BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Director of Culture, Troy Mills, says persons should focus their attention more on the culture of the land as a livelihood rather than seeing it as a mere activity.
This comes as more youth in the Federation recently participated in a number of cultural programmes during their two-month long summer break.
Speaking at the closing ceremony for one such programme – the Zach Nisbett Summer Music Workshop – Mills explained that persons within the Federation can develop a livelihood from undertaking various aspects of the Federation’s culture on a national level.
However, he noted that individuals only view the local culture as a routine activity that they carry out on a daily basis.
“Unfortunately, we the nationals of the Federation…are not seeing it that way, parents are not seeing it that way and perhaps the teachers are also not seeing it that way. But culture is so wide, and simply said culture is the way of life of the people.”
Mills pointed to efforts made by Nisbett through his music programme that allow some of the students to perform at various functions and the posts where tourists frequent. Nisbett said this is an opportunity for the youngsters to raise funds to purchase school supplies.
But the Director stated that there are many facets to the culture of St. Kitts and Nevis that are often overlooked.
He asserted that “Culture is everything about us, the way we talk; the way we walk; the way we dress; our hairstyle; our food,” adding that for years many continue to believe that the Federation’s culture is limited to the performing arts, specifically calypso music, folklore and Carnival.
“However there is more, there is the drama aspects, there is dancing that is also part of the culture…we also have the culinary elements – the foods, the drink and the bakes. We have the literal arts and the visual arts and the visual arts is very wide. You have the hairstyle, the paintings, the designing and graphics etc.”
Director Mills charged that having more children involved in the culture speaks volume for them and the enhancement of the Federation’s way of life.
Additionally, he noted that with children being involved in the different aspects of the local culture, it instills a sense of discipline in their livelihood, something currently lacking in St. Kitts and Nevis.
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