Are we the creative nexus for the Caribbean?

Creativity

The developing world is becoming vigilant of its tourism destination competitors. Countries are starting to develop incubators, policies and support framework to sculpt a creative city in their destination. They are developing a city that boasts of creativity in software, theater, art, music, fashion, craft, animation to name a few. Further amplifying this is the recognition of the need to support the institutions of creative industries by incentive and political initiatives that aid in the creatives’ advancement and development. Johannesburg in South Africa is one common example of a creative tourism destination. Artists are allotted discounted rental spaces and theater productions  are allowed to showcase on the national scene as well. Similarly, the small developing island state of Trinidad and Tobago is not far behind.

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Click the link below to see Creative South Africa (Video Credit: South Africa Tourism)

Trinidad and Tobago offers its individual aesthetic of cosmopolitan status and ingenuity to the world. There has been an upsurge in fashion events, graduate designers, local designer boutiques, art , craft markets and the bubbling of a passion for talent, skill and culture. It is a subconscious attempt by the people to generate our very own creative space and make a claim to stand out on that global creative domain. Several fraternities have added support for this creative revolution at the core of this nexus over the last decade in Trinidad and Tobago; Fashion Associations, Start Up competition events, Ted Ex Talks, business expos and forums like The Human Imagination at Work: Driving Competitiveness and Powering Innovation with  distinguished panels from all walks of creativity. The establishment of the Creative Industries Company and projects like ICT’s innovation in mas which fosters healthy competition in the local masquerade sector also boost creative awakening of the nations’ creative industries. Nedco is also an avenue for helping start ups make their ‘dreams come true’. Trinidad and Tobago even hosted a plethora of international delegates to the VIII Americas Competitiveness Forum.

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This is Creative Trinidad–> click the link below for the video ( Video Credit: Racked TT)

https://www.facebook.com/rackedtt/?sk=app_328004553917475

We are Crayons —> Click below for Video ( Video Credit: A Big Box of Crayons)

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Yet, Trinidad and Tobago has yet to see that this vision of marrying tourism with creative industries is more than a blissful happily ever after. More often than not this development will be propelled for advanced forward movement as a destination since the creative sector has little to zero correlation to sameness and commodification of a destination’s resources. This means Trinidad and Tobago can have a promising future as the premier Caribbean destination or as a nexus for the Caribbean on the global creative map. A destination’s creative product on the global map means that this destination will not only be ‘fresh’  it will be in high demand by new tourists who will soon quench their thirst for more that just sun, sea and sand!

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