Yard campus courses extends to region

THE Caribbean Yard Campus’ (CYC) Dry Season 2020 programme will be offered exclusively online, in light of the covid19 pandemic. CYC co-ordinator Rawle Gibbons said this has given the campus the opportunity to offer the programme to participants regionally and internationally.

CYC is offering four courses beginning between September 21 and 24 and ending between December 8-12, each lasting approximately 12 weeks and costing $1,200 each. The four courses are: Earth to Sky – mas design construction and performance; Nou Ka Pale Patwa – Trinidad patois/kweyol for beginners; Philosophising the Caribbean – explorations in being, thought and action; and, Sweet Broom and Bitter Bush – the science of traditional medicine.

Gibbons told Newsday Earth to Sky, the mas design construction and performance course, would pose some challenges as normally it was a hands-on course but the institute would either be filming the demonstrations or do them live on Zoom with the assistance of Studio 66, as students will be able to interact more directly in this way. He said the theory aspect of the course would be straightforward. It will be facilitated by veteran mas-man Jerry Valentine and veteran visual artist Makemba Kunle.

Nou Ka Pale Patwa, to be facililtated by Nnamdi Hodge, will be conducted primarily on Zoom. The class would be three hours long but had been reduced to two hours as both students and facilitators would be able to internalise the language and not get fatigued.

Gibbons said he was very excited about the new course Philosophising the Caribbean, to be facilitated by philosopher and writer Burton Sankeralli and philosopher Thomas Isaac. He said the course will talk about the Caribbean being and the ideas that created the Caribbean.

“It will explore the worldviews of the people who lived here, who came here and we were brought here. In the first module, we’re having people from communities talk to us about their world views, both historically and where they are now.

"In the second module we’ll move through space and time and look at forms that were created here, seeing philosophy as action, and how it’s expressed in the way we live here, through calypso, Ramleela, etc, – what shaped them and what they speak to.

"In the third module, the students will create and present projects where they present material that allows them to speak rationally, logically, and show their understanding in a way. They will be presenting research and reflections on a particular category of philosophical discourse. The course will lead into Philosophy 2, which looks at movements that came out of the Caribbean, their thinkers and leaders.”

The course Sweet Broom and Bitter Brush has been changed due to the covid19 virus and has galvanised the Caribbean Yard Campus into becoming truly Caribbean. It will be facilitated by Alain Thierry and Cristo Adonis of the Arima First Peoples.

“We have connections in Haiti, Belize, Jamaica, Suriname, Barbados, and St Lucia, and we’re taking an approach that will allow trips to happen in the regional yards and people from all over will be talking to the participants. We’re taking the opportunity to expand what we’re doing into the region. If things allow and the classes are small, they might be able to get together. The thrust is to optimise this programme and the others in the region. It’s an exciting proposition for students. Technology has brought us closer to our dream.”

Gibbons said running the programme online is a new area as the courses usually involve practical work but with the covid19 restrictions in the place the students can’t meet. He said, however, the courses remain rooted in forms of action. A major new development is that people from outside the region are applying to do the courses, now that it was being offered virtually and this could be a significant opportunity for the campus, he said.

For more info: http://www.caribbeanyardcampus.org, Facebook at Caribbean Yard Campus E-Secretary or e-mail thelloydbestinstitute@gmail.com