Artists, stakeholders in creative arts benefit from marketing workshop
DPI, Guyana, Monday, July 8, 2019
“The work of artists, photographers, fashion designers, writers, painter, sculptors, adds to a nation’s heritage… We, as policymakers, are fully cognisant of the fact that your pieces form part of our identity as a country.”
Minister of Social Cohesion, with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. George Norton made this observation at the opening of a three-day workshop targeting the creative arts industry. The exercise is aimed at building capacity in market access for persons in this sector.
The workshop – Creatives Go Global National Training Session is an initiative under the Creative Industries Task Force (CITF) and is in collaboration with the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA). CITF is a collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Business’ Department of Tourism and the Department of Social Cohesion’s Department of Culture along with representatives in the private sector.
Minister Norton noted that the exercise is timely as scores of Guyanese artists and stakeholders in the creative arts are set to participate in the upcoming Carifesta XIV in Trinidad and Tobago. Artist and other stakeholders will have two weeks to showcase their talents and promote their products.
Minister Norton noted that too often, “even the best of our creative minds can fall short of adequate marketing of themselves and their products, so they don’t always reap sufficient benefits for their hard work.”
This, he emphasised, must be changed.
The Social Cohesion Minister expressed his satisfaction with the workshop as it will target critical areas such as gathering market intelligence, developing a marketing strategy, market entry options, financing and legal aspects. He reiterated the Coalition Government’s commitment to continue supporting the growth of the creative arts industry.
According to the Director of the Department of Foreign Trade, Dr. Dianna DaSilva-Glasgow, “it (CITF) was created as a mechanism to respond to the needs of the creative industry.” She disclosed that capacity building was one of the first aspects identified, and as such, conceptualised the workshop.
Workshop facilitator, Rabindra Jaggernauth explained that participants will be exposed to marketing strategies and legal ramifications.
“What is going to happen in the workshop is going start having discussions generally about the creative sector in Guyana then talking about preparedness for export, are you export ready and what do you to get to export-ready.”
Participants were encouraged to take full advantage of the opportunity. They were reminded that their ability to market their work is critical to the development of the creative arts industry.
Images: Jules Gibson