Visual and performing arts is one of the nine core subjects in Trinidad and Tobago's primary education. It is often the most overlooked one, however, due to the limited experience of the teachers who are expected to teach all nine subject areas. Additionally, because there are no required assessments for visual and performing arts, the subject is rarely prioritized, despite the extensive research proving that arts education can lead to positive learning outcomes.

Anderson La Barrie, a school supervisor at the Ministry of Education and former theatre and drama teacher, decided to tackle this challenge with the support of the Creative Caribbean grant, implemented by UNESCO, the Caribbean Community Secretariat, and the University of the West Indies, with the financial contribution of the European Union and the support of the Organisation of ACP States.  

La Barrie was initially discussing ways to encourage festival tourism in Trinidad and Tobago with his friend Jaime Bagoo, who is the cultural officer at the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts. During this conversation, an idea sparked for La Barrie.

"I said, why not focus on curriculum? Because, I mean, that's my area of study. We had a merging of the two and did some collaboration, and of course, magic happened." said Anderson La Barrie, the school supervisor at the Ministry of Education, Trinidad and Tobago.

In October 2023, a project titled "Facilitator and Educators Training in Education (FETE)" was launched under La Barrie's leadership at the Secondary Schools' Drama Association (SSDA).

"I aimed at giving primary school educators in Trinidad and Tobago the opportunity to create or find different ways of delivering the primary school curriculum, using drama, dance, and music." said Anderson La Barrie, the school supervisor at the Ministry of Education, Trinidad and Tobago.

During its one-year implementation, the project trained 15 participants through a series of 11 workshops held both online and in-person. An additional session was held after the official program ended, not only to celebrate the completion of the workshop series but also to honour the memory of a participant who tragically passed away in an accident during the project period.

The participants learned from four facilitators each demonstrating unique methods for incorporating the arts into education. Bagoo focused on festivals of Trinidad and Tobago, Storyteller Dellon Mathison specialized in storytelling and folklore, while La Barrie oversaw the traditional ring games. A guest tutor, Sherwin Racklal, was also invited to introduce puppetry as a tool for teaching.

After what La Barrie calls a "get up and move, get up and act" approach, the project saw transformative results. He said that he did not anticipate how much impact the project was going to have.

"They were able now to be interactive, understanding, developing the concepts, and getting what I call the a-ha moment. When you see what is taking place—the energies that are taking place, the camaraderie among the persons, friendships that we have created over the period of time—it's like wow." said Anderson La Barrie, the school supervisor at the Ministry of Education, Trinidad and Tobago.

The most rewarding part of the project, La Barrie noted, is the public's growing appreciation for the creative arts. His team now hopes to develop the project even further and extend it to other Caribbean countries. At the end of the implementation period, La Barrie created an online platform where participants can revisit the teaching materials and brainstorm new ideas.

"Even though the the workshops have ended, the project hasn't. It's an ongoing process." said Anderson La Barrie.