Time has dawned for Ministry to promote visual arts

THE EDITOR: The Open School for the Arts, a division of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism began its course for communities in Trinidad and Tobago in May 2002. Participants applied through media ads and this continued last year with a launch in May 2003, at the Brian Lara Promenade, Port-of-Spain. Offering tuition in the visual and applied arts, song writing, dance, drama, pan sinking, welding, and event management. Continued success will be determined by our attitude. That would determine our destination, and we need this attitude to make the right choice in our life. There is need for improvement only if we’re humble enough to make our constructive self analysis, assessment of ourselves in order to improve and appreciate the value to our mission, so we can impact and motivate others towards excellence.

This course, in the performing arts can be more pro-active, productive and eventually self sustainable, financially and most importantly, the development for enhancing our brother, sisters and environment globally. Surely we appreciate the contributions of original work performed so admirably by guests artistes at preceding graduations of 2002 and 2003 for the Open School of the Arts. I believe in communication, not just speculation. It would be more beneficial to have the course work, original creation, either collaborated or performed by graduates, who look forward displaying their goods and services. So that the public, the ministry and fellow artistes can evaluate and make their assessment in order to appreciate, respect and improve our art.

Solely, the visual arts which were displayed at the entrance of the Convention Centre for 2003 Graduation went unnoticed by many as it was away from the centre of interest, the graduation event and stage performance. It is not all about certificates of participation, but participating towards achieving excellence. I know, for I took the time to communicate with my students whose compositions to date were not performed nor heard by either the majority of those in the ministry or the public. It is my duty, as a responsible tutor and song writer, to collaborate, hoping that the Open School for the Arts is not “fly by day or night”, for those whose only interest may be their personal contract and agenda to earn a salary.

Recognising that, it’s time for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to promote these aspiring artistes. Engaging corporate sponsors, providing a publishing company, recording studio, CD  and record plant of quality, so that selective works can be enhanced, produced, recorded, marketed, documented, preserved, sold locally. Regionally and internationally as residuals derived from royalties are shared among all stakeholders of investments both mechanical rights, broadcast rights, syncronisation (adaptation of visual, DVD, video, tv, cinema, cable etc.

ROGER BOOTHMAN
Cascade