to the Hamilton Lions yesterday on increasing Bermuda's cultural profile overseas.