There was a buzz on Bequia, the largest island of the Grenadines. It was about local films being developed on the south side of the island. It’s April 30, 2016. The Paget Farm community centre is overflowing with an eclectic mix for community members, visitors and foreign residents, all there to satisfy their curiosity. 
Reclaiming Paget Farm was a 12-week participatory film program that took a cross-section of community members interested in working as a collective to tell their own stories. The Project is the initiative of Skylarc Pictures, a film company known for highlighting social and environmental issues across North America and the Caribbean. Three documentary films were created out of the program, which featured guest facilitators Jerry Simpson and Lynn Rabren, veteran commercial and documentary filmmakers. 
It was a proud moment in the community of Paget Farm as many residents were pleasantly surprised to see themselves, their friends and family on the big screen interrogating realities in the community, including the culture of boat building and whaling, the decline of agriculture and fishing as viable livelihoods, pollution and environmental destruction, teenage pregnancy, and the purpose of love as it relates to community development.
The films surpassed everyone’s expectations of first time filmmakers and featured appearances by Former Prime Minister Sir James Mitchell, Representative of the Northern Grenadines Dr. Godwin Friday and Deputy Director of Grenadines Affairs Mr. Herman Belmar. These interviews we all interwoven with the perspectives of veteran community members like Vasi Williams, Sinclair Simmons and Marjorie Ollivierre.
The films were selected for the Caribbean Youth Film Festival in St. Lucia on August 19-20, 2016. Eight participants from the program will be travelling from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to St. Lucia this week to represent their work, thanks to support from the Grenadines Partnership Fund and the Northern Grenadines Community Development Inc.
The success of the initiative created synergies and relationships that gave rise to a new group on Bequia, The Hub Collective. The Hub Collective is a group of artists, educators, entrepreneurs and activists that use creativity to inspire positive change. The group already has its first major event, “Positive Vibes Festival” on August 27 from 10 am to 2 am at the Plantation Hotel in Bequia. The Festival is an all day creative event with crash course workshops, demonstrations, art exhibits and activities for kids. 
For all those who haven’t seen the films of Reclaiming Paget Farm, there will be screening beginning at 7:00pm. The festival culminates with a Positive Vibes Live concert featuring International soulstress Judy Boucher, Colin Peters, J. Gool, Cloud as well as up-and-coming Bequia stars.
Get your tickets and support artistic development: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2016-positive-vibes-bequia-august-festival-tickets-26505916911
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehubcollective/?fref=ts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehubcollective/
Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpz-ip3Q5-U&list=PLaUmtkMOMNJmq-cg1Pro2QIg0TeBzHZNP
