DANIEL BAPTISTE is on a vigorous campaign to help aspiring artistes nurture and maximise their potential.
The actor, playwright, director, producer, educator and youth advocate can testify to what he regards as the “transformative power” of the performing arts.
He said he has lived it for much of his young life.
“There’s something deeply transformative about seeing someone gain confidence, find healing or simply feel seen through creative experiences,” Baptiste, 26, told Newsday on May 13.
“I realised that drama gave them the space to liberate themselves, express their truths and feel empowered to share their voice. That was my ‘yes’ moment, realising that the arts could truly change lives and that I wanted to be a part of that for as many people as possible.”
DNA Productions, which Baptiste co-founded with his friend and former schoolmate Aidan Adams in 2018, was established with this objective in mind.
He explained the concept, “DNA stands for ‘Dynamic Nurturing Abilities,’ but it also reflects the idea of being your most natural self. Just like your DNA is unique to you, so is your story. And we exist to help young people tell theirs authentically and unapologetically.”
[caption id="attachment_1155714" align="alignnone" width="683"] Actor, playwright, director, producer, educator and youth advocate Daniel Baptiste -[/caption]
Baptiste and Adams attended Naparima College in San Fernando and were both involved in the performing arts.
Baptiste had won the award for best overall actor in the Caribbean in the regional secondary school drama festival in Antigua in 2017 and Adams was also an award-winning pannist and guitarist.
He said establishing a forum to enable young people to explore their innate artistic talents seemed a natural progression.
“Its main purpose was to allow artistes, especially in Naparima College, to really get into the artforms,” he said of DNA Productions.
Baptiste said their stance was a marked departure from the school’s heavy emphasis on the academics.
“We just wanted a platform where we could also be ourselves artistically. So more persons joined the company and it spread to different schools in San Fernando.”
He said over the years, DNA Productions has grown to become one of TT’s largest acting academies.
Baptiste, who is also a full-time actor with the Tobago Performing Arts Company (TPAC), added the company has impacted the lives of over 6,000 students from more than 70 primary and secondary schools across the country.
“There aren’t many persons training a 13-year-old, 15-year-old or even a 65-year-old to be professional actors so we simply wanted to provide that opportunity to persons.”
[caption id="attachment_1155717" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Daniel Baptiste, left, performs in the TPAC production Once On This Island. -[/caption]
He said their efforts have not gone unnoticed.
Last October, DNA Productions was awarded most outstanding youth organisation at the National Youth Awards. Former Minister of Youth Development and National Service F
