Ministry launches upgraded artist registry platform

ENGAGING students, artists and stakeholders in the creative industry, the Culture and Community Development Ministry hosted the launch of its upgraded Artist Registry of Trinidad and Tobago (ARTT) platform at Queen’s Hall, Port of Spain on September 19.

In addition to educational sessions about the ARTT platform, the event also saw representatives from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), Export Centres Company Ltd and the Foreign and Caricom Affairs Ministry educating participants about various aspects of the creative industry.

Technical examiner at the IPO Nicholas Gayahpersad emphasised the importance of intellectual property (IP) education among creatives and its role in protecting their creative work.

“In a lot of cases there’s a lack of education, people aren’t aware that they have rights when they create something, and at the IPO we continually engage in a lot of outreach activities.”

He noted the recent introduction of IP education in schools through the Education Ministry’s STEPS (Students Transitioning Effectively from Primary to Secondary School) programme.

“Since we’ve been doing all of these outreach activities, we have seen an increase in people becoming aware that when they create something they have rights they can exercise,” he said

Head of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) unit at the foreign affairs ministry, Joanne Brooks, was part of the ministry’s exhibit, which highlighted the CSME skills certificate that allows successful applicants to work in any CSME member state.

“It's the one thing that impacts our nationals so fundamentally,” she said.

“A lot of the time, we lose our talent to North America and Europe. But now we can keep the talent within the region and what I've found is that people will go for a job opportunity in Jamaica, for example, they’ll go for a few years and then return home.

“...The region wants to develop as a whole where no one is left behind. So once our talent is moving in a cycle and you're taking advantage of opportunities and filling skill gaps…it’s a great thing and we try to go out as much as possible and let everyone know about it.”

Graduates of the Education Ministry’s Trailblazers Youth Programme were also present at the event. The programme provided internships to youth ages 15 to 25 from at-risk and underserved communities across TT in partnership with government agencies and other organisations.

Students who did not want to be named told Newsday they enjoyed the programme and appreciated the opportunity to gain working experience and mentorship.

“I hope it's something they continue for the younger ones coming up and events like this too. It’s good for people like me who want to go into music to know what’s out there and how to go about making it in the industry,” one student said