7 News Belize

Bringing The Panama Plan to Crafts
posted (March 4, 2019)
Today, NICH and the Panamanian Embassy in Belize signed an agreement to Enhance Theatre and Crafts in Belize. It will see two experts in crafts come to Belize to work with local artisans. Greg Vernon of ICA told us more:

Greg Vernon Director - ICA
"We are now reaching out with 2 masters in their field: Norma Dixon and her husband Mr. Dixon, who are master. In Panama when you registered, they are registered as maestro and so these are 2 maestros coming into Belize for training our students, our teachers and our artisans in developing the craft industry."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"How do we create a market for persons trained by masters?"

Greg Vernon Director - ICA
"This is exactly what we are going to do: we're looking at making the craft industry being the quantity that we produced is more than what we import. It is unfortunate that we are looking toward China and looking towards Guatemala looking towards Mexico and bringing in all our craft that are selling right now on Albert Street and in the tourist village and everywhere that we go. How are we going to make sure that our artisans start creating instead of one or two pieces for the day - they start moving ito 12-15 pieces and so we will be looking - Norma and Mr. Dixon will looking just at that to have them create wood as well as resin in making sure we start pressing moulds that look like wood. We have mass amount of talent in Belize. There is no doubt about that. But how can we mass produce? How can we start looking into at least the students coming out of CET (center of employment training) How can we give them a job to press what the artisans have created and making sure that we have at least 12-24 pieces coming out per day. Making sure that Belizean art flood the market."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Wouldn't it also help if you have the cooperation of the government or the ministry of finance in so far as placing a higher tax on importing trinkets, crafts from other countries?'

Greg Vernon Director - ICA
"We are working with the ministry of education youth and sports and culture along with NICH is looking at industry legislation that will deal with all that. That's why Miss June is here with us. We are pressing her as the cultural officer for the ministry of education, making sure that we by next 6 months we should be presenting this to cabinet to say listen we need an industry legislation that would deal with that matter, to deal with the import coming in. Just 2 weeks ago I was in San Ignacio and there goes the sellers coming across the border with their little flowers. We are making those same flowers at the house of culture in Cayo. We at NICH need to make sure that we educate our customs officers and our border management to make sure that once you come across in selling these products you're tax."

And while that is how craft will be enhanced, here's the plan for theater:

Greg Vernon Director - ICA
"We also will be working with the hospitality department in the center for employment training, making sure that we give character to our servers, making sure that we give a personality to our front desk person. How are we going to articulate? How are we going to use body in facing your customer when they come in? How are you going to develop a character so you don't take how work with you, because most of us get personal. I don't like the food you are serving me and we tend to get personal with it. So its teaching the students how to develop a character within the restaurants and the hotel industry in making sure that you have this character."

"Also out of 10 of those students, 2 will become part of the stage and so they will be part of the San Ignacio/Santa Elena house of culture theatre company and we are also looking at media production how using these students to become an anchor and so there is another production company in Panama that will be coming in sending in their people to start training picking up on what we have taught in drama to these students and who would like to go on in the media facing the camera radio announcers morning show because most of our people that goes on and who we find for the media are not really trained."

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