There is a new climate, a new milieu, which is forming and informing the new generation around us. It is a new Age of Creativity brought about by the phenomenon of the Internet and digital media. There once was a time when the creative fields were for professionals only. Now anybody, literally anybody, can make music, film, animation and digital photography. Easy to use software has made this possible and Facebook, Youtube and similar sites have risen to be the outlets by which people can showcase their creations to the world. This is a fantastic time, because the urge to create is innate within every human being. It is part of our innermost self to create and express ourselves. Some say we are made in the image of a Creator. The more creative and expressive a person, the healthier they are. People who are unable to express themselves are suppressed and frustrated. We are on the cusp of a new renaissance, a revolution of expressive creativity that is spinning out of the Internet and digital media.
In Cayman this movement is alive and well. Many Caymanian youth are making films, creating digital designs, producing music and sharing their work across the Internet. The older generation of Caymanians has not fully grasped the significance of this and for those that do, they to a large extent mistrust it. They see their children sitting in front of a computer all day and feel that the youth are wasting their time. But I encourage the elders to look with new eyes, because for those of us on Facebook and YouTube, we see the Internet on fire with songs, movies and photography created right here in the Cayman Islands by young Caymanians. This is healthy and positive creativity.
New House
One group of young Caymanians in particular is very active in this creative media movement. They are a group of four teenagers who call themselves New House. New House is composed of Tremayne Ebanks (Versa), Oswald Prehay (OPrehay), Jon Watler (JCCay) and Tattianna Tibbetts (Tats). The group formed back in 2009 when Versa and OPrehay began making music together in high school. The four members are good friends who are diverse in their talents and influences. While their main interest is in producing music, New House is a multi-dimensional and very versatile group. They also write scripts, books, shoot photography and direct and edit film. In doing so, they use the Internet and the various digital media that is accessible to all.
New House is best known on island right now for a film series called Life With TV that airs on their YouTube channel www.youtube.com/TVersatiletv. Life With TV revolves around the group’s daily social interaction in the Cayman Islands and they have just finished 10 episodes of Season 1. The Season finale (episode 10) is a fantastic piece that shows the edginess, creativity and diversity of the various members of the New House group.
New House has also done commercials for various companies on island, including Digicel, the iZ and One345 Ltd. The commercials are funny and clever; a far cry from the standard. Being different from the standard is something that New House prides itself in. They understand and insist on the values of working hard and delivering quality products. New House is an exciting young Caymanian group with a great creative future in front of them.
Creating the future
In addition to New House, there are many other groups in Cayman that are active in the creative media scene. We should be excited about the creative possibilities of our youth and encourage and enable them to express themselves, to find themselves. Art is an expression of the inexpressible; an expression of the beautiful. The youth in Cayman who are active in this creative movement are opening a window for the rest of the world to see and learn about our island. They are a beacon of light flashing from our Beloved Isle to the rest of the world. They are finding themselves and in so doing creating the future generation of Cayman.
Badir Awe
Badir has a Masters in Theology from Marquette University where he focused on Science and Religion. He is a writer, musician, photographer and videographer. He is employed by One 345 Ltd where he helps operate the retail, marketing and video production sectors of the company. A disciple of the works of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, he is interested in discovering humanity’s purpose in the universe. His first love is American football. He can be reached at [email protected]
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