The focus on Cultural industries provides another opportunity for job creation and therefore reduction of unemployment among the youth population. So many of our young people demonstrate tremendous raw talent in the area and it behoves us to increase the scope and level of training for professional expression and technical know-how. This is quite important as we seek to strengthen the foundation of our cultural industries, especially the music industry, so ably laid by industry persona.

In the area of culture and the arts: a solid foundation as been laid by the exponents of the various art forms. We salute the culture enterprise of this nation. Our task is to secure the future of cultural industries through the important work of the agencies to be found across government ministries. For example, we will promote intellectual property in our schools and institutions. We will also strengthen the capacity of our institutions to engage in the marketing and promotion of our cultural products, so that such outstanding companies such as Kingston Drummers, Tivoli Gardens Dance Group, Clonmel Folk Group and CARIFOLK Singers may be able to take greater advantage of the opportunities internationally for advancement.

This leads me to say a bit about the foundation laid over the past 42 years by the JCDC. We look forward to the National Festival of the Arts, which provides our children and young people with opportunities for cultural expression, self-confidence building and achievement. We also are able to offer our people, especially young people, opportunities to embrace the folk culture and thereby to recognize the culture bearers in our communities.

This year we will be seeking wider opportunities for the JCDC’s products to be marketed internationally. We celebrate the talented Jamaican children and young people who year after year, with their teachers and coaches, enhance the stages of Jamaica. In this regard, we will promote greater synergy between JCDC, Edna Manley College, JBDC, and JAMPRO. I would like to recognize our reigning Festival Queen for her achievement, especially in Atlanta, Georgia, where she made history as the first Caribbean national to address that State’s Legislature.

Our culture defines us even as we define our culture. Government’s role is not to create culture but to facilitate the creation of culture by our people by providing and facilitating the platform for cultural action. Our culture has been our solid foundation. The mission must be to engage it in order to secure a better brighter future for our children. Our culture gives us hope and optimism. It engenders pride and resilience.