By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

SIGNIFICANT pushback still exists from parents who do not consider jobs in the creative industry to be legitimate careers, said Sonovia Pierre, senior cultural affairs officer at the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture.

She spoke to reporters yesterday during the ministry’s cultural career expo at Bahamas Harvest Church on JFK Drive. The event, running today and tomorrow, aims to introduce students from grades 7 to 12 to various creative professions. It features musicians, fashion designers, photographers, film writers, and dancers, along with a panel discussion by social media influencers and other creatives on entrepreneurship.

Anja Bowe, a cultural officer at the ministry, noted that invitations to the expo were sent to both public and private schools in New Providence. However, she observed that private schools have shown more interest in attending than public schools. She suggested that the holiday season and busy schedules may have contributed to the lower response from public schools.

However, acting education director Dominique McCartney-Russell later told The Tribune she would reach out to teachers at public schools to ensure they were informed about the expo and to address possible miscommunication. She said students interested in the arts or exploring creative careers would benefit greatly from the event.

Ms Pierre said the expo is vital to show students that they can build careers using their talents rather than only pursuing conventional jobs like accounting, teaching, or engineering. She highlighted that many parents still discourage their children from working in the creative industry.

“Having been in the classroom for 22 years, I always received and felt the pushback from parents,” she said.

She added that parents often ask their children, “Why are you doing this? You can’t make any money as a dancer. Why are you doing this? You can’t make any money as a photographer.”

Ms Pierre said the success of artists on television and in music demonstrates that a career in the creative industry is possible.