Georgetown : Prime Minister Samuel Hinds has commended the Guyana Art and Craft Producers Association for the growth they have achieved, but challenged greater movement towards contributing to Guyana’s economy.
Prime Minister Hinds was addressing the Association’s members at the Umana Yana at the closing ceremony and exhibition of a one-month training programme, whereby 12 members of the association benefitted from the knowledge of two Canadian experts in leather craft production, Paul and Beverley Williams. The programme was facilitated through a very effective and mutually rewarding relationship with the Canadian Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) and the Canadian Executive Services Organisation (CESO.)
The relationship is among many that the association has been fostering over the years towards carrying out its mandate of supporting the craft and art producers throughout the 10 administrative regions in terms of marketing, training and networking. The agreement with TFO dates back to 2011. The association itself was incorporated in 2008.
“You have come a long way, but I want to encourage you to keep on going and advance even further,” Prime Minister Hinds said.
He pointed out that Guyana looks to tourism to be an important growth sector in the economy and that the production of art and craft would be an important part in a growing tourism industry.
He challenged the association to recognise that they have to reach a point where they become a net provider of cash to Guyana’s economy. “We have to become a cash cow for the economy sometime because there are other areas which are calling for support and development also, and maybe sugar cannot carry the load it used to carry, bauxite cannot carry the load it used to; we are looking to other things. We need other things to start picking up the load that our traditional areas like sugar and bauxite could carry in the way it used to before,” he said.
“TFO has changed the lives of the Guyana Art and Craft Producers Association, the one thing with GACPA is that we need some hands on skills and that is what they did, they prepared us for the Caribbean market,” President of the Association Denzil Hollingsworth said.
“The techniques that Beverley and Paul brought to Guyana have changed the entire outlook of leather, that is making us ready to go into any market that we want to go into,” she said.
She explained too that the Williams have encouraged and fostered a relationship with Harris Paints for the association. She said that the artists in the association were making use of acrylic paint that was very expensive, and through discussion with the company, it was found that the company could produce a much cheaper paint that works on leather, wood and all the other materials utilised by the association.
She said that Harris Paints is now producing these paints in smaller tins, and it is accessible to all of Guyana, and available now all over the country. The Williams also crucially imparted to the association several safety measures, especially as it relates to the dangerous use of lacquer and contact cement, Hollingsworth said.
Programme Manager, CESO Beatriz Munarriz said that the organisation’s support in the venture would not have been possible without the Canadian Government’s assistance through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development. She said that CESO believes strongly in the concept of partnership and expressed hope that the venture with the Guyana Art and Craft Producers Association, in association with the Canadian Trade Facilitation Office will be a successful one.
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