Institute of Creative Arts Centres to be established

Georgetown, GINA, June 10, 2016

The government is working towards establishing creative arts centres to facilitate the preservation of traditional cultural practices. The plan to increase creative arts programmes, comes in wake of the announcement by the Ministry of Education that creative arts certificates will soon be accredited.

Advisor on Cultural Policy, Ruel Johnson, in an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), said that all the creative programmes under the Ministry will be housed in a central building in Georgetown. However, making the programmes available countrywide is also on the table.

“We are also looking at decentralization so even as we are looking at that central facility, the idea is to have community based art centres around the country,” Johnson explained.

According to Johnson, decentralization is the way to go since it would give everyone a fair chance to practice his or her culture. Decentralization provides for persons living in Berbice for example, to be able to do a programme that focuses on their particular area of interest.

In addition, the Ministry of Education will soon be collaborating with Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) to acquire available centres to teach creative arts. Before a centre is established, consultations will be held with members of the community.

Johnson noted that to produce high class, world quality, creative people, dancers, musicians and technical people, “it has to start in the community.”

Johnson notes that traditional cultural practices are gradually fading because of the lack of available resources. He hopes that with the provision of centres in communities, traditional practices can be revived.