Youth and arts programme   Building creative career pathways for youths and professionalising the arts |06 May 2022

Mr Etienne sharing his experience with aspiring artists as Minister Zialor, PS Jean-Louis and Ambassador Victor listen carefully (Photo: Thomas Meriton)

As part of the ongoing efforts to respond to the vision and creative aspirations of young people, the Seychelles National Youth Council yesterday hosted a youth forum, guiding young future artists on the right approach to attain a successful professional artistic career.

Held at Le Gotha Lounge of the Angel Fish Marina at Roche Caïman, the forum was organised in partnership with other local agencies and professional artists, namely Honorary Cultural Ambassador Patrick Victor and artistic director John Etienne.

It forms part of the Youth and Arts programme initiated by the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC), in partnership, through a memorandum of understanding signed the day before between the National Arts and Crafts Council (NACC) and the Creative Seychelles Agency, all under the umbrella of the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts (SNICHA).

The youth and arts programme is aimed at building creative career pathway for youths and professionalising the arts in Seychelles.

Other than developing arts among the youths, the programme will also provide various platforms, guiding young inspiring and budding artists with interests in various art forms towards the proper and ideal way in pursuing a successful career within the field.

It will cover all the necessary aspects in professionalising arts, including all techniques and thematic.

Launching the forum in the presence of principal secretary for youth and sports Ralph Jean-Louis among other guests, Minister of Youth, Sports and Family Marie-Celine Zialor noted that the event was just a stepping stone towards achieving the objectives of the programme and that there will be more workshops and training, targeting various forms of art.

She reminded the young people that discipline will remain the key element if they want to succeed, as it brings quality into everything, especially arts.

Minister Zialor added that a talent, without discipline in anything is useless as it is crucial in maintaining standards and quality.

“Practicing will bring consistency in your work, thus the quality of the final product will be maintained, bringing satisfaction both for yourselves and the clients,” she added.

Minister Zialor further reminded the young inspiring artists that the government is committed in giving them the opportunity to access the highest quality arts, explore their own capabilities and have the chance to make their dreams come true.

Addressing the youngsters, forum leader John Etienne said as a Seychellois graduate, in whom the government invested, he felt very proud to be sharing his knowledge with the future generation of artists.

He said, other than providing the youth with baggage for their future career, the programme should also be used as means to rid them of existing doubts regarding the field, thus mould them into better artists, allowing them to take local arts further than the present generation of artists have.

Mr Etienne added that he is very impressed by the level of thinking and maturity of the young inspiring artists, especially in the psychological side of arts.

In the first part of yesterday’s activity entitled ‘Transition of knowledge’, the young artists had the chance to interact with the facilitators, discussing various topics, including their own interpretation of the works of ‘art’ and also the differences and links between arts and culture, while the second phase of the forum was based on an introduction to professional acting and directing.

Roland Duval