Entertainment Intercol is on

ASTEN Isaac is calling on all secondary students to mobilise their talent to take part in the Entertainment Intercol, the final of which comes off on Sunday July 7.

The young soca artiste made the all at the launch of the competition held yesterday at the VIP Lounge at the Queen’s Park Savannah.

The competition, the brainchild of Isaac, started off as an idea some four years ago. He said at the launch: “It is a programme for all 'creatives' and also for all students who may have an interest in marketing or in management as a fundamental criteria through a talent participation. They must register with a student pair in their class who will then be designated and then trained as both a manager and a marketing officer.”

He added: “We look forward to the participation of students as we seek to engage them and give them that opportunity to have that full creative expression in a effort to utilise the entertainment and creative industry sector as a sustainable and viable career path.”

Competitors can register in any of the five categories - individual vocalist, individual musician, groups (less than ten eg. duets, quartets, drama groups, rhythm sections etc.), groups larger than ten but not more than 35(choirs, cheerleaders, pan assembles etc) or novelty acts (dancers, Djs, comedians, magicians, spoken word, poets etc.).

Preliminary registration started yesterday and will continue to March 1.

Live national auditions will then take place in the north on March 16, and in the south on March 17, when competitors will each be judged on their minute-long performance.

At the semi-final that will be held Saturday May 11, participants will have two minutes to convince judges to place them in the grand final on Sunday July 7 when they will have three minutes to do their thing.

Isaac said they expect to get some 3,000 plus participants. “What we are attempting to do here is build a support system around the creative.”

There are $1.2 million in prizes to be won, including prizes for individual winners (first, second and third place) in each category and the overall winner who will additionally get a brand new 24-seater maxi-taxi for their school.

Josephine Torrel-Brown, curriculum officer, visual and performing arts, Ministry of Education (MoE), expressed her excitement over the competition. She said: “The opportunities we didn’t have when we were younger, now our children have it. The MoE is very much aware of the benefits of the arts, so much so that on the core curriculum, the visual and performing arts is one of the most important subjects on the curriculum, not that all aren’t important, but it’s because of the values that are attached to the arts and it is because the visual and performing arts appeal to all three domains.” She explained: “The cognitive domain in terms of thought processes, the psycho-motive domain, trying to get our children to move and do things hands-on and practical, as well as the affective domain, one that is rare and lacking in some of the subjects. But you have to appeal to their emotional intelligence that is just as important as their intellectual intelligence in helping them to succeed. The visual and performing arts allow students to appreciate all and develop in all areas.”