3 recording studios valued at $39.3M each to be built in 2025

…access to be free for local musicians

Strengthening the reach for musical artists within Guyana, it has been revealed that three digital recording studios, valued at $39.3 million each, will be built this year in Regions Two, Three, and 10.
This information was revealed by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Charles Ramson, during his end-of-year press conference. The Ministry had advertised for bids in December 2024.
According to Ramson, a high focus will be placed on granting free access to these facilities, since the Ministry will be responsible for the maintenance of the facilities.
“It also has to be managed by the Ministry, so we undertake that responsibility every time we build a new facility,” he explained.
He also described a hypothetical situation of a person who would like to record music but lacked the funds to do so, to be able to reach their dreams.
“When you think about the guy or the girl in a bedroom who has a dream of becoming a star, but they don’t have the money, I don’t want to add more hurdles or burdens that create obstacles for them to have deferred or unrealised dreams. What’s important is, as a Government, we recognise young people in this country are talented in many different areas,” he said.

He added that, similar to sports, where newly commissioned facilities are freely opened to teams, free recording opportunities will be provided to individuals.
“Just like we did for sports, we said no more fees, unless you’re hosting an event where you’re going to charge people to come in. That’s a different situation because you’re making money.”
With this, he emphasised the importance of encouraging young people to pursue their dreams.
“What we want is for young people—everyone, but particularly young people—to know that if they have that dream, they can pursue it. As a Government, we can’t take you to the Grammys; that’s not our job, but we can help you get off the ground and put you on the pathway by giving you the right kind of investment in terms of training, exposure, and support.”
According to Ramson, the Ministry has looked into the approach of creating awareness for talent since 2020 – creating platforms and opportunities for people to practice and refine their talents.

Theatre and Film
Meanwhile, theatre and film flourished in 2024 and are expected to thrive in 2025.
Individuals who placed well in the Guyana Prize for Literature competition were given the opportunity to write scripts and have their shows performed at the National Cultural Centre.
In fact, six plays were staged in 2024 through the Write to Stage programme.
“We said we wanted to bring the literary aspect to life, and the way to do that is through this Write to Stage programme. Once finalists are selected for the Guyana Prize for Literature competition, individuals involved in drama and theatre can take any finalist’s play, story, etc., and create a production out of it,” Ramson explained.
Additionally, similar to how “Bad Boys” actor Jacob Scipio visited Guyana in 2024, other international actors will be invited to Guyana to enlighten and engage with local creatives.
“There were two film workshops last year—one involving actors from “Transporter”, and the other with Jacob Scipio, who starred in the Hollywood movie, “Bad Boys”. These workshops were successful, and this is something we intend to continue doing,” the Minister stated.
In addition, the Ministry has also completed a significant website to provide an online presence for Guyanese actors and creatives.
“We also completed the Cultural and Creative Industries Registry online platform, which will be launched in the next couple of months. This platform authenticates the work of individuals involved in the cultural and creative industries and helps promote them.”
The platform provides an online presence managed by the Ministry, authenticating their work and creating opportunities for private, international, or public collaborations. It allows creatives to showcase their work through pictures, videos, and links to platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube.
It also provides direct contact details for interested parties to reach out to them.