Education Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon says the Government will be embarking on initiatives to formalise and strengthen the creative economy, including new schools and an apprenticeship program.

Morris Dixon, delivering the keynote address at the Marcus Garvey Awards for Excellence in the Performing Arts last Wednesday (October 15) at the Little Theatre in St Andrew, outlined an ambitious vision for performing arts education in Jamaica spearheaded by a “Creative Education Pathway”, aimed at transforming raw talent into viable, sustainable careers.

This pathway will include:

• Early identification of talent through expanded arts exposure in primary and secondary schools

• The establishment of three performing arts secondary schools, designed to integrate artistic excellence with rigorous academics.

• A Cultural Apprenticeship Programme, offering structured mentorship, certification, and stipends for emerging creatives.

Under the Cultural Apprenticeship Programme, 200 young people will be trained and paid a stipend of up to J$69,000 per month during the pilot phase. Participants will be matched with experienced mentors in fields such as theatre production, music, film, visual arts, stagecraft, arts management and other creative disciplines.

“We must build a talent pipeline,” the minister emphasised. “A pipeline that nurtures creativity from the earliest years, refines it through specialised education, and connects it to markets both local and global. This is how we move from individual brilliance to a thriving, self-sustaining creative industry. We have so many brilliant and talent students. The new education system will recognise and encourage creative interests.”

Morris Dixon also reaffirmed Jamaica’s global potential in the creative economy, noting that the International Finance Corporation (IFC) estimates the global creative industries generate over US$2 trillion annually and support nearly 50 million jobs worldwide.

“This is not art for art’s sake,” she said. “This is about nation-building, our identity, economic diversification, and social cohesion. Our children must be able to translate their passion into purpose, and their talent into livelihood.”

Hosted by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), the Marcus Garvey Awards marks the culmination of the annual Festival of the Performing Arts. It celebrates Jamaica’s finest talents across multiple disciplines, including dance, drama, music, speech, and visual arts.

Since its inception in 1994, the awards have provided training, exposure, and recognition for thousands of Jamaican creatives and have nurtured generations of talent that have contributed to the country’s cultural and creative industries.

In her address, Morris Dixon congratulated the awardees for their discipline, creativity, and national impact, while unveiling a series of game-changing initiatives designed to formalise and strengthen Jamaica’s creative economy.

“Excellence in the arts is excellence in nation-building,” the minister declared. “Creativity is a gift and a calling – one that requires courage, sacrifice, and hard work. Whether through performance, teaching, design, or innovation, you are blazing the trail for others to follow, and we are deeply proud of you.”