Message From The CEO
I take this opportunity to introduce you to our organization, the Native Caribbean Foundation based in Trinidad and Tobago. Our organization has been registered as a non-profit organization since March 11th, 2016. Our mission is to develop an appreciation for the performing arts within our young students and the general population, and to contribute towards theCreative Sector by becoming a profitable and sustainable organization within the Caribbean region. We contribute to the development of the sector by aligning our training model to the CSEC and CAPE CXC Syllabus while providing an immersive and enjoyable experience in live theatre production. Towards this objective, we produce Musical Theatre Productions annually, utilizing our unique business model, and developmental training of our youth in Theate, Environmental Stewardship, and Entrepreneurship.
In light of the production and administrative team backgrounds and their shared passion for empowering young people within the school system who have an interest in the Performing Arts, with a vision to see the arts develop into a viable business sector, we engage students between the ages of 8-18 and provide them with the opportunity to serve as actors, actresses, singers and dancers. We also allow CSEC and CAPE students in VAPA to understudy in all aspects of the production. This ranges from front-of-house activities such as ticketing and ushering to technical activities such as assistants to the Director, Music Director, Choreographer, Stage Manager, Set and Prop Designer, Lighting Designer, Projections and Special Effects Designer, Stage Hands, Sound Engineer, and many other aspects of the production “behind the scenes.” We have also expanded student participation and experience in our productions by allowing selected students to understudy at our administrative office to gain experience and knowledge on the business of the Arts, and to participate in other aspects of the production. Our hope is that the experience will not only provide Coursework material in their academic studies, but also insights into the business of the Arts. We hope to pique their interests in pursuing careers in the Arts, or simply developing a love for the performing arts and fill the seats in the future, thus developing a viable Arts Industry in the region, in keeping with the thrust for diversification of the regional economy. Several of our past performers are presently pursuing further education and careers in many aspects of theatre, and a few have been offered paid positions within the organization.
The organization provides opportunities at absolutely no cost to the students participating in the production, as all costs such as refreshments during rehearsals, meals during show times, transport, costumes etc., are covered by the organization. No financial burden is placed on parents, as parents and siblings are given free tickets to the encore presentation so that they can support their family members on stage. No obligation is placed on any parent to sell tickets for any of our shows. The organization also provides live recordings of all our shows which are available as an online resource on our Youtube channel via our website to be used by students who need to critique a live production for their CSEC and CAPE final examinations.
Our management team has created a unique business model which has enabled the organization to finance all expenses related to the shows with stringent budgeting based on anticipated ticket sales and advertising revenue.
Shows are marketed directly to all students in the public and private primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions within the target territory. In Trinidad and Tobago, an extensive database has been developed of all schools, their respective student populations and detailed contact information for the administration. An encore production is also marketed to the general public and advertised primarily via social media and through the cast members.
A unique process management system is used to monitor and evaluate all activities in Real Time, with online tools used to communicate with our target audience, provide ease of booking ticket and payment processing.
The organization has been innovative in creating unique and profitable developmental proposals within the Caribbean region, which are being developed presently. These are:
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The Native Caribbean Foundation Caribbean Performing Arts Championships. This is a regional competition model where talented artists convene in a selected location to compete for prizes in categories such as vocals, instrumentals, voice acting and dance in genres unique to the Caribbean, and to perform for industry professionals from the entertainment industry.
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The Native Caribbean Foundation Academy for Performing Arts. An academy that provides training in vocals, music theory, acting, dance, and musical instruments. The Academy also provides training in entrepreneurship with a specific focus on business models within the performing arts.
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The Native Caribbean Foundation Entrepreneurship Academy, which provides an immersive, practical and experiential training model for young entrepreneurs, with added mentoring and support for accelerated learning and business growth.
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The Native Caribbean Foundation E-Commerce platform for licensing and sale of creative work. This platform will enable writers of plays and musicals to have their work ready for worldwide licensing and distribution in order to obtain the best monetary value for their intellectual property.
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The Native Caribbean Foundation Oil Save Project. A self-sustaining, innovative technology-driven solution to environmental stewardship by recycling the used oil from automobile engines.
The organization also provides support within the creative sector by engaging in the following activities.
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School outreach workshops. The organization conducts workshops aimed at training both students and teachers in all aspects of live theatre production.
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Technical Support for school-based production groups. The organization provides technical support in the areas of sound engineering, lighting, management, and logistics as well as rental of sound and lighting equipment at subsidized costs.
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Entrepreneurship Training Workshops. The organization provides entrepreneurship training and mentorship using the latest training methods targeting young, aspiring entrepreneurs within the school system.
In order to achieve its stated objectives, the organization has formed strategic partnerships with the following organizations:
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The Jaguar Academy. A complete, integrated, online training platform that allows teachers and trainers to conduct online classes seamlessly integrating with multiple platforms and payment processing management.
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Fiestalonia Milenio. An organization that conducts music festivals throughout Europe, and accepts performers from all over the world.
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National Drama Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NDATT). An organization which provides resources within the creative sector of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Native Caribbean Foundation is always seeking partnerships with organizations throughout the Caribbean which share a vision and passion for changing the future of Caribbean culture by introducing innovative and commercially viable creative business models for duplication of our
activities in Trinidad and Tobago with a desire to pursue the unique creative models being pioneered by our organization. We aspire to train, improve and expand the systems and models being used presently with the objective being to achieve international best practice and cultural evolution within the region.
