By Rabindra Rooplall
GOVERNMENT has plans to construct an Institute of Creative Arts Building which will be branded “Arthur James Seymour Creative Arts Centre” in honour of A.J. Seymour, who was the pioneer of the arts policy development in Guyana and the Caribbean.This was disclosed during the final day of the national consultation on a cultural policy which was a three-day event hosted at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, Liliendaal, Saturday last.
At the event, Ruel Johnson, Adviser on Cultural Policy within the Ministry of Education’s Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, said the design was inspired by Mount Roraima and a grant has been secured to construct the facility after stakeholder consultations.

US$2M BILATERAL FUNDING
On his visit to Mexico, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo secured commitment to the bilateral funding of an Institute of Creative ARTS (ICA) building to the tune of US$2 million.
Johnson explained that in 2012, the then Education Ministry established an initiative referred to as the Institute of Creative Arts. The original ICA was actually established in the mid-1970s with programmes in dance, music, visual arts and creative writing and was originally housed in the building currently known as the Burrowes School of Art.
The current incarnation of the ICA is still very much in its developmental stage, the Cultural Policy Adviser said, and the plan basically brought together the pre-existing Burrowes School of Art and the National School of Dance with the newly-revived theatrical arts and music programmes under the National Drama School and National School of Music respectively.

CREATIVE WRITING
Unlike the original ICA, Johnson noted that there remains an absence of creative writing programmes.
At the 2015 convocation ceremony of the ICA, Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine committed to both expansion of the institute’s programme and movement towards certification as well as housing the programme in one central location.

DESIGN CONCEPT
In explaining the design concept of the creative arts building, he said the primary inspiration for the building’s design is the legendary tepuy mountain, Roraima, which forms the tripartite border for Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil. The symbolism is that “our heritage and identity can be both national and regional in nature and the creative arts, while rooted in particular societies, can transcend national borders.”
He said the architectural theme is a fusion of and homage to the mythical, the organic, the artistic and the abstract: Landscape, identity, legend and creative energy.
The shape also represents a grand piano, he said, and this is a powerful symbol of creative achievement across the world, while an arrowhead motif is central to Guyanese culture, since it represents a core tool of our indigenous peoples, both in terms of supporting sustenance as well as defence.
Emphasising that the ground floor will be designed to resemble a human heart, Johnson further noted that the clear symbolism is the link between creative hearts and the human capacity to feel and to love while being the most critical organ to sustain life. “The AJ Seymour Creative Arts Centre will therefore function as the critical organ in that regard.”