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| Rahmat Jean-Pierre receives his certificate from Minister of Education Ronald Jones. (C. Pitt/BGIS) |
The Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination (EBCCI) has been praised for its efforts in helping people in Barbados express themselves creatively.
Minister of Education and Human Resource Development, Ronald Jones, gave kudos to the EBCCI as he delivered the keynote address at the graduation ceremony of the Motion Picture Arts Certificate, last Friday evening at the Walcott Warner Theatre.
"I commend the department of Creative Imagination for this pioneering initiative.?? You have the motion picture arts programme launched and you are working on the development with generally young people in mind, young people who are looking for an opportunity for self-expression and for a new avenue of employment."
The Education Minister stated that programmes like the Motion Picture Arts Certificate give young people the opportunity to not only express themselves, but to help them to "dig deep into their imagination to share your views with the world".
"You can use motion picture arts to change the world and change it for the better… we need to examine whatever we do as creative beings and as creative thinkers… individuals can change society, groups?? can change society.
"Whether it is drama, writing, filmmaking, whatever falls into the creative industries ambit is first a reflection of self to the world.?? You want to share your thoughts, your ideas, your concerns, your views with the world; you want to create an audience beyond yourself, saying to the wider world this is where I am, this is what I stand for," he opined.
Minister Jones congratulated the 16 graduates for their work with the programme, adding that it taught them to be hardworking, dedicated, committed, focussed, and to work as a team.
During the course of the programme the students got the opportunity to produce several short films. They also worked with overseas film crews to produce programmes like "Sweet Bottom" and "Bajan Blue".