School tour promotes patriotism

It could be said that the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Arts (CDCA) understood this when it decided to partner with the 2 Cents Movement for the fourth annual Courts Bocas Speak Out Secondary School Tour, as one of the ministry’s National Patriotism Month initiatives, said a media release.

“I am Trinbago” was conceptualised as the theme of the 2016 Courts Bocas Speak Out School Tour by the 2 Cents Movement (tour designers, co-ordinators and hosts) to stimulate youth’s imagination around ideas of national identity and nation building. The theme is interpreted and performed by a cast of up to seven poets, tasked with entertaining, enlightening and inspiring hundreds of young people for exactly one hour.

This year, the project will see its largest team of poets visiting up to 55 secondary schools across TT over September and October, with occasional guest appearances by cross-genre music group, Freetown Collective.

The Courts- sponsored tour also uses spoken word poetry to inspire youth to find their voice and build a culture of socially conscious expression in schools.

Providing a vehicle for collaboration among key stakeholders – state, private sector and civil society – spoken word poetry is tapping the energy of the nation’s youth.

On a visit to the tour’s Bishop Anstey High School showcase on September 16, Culture Minister, Dr Nyan Gadsby- Dolly emphasised, “this was one of the most impactful programmes I’ve seen.” Director of the 2 Cents Movement, Jean-Claude Cournand responded, “that the ministry is keen to partner and invest in this as part of its national development strategy says that they value the work we as young people are doing for youth. Together with Courts’ dedicated investment over the past four years, I see this as a major endorsement of civil society outreach.” One of the leading entities in the spoken word movement, the 2 Cents Movement is a social enterprise designing arts-based interventions for youth development work. Bocas Lit Fest is the senior administrative partner.