THE National Trust of Guyana and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport yesterday officially opened the 1763 Information Centre at the 1763 Monument Complex on Vlissengen Road in Georgetown.

This comes on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Berbice Slave Rebellion, which was the first major rebellion to take place in Guyana.
Making the feature address at the opening ceremony, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, said the Information Centre provides an additional learning experience, as the main objective is to have important bits of information regarding the activities of 1763 available to the public.
“…and today, when we open this centre, you’ll be able to see some artifacts dating to 1763, you’ll be able to see some books and reference material from the 1763 Rebellion; and there are, of course, a number of plaques that we did, giving people a better understanding of what happened in 1763,” he declared.
Dr. Anthony indicated that while a lot has been written about this very important period in Guyana’s history, a lot more still has to be written.
He related that while the Cuffy Monument is the first thing that comes to mind when most children are asked about 1763, this period is not just about that monument, as there are many things that happened during that period.
“…and therefore we move to understand what happened, what were the consequences, what was the impact of 1763,” he said.
According to him, the Government of Guyana embarked on the site development plan for this complex over a year ago, and this Information Centre is one such aspect of that development process.
Dr. Anthony said he is very pleased to declare the Information Centre officially open as part of the commemoration of a very significant event in the history of Guyana.
He congratulated the National Trust of Guyana and the Department of Culture for the work they had done to make the centre come to fruition.
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Trust of Guyana, Ms. Nirvana Persaud, also spoke at the opening ceremony. She said the Information Centre is especially important because it gives recognition to Guyana’s history, the impact it has on the present, and the guidance it can provide for the future.
She indicated that the opening of this much-need Information Centre coincided with both the 250th anniversary of the Berbice Slave Rebellion and the celebration of Guyana’s 43rd Republic Anniversary.
Ms. Persaud added that the aim of the centre is to provide the community and populace with easy access to more information about various aspects of Guyana’s rich and diverse heritage.
“We hope that this centre will aid in generational information gaps among our people, and will help to foster a renewed and general appreciation for heritage, its preservation, its promotion; and reawaken pride and patriotism in us,” she stated.
She also said the vision of the centre is that heritage will be valued and preserved, history recorded, and access to relevant heritage information enhanced.
According to her, the facility will be managed under the stewardship of the Museum of African Heritage, and will serve as a visitor and research centre. This includes information on the 1763 Monument; its significance; and general data on African enslavement in Guyana, with illustrative exhibits, in an effort to increase awareness and appreciation among the populace.
She expressed appreciation to all those persons who contributed to realization of the Information Centre, including staff members of the National Trust of Guyana; colleagues from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; and public-spirited citizens.