Kingsely Cooper, Guest Writer

Babsy Grange has been given Cabinet portfolio responsibility for youth, sports, information and culture, Will she have an ounce of energy left for entertainment? - File

I must express personal disappointment with the virtual elimination of entertainment and, in fact, Jamaica's creative industries generally, from the list of priorities in our new economic and industrial dispensation.

We are advised that entertainment falls under Olivia 'Babsy' Grange's Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth, and Sports.

This is important advice, for, otherwise, we would hardly have known. There was at least the name 'entertainment' in a ministry under the outgoing administration.

The kind of bold and visionary thinking that is currently being touted should recognise the importance of our creative industries and act accordingly.

This was my hope for Jamaica's new Government, whether green or orange in colour.

Need a Ministry of the Creative Industries

What we now need is a ministry of the creative industries.

That would be really bold and a good reason for a larger Cabinet. Such a vision, if properly implemented, would result in untold dividends earned by this country.

It is in fact necessary. Instead, we have lost even the 'mention' we had under the previous administration.

As members of the entertainment fraternity, we all love Ms. Grange and claim her as one of ours.

She has spent many years, as we have, toiling to develop the music/entertainment business.

We wish her the very best and will fully support her efforts as minister. But, when she gets through with the 'named' priority areas of her portfolio (all full ministries, might we add) - youth, sports, information and culture - will she have an ounce of energy left for entertainment?

Personally, I would need a lot of convincing that she will.

Every country in the world is looking to improve comparative advantage, as this is the key to economic success.

Talent-based, creative industries are Jamaica's. Furthermore, since a huge cadre of talent has already broken barriers, in the process lighting the international sky with our creative brilliance, marketing is not too hard a challenge.

We are now established and the world continues to look to us for the next 'big thing'.

Jamaica needs to develop a 'factory' that produces a range of products, based on our talent and creativity, in order to satisfy a huge international demand.

We need to nurture talent from discovery, through training, through development, to final finished, packaged products, coming off the conveyor belt of a modular, systematic process of production.

Then it's on to the 'shelves' of the world.

We need to develop management skills and entrepreneurship for these industries.

The production process for creative business might be different, special and even unique, but at its core, it is just like any other.

Resources must be found to make this happen. It is always best to do things naturally, if that is possible.

It fits better, it flows better and it feels better. It also gives a better result. Our talent and creativity come naturally.

It is better to grow and export this arena of business than so much else being put forward - in some instances, projects that are foreign to us and even out of character.

In certain cases, we are trying to raise the dead! At the local level, entertainment has additional, even critical advantages.

Where would the mass of Jamaica be without dances, music studios, stage shows, art, craft, model agencies, roots theatre, local TV shows, talent contests and fashion?

I believe we would see a lot more mayhem and sadly, there would be very little hope for too many of our people.

Kingsley Cooper is chief executive officer of modelling agency Pulse and Caribbean Fashion Week. Email: pulse44@kasnet.com