The Ministry of Education’s Department of Culture yesterday unveiled the logo for Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary.
The winning design, which will be the emblem of Guyana’s Golden Jubilee celebration, was created by Christopher Taylor and Compton Babb and was selected from amongst 64 entries that reportedly came from nearly every region of Guyana and in the diaspora.
“The final design that has emerged is quite simply very representative of our country Guyana in a way that no other logo possibly could have been, and I think that alone gives it its significance,” said Russell Lancaster, the programme chair, at the unveiling at the National Cultural Centre. Lancaster later stated that the design, which features a jaguar mid-roar, represents Guyana as a roaring nation moving forward.
Junior Education Minister Nicolette Henry, at the unveiling, reflected on the strides Guyana has made in its 50 years and drew comparison to the life of an individual achieving a similar milestone.
“The 50-year mark is a profound milestone as it is in the life of any person. At 50 we become closer to wisdom about people and the things that are truly important to us… Fifty is a time of deep humility about ourselves. For Guyana, 50 is an especially meaningful moment in our journey as a nation and as a people,” she said.
Minister Henry shared her hope that Guyanese will celebrate the things that bring them together and will “build on the shared aspiration and common future” that unite us.
The sentiment of oneness expressed by the minister was not lost on Taylor and Babb, whose collaborative effort alone is symbolic of the cohesiveness that of late, is constantly being rallied for.
“We saw it fit to collaborate because the country needs unity in terms of moving forward. I could’ve done it myself. He could’ve done it himself—but to take away selfishness and put the additional meaning of coming together, we decided to do it collectively,” Babb stated.
Babb, who is Taylor’s mentor, mentioned the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy and used the situation to highlight the need for Guyanese to work together.
The design of the logo he explained, needed to be a depiction of Guyana’s trials and serve as a projection of the country’s future development as well.
Babb said: “We needed something with substantial power and evidence to say, this 50th anniversary I’m going forward, that we will stand with one voice, roaring together, and sending a message towards those young ones who are ambitious and want to represent Guyana as a country to stand firm and to stand with one voice. So the collaborative effort was also based on that—coming together to achieve that victory as one people.”
Taylor told Stabroek News that when the competition was announced, he had some reservations about entering but pitched the idea to Babb, who supported the move.
He related that the two worked every day, sketching and revising based on constructive criticism. “Right now I’m feeling very excited and very grateful that we won,” Taylor expressed enthusiastically. “I was praying about it all the time and I’m very happy with the outcome of it.”
Also receiving honourable mentions for their designs yesterday were Dominique Hunter, Sudesh Krishnaram and Wayne Chung Chee Yeung, the runners up for the logo competition. All 60 artists received certificates of participation for their entries.
Minister Henry, in her closing remarks, reiterated the organising committee’s vision to host an anniversary celebration that is truly representative of the Guyanese experience.
It was on this note that she invited the submission of ideas to ensure their goal of inclusiveness is achieved, while noting that Guyana’s 50th anniversary celebration “belongs to all Guyanese.”
