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Minister of Education and Human Resource Development, Ronald Jones, in discussion with artist Ashley Bend about her work, Sorceresses Circle. (A. Miller/BGIS)

The future of art in Barbados is in safe hands.

This from Education Minister, Ronald Jones, after viewing the work of sixth form visual art students yesterday at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination (EBCCI) at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.?? The inaugural visual arts exhibition (???Juvenescence’) features the work of students of Combermere, Queen’s College and The Lodge School.??

In his address at the launch of the exhibition, Mr. Jones complimented the artists and the teachers responsible for the showcase, which will remain mounted until May 11.

"This display is part of the maturity of the expression of our students and the teachers at our schools… I would hope that as the creative arts grow in our schools, that we would see more and more of our young people finding rest in their art, in their musical talent, in their ability to sing, or as a spoken word artist… I also want to encourage those persons who guide the artists…

"I want teachers to tap into the creative juices of our young people because this is an expression… I would suggest that per capita… Barbados has more talent in it than any other country. And, I say that, because I see it every day among young people in the multiplicity of talents and the expression of those talents.?? We have to harness it for their purposes and for the nation’s development," the Education Minister stressed.

In her remarks, Curator of the EBCCI, Althea Wood, expressed the hope that the exhibition would become an annual event, since it now filled a void.??

"There was no forum for the sixth formers to really showcase their creativity and their innovation.???? We would hear abstract terms like Grade 1 and Grade 2 but we would never experience their art.?? This exhibition is an attempt to let you experience a bit of their art.?? It is my hope that this exhibition would serve as a catalyst for change in the creative thinking of the policy makers and programme coordinators and will usher in a new dimension in the creative and applied arts in Barbados," she emphasised.??

The Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination??Art and Design syllabus is a comprehensive programme that focuses on two and three dimensional media and seeks to develop creative practices, artistic knowledge, critical thinking and problem solving skills.

lisa.bayley@barbados.gov.bb

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