Teen Times Coordinator Mike Granger with the Teen Times crew as he addressed the crowd at Talent Showdown 2015 on Saturday night.
DAWN BEACH--Teen Times has issued a plea to Minister of Education, Culture and Youth Affairs Silveria Jacobs to do what she must to realise a Performing Arts Centre in St. Maarten.
Teen Times Coordinator Mike Granger, on behalf of his crew of teenagers and performing arts students, made the plea on stage at Teen Times Talent Showdown 2015 on Saturday night in front of an estimated 800 people in attendance.
Granger said he had been making the exact same plea for 13 years on behalf of performing arts students and would continue to do so until such a centre was realised.
“Talent Showdown is 13 years old. At each event these years I’ve gotten up on stage and pleaded for the same thing. Our talented young people, our artists deserve a performing arts centre,” Granger said, triggering resounding applause from
attendees.
He explained that many similar events were forced to use inadequate locations because of the lack of a proper Performing Arts Facility.
“Our neighbours in the Caribbean all have top-of-the-line and high-tech centres. Yet, here in St. Maarten our talented young people continue to beg for such a centre. They deserve much better,” Granger said.
He acknowledged that Minister Jacobs has had such a centre on her list of priorities for years. He said he believed her to be genuine in her intention, because “we know where your heart lies for the youth.”
He said St. Maarten had almost 5,000 high school students. The only interscholastic show for them (Talent Showdown) can cater to only 800 at its current venue, including parents and teachers.
“We turn away so many every year because of space and security issues. Please, Minister, it is past time that we get this done. These children deserve it,” he stressed.
Minister Jacobs in turn stood up and cheered as a sign that she had received the message loud and clear.
Granger went on to thank The Westin Resort for being gracious hosts of Teen Times for the past six years.
Teen Times makes urgent call for a Performing Arts Centre
