EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE current administration is to be congratulated for its decision to create a National School for the Creative and Performing Arts. While it may be 50 years late, the school is a critical element for the development of cultural expression by the Bahamian community. The declaration of Independence in 1973 was not just an important public ceremony, it was the launch of a new nation, one to be defined more than anything else by a commitment to a shared identity. That identity demands a diet of cultural sharing. In recognition of this, early administrations created or recognised National cultural groups (Dance School and Company, Youth and Children’s Choirs, Youth Orchestra) but not the support needed to develop them.

If the objective is to produce a refined cultural product, one worthy of the rich culture Bahamians are proud of, the analogy of a farm seems appropriate. To create a farm, one would first set aside the land on which to plant the crop (facilities for introduction and training), then find specialists who are experts in the raising of the particular crop (directors), farmhands who know the soil conditions, the weather and the conditions for caring for the crop (artists) those who are expert at selling the crop (theaters, night-clubs, art galleries, festival markets, arenas etc).

As you can see, the school begins the process seriously, and I therefore wish it every success. The effect of the result on the self-esteem and identity of Bahamians will be enormous, and I have no doubt will affect the behavior of young Bahamians more than all the police threats we currently hear. It will hopefully replenish the starved stages in the communities with a higher quality of presentation, raising the level of pride and contributing to a stronger Bahamian identity.

There is, however, another reason I believe the school is good news for the country, and that is its potential effect on the economy. Tourists spend their money trying to discover the story of the place and people they visit. That story is told in verses and paragraphs offered in the experiences of the physical place, the history, the beliefs and the lifestyle peculiar to the people of that place. To be of economic value, hose verses and paragraphs are usually businesses that offer those experiences to visitors at a price, and are called attractions. A restaurant that offers local food is a culinary attraction. A museum is an historical attraction, and so forth. These businesses are the real source of wealth in a tourist destination, and their quality and quantity determine the economic success of the destination. At the moment most Bahamian destinations are badly in need of attractions. The training of painters, sculptors, musicians’ singers, producers, sound and lighting technicians etc) could only raise the level of presentation, and therefore the ability to compete in a crowded market. A focus on the development of attractions is the key to getting benefit from the record numbers advertised. Again, the school is an important element in that supply chain.

The School for the Creative and Performing Arts is among the most exciting cultural and economic news of the past several decades. I look forward to the serious build-out of the rest of our cultural infrastructure.

PAT RAHMING

Nassau,

April 15, 2025.