Weekend art and craft show offers marketing facility for small producers
The Courtyard Mall on Robb Street continues to give talented craft-makers an opportunity to showcase their products through ‘Cre8tive Arts, Craft & Music Festival’.
The festival, which was launched in December, is held on the last Friday and Saturday of every month. Aside from arts and crafts, it features the talents of local singers, dancers and spoken-word poets.
David Yhann, one of the owners of the Courtyard Mall, told Stabroek News that from 2 pm today there would be performances by local artists: Music Unlimited, Jazz & Poetry on a Stool and Gavin Mendonca and his Creole Rock Band. Admission is free and there would be food and drinks on sale.
The festival started in partnership with Deane-Hughes Designs, Hufrom a vision to set up an entrepreneur centre where local skills and talents would be on display.
Despite having the skills, he said, some of the craft-makers operate from their homes and they have welcomed the platform offered by the initiative.
Among those displaying their items yesterday were an elderly couple from the Pomeroon, Neville and Iris Callistro; Ruth Shuman, of St Cuthbert’s Mission; Natasha David; Morna Ferreria and Vibart Griffith.
Yhann hopes the festival can be set up as a business support service facility for small and micro entrepreneur operations. The next move is to expand to promote local furniture and other items whose producers may be hard to reach. He also hopes to have a digital display of the products, for prospective buyers to choose from.
According to Yhann, the idea is for the event to compliment the Guyana Shop and the yearly exposition.