Saint Lucia became the epicenter of youthful creative energy as Dove Productions, organizers of the Caribbean Youth Film Festival, hosted a groundbreaking Creativity and Innovation Youth Forum on January 31, 2026. The event, masterminded by the Caribbean Film and Media Academy’s Teen Creators Academy, brought together emerging talents from across the region for an immersive day of artistic development and professional guidance.
Under the leadership of Lisa Wickham, founder of Imagine Media International, the forum featured multiple interactive platforms designed to nurture young creatives. Participants engaged in specialized workshops including a Digital Creator’s Hub for content development, an Acting and Expression Circle for performance techniques, and a Writer’s Circle for narrative development. Entrepreneurship talks provided crucial business insights for aspiring creative professionals.
The event’s pinnacle was the Storytelling and Scholarship Talkback Session, featuring extraordinary guests: Tatyana Ali, the acclaimed producer, actress and philanthropist known for her groundbreaking work in entertainment, and Dr. Vaughn Raspberry, Assistant Vice Provost for Education at Stanford University. Their dynamic dialogue offered priceless wisdom, career advice, and inspirational guidance to the next generation of Caribbean storytellers.
The forum attracted substantial participation from both current and alumni members of the Caribbean Youth Film Festival community, with attendees expressing overwhelming enthusiasm for the enriching experience. The event concluded with the distribution of Certificates of Participation, recognizing each attendee’s dedication to artistic excellence. Organizers expressed profound pride in the initiative’s success and commitment to continuing such developmental programs for Caribbean youth.