Unique Arts Entertainment, which has been investing in young people for over 12 years through various programmes, has received a grant from UNESCO for a new venture, ‘Paint the Picture’, which targets mental health, human trafficking and gender-based violence through dance.
Founder and director of the NGO Kelton Jennings said the project was launched on July 17 and the groundwork has already begun for the tours that will see 30 people, including Jennings, his students and other officials committed to the project visiting various parts of Guyana. It is on these tours that Unique Arts Entertainment hopes to paint the picture of people dealing with the above-mentioned issues through interpretive dances which will be videoed and uploaded to YouTube for later viewing.
Jennings, who has long been passionate about youths in the arts, has been providing dance classes at no cost in the hope of providing the same opportunity to all. He shared that many of his students confided about having to deal with one or more of the issues being highlighted.
“When I teach a dance or help persons to see their true potential whether it be dance, singing or drama, at the same time I give them a platform to showcase that. But … also when I teach dance or poetry, persons would tap into their inner emotions and would start crying and expressing their deepest pains they have experienced,” he said.
“So why paint the picture? Everyone has their own social ills they are dealing with that affect their mental health. Many persons know the word human trafficking but cannot identify [it] or they don’t know what to do in such cases. There are also many persons who are victims of domestic violence who are stuck in these situations. You can share flyers and do talks but people are not as captivated with that as much as if you tell a story through dance and emotions so this project will do that and try to reach more people on these issues.
“We want them to know there is hope and there is a way out and there is justice. When persons see our dance, they will say, ‘This is what I’m going through’ so we’re painting a picture to get things over to them clearer.”
Unique Arts Entertainment had presented the proposal for the initiative to UNESCO a year ago. It was about two months ago that the grant was made available.
Jennings noted that Unique Arts Entertainment will also be connecting with youth groups in the communities visited, where social worker Sharon James will investigate whether they face these issues. Anyone identified as suffering from mental health issues or victims of the crimes mentioned will then be directed to the respective organizations which will take on the responsibility of counselling them and/or putting the matters before the court. The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security is also on board and will assist those identified as victims. Through this project people will also know what to look for in those who may have been victims and can help to provide the help they need.
Over the next three months, Unique Arts Entertainment will be around Georgetown at the various historical sites, in Linden, Berbice, Bartica and Timehri. Anthony Indar, the group’s official videographer, will also be on the tour.
Jennings pointed out that they will not be entertaining any audiences, but added that the production will be up for viewing on YouTube. He noted that initially, the tour was set up to entertain audiences in all of the regions in Guyana, before heading to Suriname and Trinidad as part of a cultural exchange. However, given the situation with COVID-19, this had to be redesigned but with the same purpose of bringing about awareness to these issues and further informing victims of where they can find help.
James, at the launch of the project, pointed out that domestic violence, mental illness and trafficking in persons are all prevalent in society. She noted that while these are separate issues, there are women who have been victims of two or all three of these issues. She said that boys who had to leave their homes at a very young age could be trafficked. James said she will be carrying out interviews to test the knowledge of youths, educate them on how they can seek help and have a greater understanding of the issues. The sessions are expected to be carried out for an hour at a time.
“The project aims to encourage people and inform them that there are resources of assistance,” James said. “We want them to understand that silence is never good. They need to speak up and speak out… We all deserve to live a life free from intimidation, free from fear and free from violence.”
Local designer and contestant for the Mr India Guyana Pageant Randy Madray also spoke at the launch. Madray shared that through the pageant he was given the opportunity to focus and advocate for something he is genuinely concerned about and as such he chose mental health. “Having been someone who has gone through quite a number of years from age 15 to now….pursuing [my] passion in designing and arts, I can firsthand tell you that fashion saved me mentally. I started designing in my younger years. Being someone who attended Queen’s College [and] from a traditional family, I was expected to be a doctor or a lawyer but I had a passion for creativity. I was always fascinated by beauty pageants I saw on television so I pursued fashion through a designing competition for students where I emerged as the winner,” shared Madray.
His participation in the competition was unknown to his parents who only found out after the event was aired on the television. They were not at all pleased, he recalled. He said he struggled to produce the best of himself, adding that this passion to be the best could drive one to be more creative or it can destroy one; he battled both. There were many days he felt alone. Some years later he was diagnosed with anxiety disorder and shared that he had many near-death experiences as a result.
“…I share all of this to point out that we need to allow our young boys to express themselves and pursue the arts in whichever field they desire… Our young boys are subjected to a society with lots of toxic masculinity where they are expected to behave a certain way, where they are expected to do certain things,” Madray said.
Through the pageant, Madray is getting ready to launch an initiative called ‘Brother Man’ which focuses on mental health in young boys. He hopes to launch the Brother man Club in various schools around Guyana. This is one of the youth clubs Unique Arts Entertainment is invested in working with.
Jennings had shared also that along with the Paint the Picture initiative, they also hope to impress on youths to pursue some art form as a way of self-expression.
