IN school, a teacher would ask a student to be creative in everything he/she does but in the adult world that creativity is often stifled or sidelined because of the rush to make things “practical” and “professional”.

The traditional jobs in the medical field, law and banking have always been the main attraction for persons who might even have a vested interest in singing, visual, craft and even graphic designing.

Most times people shun their creative talents because of societal influence but, in an effort to show Guyanese that art and culture are still alive, the Music, Art and Culture (MAC) Foundation will be hosting a MAC festival at the Pan African Gardens, Merriman’s Mall tomorrow.

Reviving the colour and creativity of the arts would not be easy but the Chairman of MAC, Sa-Ra believes that the festival would cultivate the talent which has been hidden or undermined for years.

“The primary aim is to shed light on Guyana’s creativity… as we see media is heavily concentrated on the promotion of outside entertainers and that is nothing wrong but there is no infrastructure for culture in Guyana,” he said.

Over the years, the attention has been shifting from the locals but he believes that there is a need for Guyanese to be rewarded through new infrastructure.

Persons have found financial stability through art in all forms but, for instance, singers would have a big single and would be forced to leave the country in order to develop their brand because of the lack of infrastructure to support artists.

“When they leave, they have no sense of interest in putting resources into Guyana. I am here to say that MAC has taken a stance on creating an entertainment industry based on the local talent,” said Sa-Ra adding that they have been doing it through their foundation and Outreach Services 365.

The foundation has even established subsidiaries which would fund their operations and give them the opportunity to do talent management, publishing and distributing music.
Fourteen artists including singers, craftsmen/women and visual artists are expected to participate in the upcoming festival but Sa-Ra said this is only the beginning of the process because they intend on creating a bridge between Guyana and Africa.

“We see that they bring Jamaican artistes but seldom focus on the local talent or even bring artistes who are connected to our ancestral heritage,” he said, adding that even the locals who spend time in Jamaica would develop the Jamaican patois and forget about the local culture.

Guyanese need to start building and investing in the local culture because the foreigners would not do it for the country.

“We need to take them seriously. We have the necessary resources to say we could put them in different production houses; MAC will aid in birthing the appreciation for Guyanese talent,” said the chairman.

The MAC foundation was established in 2015 and has since been working to ensure that there is a platform for artists to thrive.
Sa-Ra said most of the purest talent could be found in the “ghetto” but because of the financial structure, youth, in particular, do not get the opportunity to establish their creativity.

“They think their music ain’t good enough because of the lack of motivation they would resort to other things or as we say get a hustle,” he lamented, adding that the festival will be an avenue for them to grow and develop.

Former member of the First Born group, Lambi I, said he supported the foundation and their initiative. He said more festivals like that would be needed to push the local talent. Lambi I is scheduled to perform with his new band, Hard Stone at the festival TOMORROW.
Owner of God Art, Godlyn Lyte and other craftsmen/women will be showcasing their craft at the festival.