Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 10, 2013 (SKNIS): Under the theme: “Culture Moving Forward” various artists will attend a workshop aimed at promoting the importance and value of the Creative and Cultural Industries from May 21 to 24 at the Ocean Terrace Inn.
A collaborative effort between the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Implementation Unit and the Department of Culture, the workshop is sponsored by the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Programme Technical Cooperation Facility.
Documentation Specialist at the Department of Culture Marlene Phillips revealed that the workshop takes place in four sessions. These have to specifically do with the performing arts including musicians, dancers and bands; visual arts such as photography, videography, fine arts and graphics; literary arts including published authors, poets and writers and culinary arts such as agro-processors, as well as creators of products such as wines, teas and the like. Daily sessions will include presentations by representatives from the EPA Implementation Unit, the Department of Culture, the Intellectual Property Office, the Ministry of Trade and the National Entrepreneurship Development Division (NEDD).
Coordinator of the EPA Implementation Unit. Shelley Ross-Chaderton revealed that the desired outcome of the workshop is to inform and shape policy development in the sector and form the basis for joint collaboration with regional and European partners in culture and creative industries. The target age group is 18 to 30.
Participants will be encouraged to register with the St. Kitts and Nevis Creative Industry Registry (SKNCIR) which will be a searchable database of artists. Ms. Phillips revealed that this will give individuals seeking entertainment for particular events to make contact with potential performers and artists. SKNCIR will also facilitate engagement of performers and artist in the region via OECS Free Movement and Caricom Single Market and Economy. Ms. Phillips noted that this would also encourage local performers and artists to reach for the regionally accepted level of competency qualification.
The market for such registered performers and artists would extend further than the region, considering that Ms. Ross-Chaderton noted that the European Union (EU) is keen to establish an EU-CAIFORUM Platform for culture and creative industries to promote business cooperation and cultural exchanges between the relevant EU and CARIFORUM stakeholders. As such, the formation of groups and an Arts Alliance to work on finding cooperation partners and potential business opportunities are among the collective goals of the EPA Unit, the Department of Culture and the culture and creative industries.