Rational is Ed Budget Document

8/6/2019 Rational is Ed Budget Document

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THE WAY FORWARD

THE ARTISTS VISIONING

OF THE ARTS & CULTURAL

SECTOR

FROM 2010 - 2050

Rubadiri Victor MARCH 2010Interim PresidentThe Artist Coalition of Trinidad & Tobago5 Gulf View DriveLa Horquette Extension RoadGlencoeTrinidad, West [email protected]


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QUITE SIMPLY. NO ONE HAS LISTENED TO USFOR 48 YEARS. NEARLY EVERYTHING HAS

COLLAPSED. THERE IS A LOT OF WORK TO DO.


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CONTEXT

FOR THE T&T ARTS COMMUNITY & CULTURAL

INDUSTRY THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BUDGET

THAT WILL EVER BE AUTHORED. WE NEED TO

UNDERSTAND THIS HISTORICAL MOMENT SO THAT WE

DO NOT MAKE FATAL ERRORS- ANY ERROR AT THIS

MOMENT IS FATAL!!!


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IF WE DO NOT GET IT RIGHT IN THIS

BUDGET- IT MAYBE ALL OVER FOR

US

THIS YEAR WILL MARK THE COMPLETE PASSING OFTHE GOLDEN AGE GENERATION

17,000 HAVE DIED IN THE LAST 9 YEARS- 3000 ARELEFT, 2010 IS GROUND ZERO

WE HAVE NOT DOCUMENTED STORIES NOR PASSED

ON INDIGENOUS SPECIALISED SKILLS, A CRITICALENTERPRISE AWAITS, 144 TRADITIONAL SKILLS ARE

IN EXTREME JEOPARDY OF DISAPPEARING

WE FAIL & WE LOSE COMPLETELY OURUNIQUENESS & COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE


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WE HAVE FACED NEAR COMPLETE

COLLAPSE IN EVERY SINGLE SECTOR-

DESPITE A $300 BILLION BOOM

BECAUSE OF SECTOR NEGLECT

COLLAPSES IN THEATRE, DANCE, MUSIC, VISUAL ARTS, CRAFT,LITERATURE, TV & FILM, FESTIVALS

COLLAPSES IN SKILL, AUDIENCE, INTERNATIONAL BRAND CACHE,AESTHETICS, MARKET CONNECTIONS

COMPLETE DIVORCE OF POPULATION FROM THE ARTS EXCEPTIN ITS BASEST FORMS

WE ARE MOVING INTO A PHASE EXEMPLIFIED BY WEST INDIES

CRICKET WHERE ONCE WE WERE WORLD LEADER BUT NOW AREFIRMLY ENTRENCHED AS SECOND TO LAST- BECAUSE OF A

FAILURE TO HONOUR, INSTITUTIONALISE, TRANSMIT AND

INNOVATE ON LEGACY. WORST YET IS THE COMPLETE

INCAPACITY TO CRAFT PATHWAYS TO GRADUATE TO EVEN THE

TIER ABOVE US- FAR LESS BECOME WORLD LEADERS AGAIN


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CONVERSELY- ON THE REST OF THE

PLANET- THE ARTS HAVE EXPLODED

IN THE LAST DECADE & ARE THE

ENGINE OF GROWTH FOR LARGE &

SMALL ECONOMIES

MOST COUNTRIES HAVE CREATED THE ENABLINGENVIRONMENTS AND INSTRUMENTS TO UNLEASH

THEIR CREATIVE SECTORS

THEY ALL HAVE REAPED NATIONAL BENEFITS

WHICH HAVE TOOLED THEM ECONOMICALLY TODEAL WITH THE GLOBAL DOWNTURN

WE WERE COMPLETELY LEFT OUT AND HAVE TOCATCH UP


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WE HAVE DONE NEXT TO NOTHING IN

48 YEARSIN TERMS OF ENABLING

WE MUST BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES, WE ARE

STARTING ALMOST FROM ZERO IN TERMS OF AFACILITATIVE ENVIRONMENT

WE HAVE TO MOVE FROM INTUITIVE GIFTS TO MASTERYTO GLOBAL INDUSTRY

WE NOW HAVE TO CONSTRUCT A PROPER ECO-SYSTEMOF INFRASTRUCTURE, LEGISLATION, POLICY, AND

FUNDING INSTRUMENTS TO FACILITATE TALENT

SIMULTANEOUSLY WE HAVE TO ENGAGE THE LOCALTALENTS THAT ARE READY TO GRADUATE AND WIN NEW

LANDS FOR US-

WE MUST IDENTIFY AND EMPOWER THESE TO BE THEGLOBAL GATE-OPENERS


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WE ARE ONE OF THE 10 CULTURAL

NODES ON PLANET EARTH

THE NODES ARE: NY, LA, LONDON, NEW ORLEANS, PARIS,ROME, INDIA, JAPAN, JAMAICA

OUR POWER AND INFLUENCE WAS CREATED IN OURGOLDEN AGE 1930-1950

WE EXIST IN A PERIOD OF THE WANING OF THEINFLUENCE OF OUR GOLDEN AGE

OUR CHALLENGE IS: HOW DO WE CONTINUE THE GIFTSOF A GOLDEN AGE WHEN THE CONDITIONS ON THE

GROUND NO LONGER EXIST?

OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE ANSWERED THOSE QUESTIONSFOR THEIR TRADITIONS- EG. THE EUROPEAN SYMPHONIC

ORCHESTRA, ETC

WE MUST: TREASURE, HONOUR, & BUILD ON THESEGIFTS; UNLEASH THE MASTERS; AND APPRENTICE ,

EMPOWER AND UNLEASH THE FIFTH GENERATION


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WE KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN

UNLEASHED! WE HAVE A

PHENOMENAL LEGACY TO BUILD ON

WE HAVE WON OSCARS, EMMYS, GRAMMYS, TONYS,

NAACP AWARDS, BET AWARDS, NOBEL PRIZES,

COMMONWEALTH BOOK AWARDS, BOLLYWOOD

OSCARS-

300 TRINI-STYLED CARNIVALS GLOBALLY WORTH $15B,CREATED THE ONLY ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENT IN THE 20

TH

CENTURY, WORLDS 1ST

PLATINUM ALBUM, 2ND

OLDEST

RECORDING INDUSTRY IN THE WORLD, A CULTURALMOTHERLODE UNPARALLELLED IN HUMAN HISTORY

WE MUST EMPOWER SKILLED, WILLING AND WORTHYPRACTITIONERS WITH THE LEGACY OF THE MASTERS AND

FACILITATE THEIR WINNING OF NEW LANDS FOR US


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PHILOSOPHY


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A FACILITATING ENVIRONMENT VS HAND-OUTS:

y Local artists and cultural industry stakeholders have never been interested in hand-outs orbeing dependent on government and the Ministry of Culture.

y The sector is interested in the Ministry and government doing their job. That job is thecreation of a facilitating environment for the practice of Art and careers in Culture.

y The plans in this document are simply the laying out of what that superstructure and itsinnards look like. WE ARE INSISTING UPON THE CREATION OF THIS ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

IN THE SAME WAY INDUSTRIAL SUPPORTS WERE CREATED FOR THE OIL & GAS SECTOR,

MANUFACTURING, POULTRY AND OTHER INDUSTRIES LOCALLYy These initiatives are also 48 years overdue.

JUSTICE

y Trinidad and Tobago is not normal. It is one of the 10 great cultural nodes on planet Earth.Historically it is one of the richest cultures to have ever appeared on planet Earth

y We have historically squandered all of this Heritage and its attendant gifts and are at analarming state of complete collapse

y 2 generations have died and not seen any of these programmes implemented

y Cultural practice has collapsed to an alarming degree whereby most of the superhuman gainsthat this country has won over the course of the Golden Age have completely been eroded

y We are in an emergency scenario where we can be looking at the complete collapse of certainsectors, the disappearance of certain traditions, and the complete systemic impossibility of

T&T reclaiming its previous state of privilege in certain sectors- imagine a West Indies Cricket

type scenario throughout dozens of sectors

y The interventions itemized here will create the most basic physical, policy and legislativeinfrastructure necessary on one hand- and an emergency intervention on the other

GEOMETRICALLY INCREASING THE CONTRIBUTION OF CULTURE TO THE ECONOMY:

y The current contribution of Arts and Culture to the economy is about $1.6 Billion.

y A deployment of the plans detailed in this document will create a real and vibrant culturalsector that can multiply its contribution to the national economy by 3 in about 3 years and by

10 in about 7.

y The contribution of the cultural sector to the economy can be about $10 Billion comfortably atcurrent values.

y The returns on cultural investment are normally geometric rather than gradual and linear

y Do not be overwhelmed by the quantity of programmes. There may appear to be quite a lot-and they are. But they are low cost with very high financial, social and political returns.

y Most of these interventions are self-sustaining.

EMPLOYMENT & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

y The power of Arts and Culture is that it allows diverse and multi-tiered sections of theeconomy to partake, create and maintain viable careers.

y The proper implementation of these programmes will create one of the most powerful forces

for independent upward mobility in the country.y Once many of these players receive the necessary start-up capital and resources they will be

able to navigate their careers independently.

THE PUBLIC

y There is no other sector that will empower more people- and in joyful professions, and givethem that secret conjunction of dream, talent, career, and reward like careers in the Arts

y Initiatives in the Arts and Culture will play well to enormous swathes of the communitypolitically and thus are worthwhile to a standing administration


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THE INSTITUTIONAL

FRAMEWORK


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THE MINISTRY OF ARTS & MULTI-CULTURALISM

The Minister

Junior Minister

Permanent SecretaryDirector of Culture

12 Cultural Officers

3 Ministerial Advisors

Council of Elders

Staff

THE T&T ARTS COUNCIL (based onthe Canadian model)

President

Board of Directors

Sector Reps & Appointed experts

StaffTHE ARTIST COALITION

President

Executive Board

Group Representatives

Staff

ARTIST REPRESENTATIVEORGANISATIONS

TUCO, PANTRINBAGO, NDATT,NDATT, CHUTNEY, NCBA, NCDF,

Writers Union, Parang Association,Circle of Poets, etc


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THERE ARE INTERNATIONAL PRECEDENTS

FOR MOST OF THE INSTITUTIONAL AND

PROGRAMME INTERVENTIONS SUGGESTED IN

THIS DOCUMENT- MANY ARE COMMONPLACE

ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE ORGANISATIONAL

STRUCTURES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OFPROGRAMMES- LIKE THE SUGGESTED GRANT

SCHEMES- ARE ADAPTED FROM AGENCIES

WITH INTERNATIONAL BEST PRACTISES.

NEEDLESS TO SAY ALL INSTITUTIONAL

SUBVENTIONS IN THIS BUDGET WILL BESUBJECT TO THE HIGHEST DEGREES OF

ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS IS WHAT

DIVERSIFICATION LOOKS LIKE AT GROUND

ZERO!


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INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMETS:

IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET THE INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS RIGHT SO THAT THERE IS HARMONY

AMONGST THE PLAYERS IN THE SECTOR. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES MUST BE CLEAR AND LINES OF

COMMUNICATION MUST BE OPEN AND THE PROTOCOLS FOR THEM WELL ESTABLISHED.

THE MINISTRY OF ARTS & MULTI-CULTURALISM Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE

The Ministry is at present made up of The Minister, Junior Minister, Permanent Secretary, Director of

Culture, and Staff. We are suggesting that there be12 Cultural Officers of different competencies, 3

Ministerial Advisors, and a Council of Elders made up of the countrys cultural icons like Minshall, Pat

Bishop, Ravi Ji, Leroy Clarke, Earl Lovelace, Mungal Patessar, Sat Balkaransingh, Horace Ove, Geoffrey

Holder, etc A proper read of the current staffs competencies and present project work load should be

done. Possibly a major hiring drive would have to be done.

THE T&T ARTS COUNCIL Status for implementation: MEDIUM TERM (1.5 years)

We are suggesting the creation of a T&T Arts Council based on the Canadian model as an intermediary

arms-length arts funding agency to overlook this critical area. The Trinidad and Tobago Coalition of

Services Industries (TTCSI) will be the Project management body overseeing the establishment of the

T&T ARTS COUNCIL. They will be responsible for ramping up the managerial capacity of the sector.The

Councils main areas of activity are:

y Grants: They provide funding to individual professional artists and arts organizations through a

peer assessment process. This is the nursery for original work, innovation and entrepreneurship.

y Endowments, Scholarships and Prizes: Each year they will award fellowships, scholarships, and

prizes to some 200+ artists and scholars.

y Research, communications and arts promotion activities also further their mandate to support,

promote and celebrate the arts.

ADMINISTRATION, PEER-REVIEW PROGRAMMES, PROCESS, SET-UP: $3 MILLION

THE ARTS COUNCIL UNITS & PROGRAMS- THE SECTOR REQUIRES A NURSERY FOR TALENT TO EMERGE1. The National Foundation: Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (Budget 2011) Trinidad and

Tobago has never had a transparent national grant fund that artists and stakeholders can

apply to for the purpose of creating and refining work. A fund of minimum $135 M should be

set up for the funding of artist and community projects- to be the major funding device for the

nations artists.

This money should be supplemented and/or boosted by: National Lottery Funds; an Oil and Gas

tax; and special taxes from Carnival profiteers like hotels, alcoholic beverage companies; etc.

Also the private sector will be invited to contribute and/or adopt some of the grants and brand

them if they are interested. The theme is Partnership. This Grant Scheme money is separate and

apart from annual subventions for statutory representative bodies.


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SIZE OF INDIVIDUAL GRANT NO. OF GRANTS ANNUALLY

(2550 grants)

TOTAL FOR YEAR

($135 000 000)

$ 1 000 000. 10 $ 10 000 000.

$ 500 000. 40 $ 20 000 000.

$ 250 000. 200 $ 50 000 000.

$ 100 000. 100 $10 000 000.

$ 50 000. 200 $ 10 000 000.

$ 25 000. 1000 $ 25 000 000.

$ 10 000. 1000 $ 10 000 000.

THE GRANTS WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED SIX TIMES PER YEAR- TOTAL $135 000 000. 00. THIS IS

THE NURSERY-BED OF PREMIUM ARTS ACTIVITY

WE ANTICIPATE THAT OVER 10,000 WILL BE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED DURING THESE 2550

PROJECTS. MORE THAN 10,000 PEOPLE FROM FAMILIES WILL BE POSITIVELY AFFECTED. OUT

OF THESE PROJECTS THERE WILL BE PROJECTS THAT WILL BECOME GLOBALLY RECOGNISED

AND DISTRIBUTED- AT LEAST 30% WILL BECOME EARNERS OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE.

2. International Grant search unit: Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (Budget 2011) Thisunit will search the world for suitable grants that local artists can be eligible for- and publish and

facilitate them. For instance there are Universities who buy cultural artifacts for their

collections, this Unit can secure such opportunities for locals

3. The Magnificent Sevens Genius Grant program: Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE(Budget 2011) The Council will oversee the selection of the 28 annual Genius Grants. A

RUNNING THEME THROUGHOUT THIS DOCUMENT IS THAT WE MUST UNLEASH THE MASTERS!

AGE GROUP NO. OF GRANTS SIZE OF INDIVIDUAL

GRANT

TOTAL COST OF AGE

GROUP GRANTS

15-25 7 $ 100 000. $ 700 000.

25-45 7 $ 500 000. $3 500 000.

45-65 7 $ 750 000. $5 250 000.

65 and over 7 $1 000 000. $7 000 000.

TOTAL $16 450 000

GENIUS GRANTS ARE REALLY ISSUED FOR WORKS THAT GENIUSES HAVE ALREADY DONE- BUT

THE RETURNS OF GIVING GRANTS TO CERTIFIED GENIUSES IS STRATOSPHERIC. THE WORK

THAT THEY CAN NOW CREATE HAS A POWER TO TRAVEL AND ENTER GLOBAL SPACES IN WAYS

THAT NO KIND OF PROGRAMME CONCEIVED BY ANY BODY ELSE CAN- E.G. PETER MINSHALL

4. National Arts Scholarship Programme: Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (Budget 2011)The Council will oversee the selection process of the types of scholarships awarded for the

sector- based upon needs. They will oversee screening, selection, monitoring, and deployment

of candidates. (SEE PAGE 21 BELOW)


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THE SPECIAL PURPOSE AGENCIES

1. TTENT: Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (Budget 2011) Needs an annual subvention ofat least $25 Million to accomplish its objectives: Subvention will cover: Administration; Training;

Marketing; Grants; Scholarships; etc. The majority of TTENTs money should be spent on

facilitating teams of T&T talent to niche expos like MIDEM and WOMAX for music; Germany,

Brazil, Venice, France, Senegal Biennials for visual artists; world craft fairs for craft artists and

industrial designers, etcOf great importance is the constitution of the TTENT board- it should

consists of nominated people by sector groups and reps from groups like RIATT. $25 MILLION

2. TTFILM: Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (Budget 2011) Needs an annual subvention ofat least $25 Million to accomplish its objectives, although $15 Million can do for starters

Subvention will cover: Administration; Training; Marketing; Annual Film Festival; Overseas

Expos; Grants; Scholarships; etc $15 MILLION (full TTFILM sector demands on page 33)

3. The Incubation Unit: Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (Budget 2011) Not necessarily astand-alone company, it could be within the Ministry itself. The job of this agency is to assist

artists who have received assistance with upgrading their skills and competencies in managing

their work, business and talents towards realizing their objectives. BUDGET: $3 M for

administration, Training programmes, Outreach, Hiring of life-skill and entrepreneurial coaches,

Rental of conference rooms, etc $3 MILLION

THE ARTIST COALITION Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (Budget 2011)

As the umbrella group of all artist representative groups ACTT needs to have institutional strengthening

funding granted to it as a worthy NGO. The rest of its funds should be secured by annual payments from

all its 20+ member groups- a number which is always expanding. ACTT has been the major artists

bargaining and lobbying unit in the nation for the last decade- against overwhelming odds. ACTT is the

umbrella body of all the cultural umbrella bodies. As such it is the negotiating arm of artists and will also

become the facilitating body for the Artists Union which needs to be formed to regulate internal artist

conflicts and protocols. The Union will be affiliated with Equity in the USA and in England. $500 000.

THE REPRESENTATIVE BODIES Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (Budget 2011)

NDATT, TUCO, the Chutney Foundation, etc They should each have their funding bases tripled. Their

jobs are to look over their sector interests. They should be funded as usual by the Ministry and their

subventions should be mandatory and fixed. For special project funds they can apply to the Foundation.NO. OF GROUPS IN PLAN ANNUAL SUBVENTION/GROUP TOTAL

5 Elite stakeholder groups (Pan,

TUCO, 2 Chutney share, 2 Mas

share, )

$ 1 000 000. $5 000 000.

15 Senior groups (NDATT- drama

and dance, ART SOCIETY,

PARANG, RAPSO, RIATT, etc)

$ 500 000. $7500 000.

20 Formative groups (HIP HOP,

JAZ ALLIANCE, FARMM, etc)

$ 100 000. $2 000 000.

TOTAL 40 GROUPS $ 1 600 000. $14 500 000.

THE CURRENT AVERAGE SUBVENTION OF REP GROUPS IS $120,000 AND WAS SUBJECT TO POLITICAL

WHIMS- THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS. CONSISTENT,

PREDICTABLE AND ADEQUATE INSTUTUTIONAL FUNDING WILL BE THE BASE OF THE RENOVATION IN

MANAGEMENT OF THE REPRESENTATIVE GROUPS IN THE SECTOR.


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IT IS SUGGESTED THAT COMMUNAL AND SHARED OFFICE SPACE BE IDENTIFIED FOR THE

REPRESENTATIVE ORGANISATIONS RENT FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME (2 TO 3 YEARS) SO THAT THEY CAN

ESTABLISH THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITIES AND NETWORK. WE ARE SUGGESTING THAT ONE

FLOOR OF THE IFC BUILDING BY THE WATERFRONT BE GIVEN OVER TO THE ADMINSTRATIVE OFFICE

HUB OF THE ARTIST REPRESENTATIVE GROUPS. THIS CENTRALISATION AND UPGRADE WILL FAST-

TRACK THE PROFESSIONALISATION OF THE SECTOR AS UPGRADE OF MANAGEMENT SKILLS WOULD BE

EASIER TO CORDINATE. THERE WILL SOON BE AN EXCESS OF FREE OFFICE SPACE ALL OVER THE CITY

AND ITS SUBURBS ONCE GOVERNMENT CAMPUS IS OPENED SO THAT THERE WILL BE OPTIONS.

Decentralized spaces in communities should also be identified and the technological resource to ensure

interconnectivity be put in place. All of this outfitting will ensure the professionalization of the sector

and the upgrade of management skills.

THE RIGHTS COLLECTION AGENCIES Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE & ONGOING

Because the basis for T&Ts wealth in the creative sector in the upcoming years is going to depend on:

our ability to register our intellectual proprietorship over a range of our cultural creations and our ability

to collect the revenues derived from this- we must then refine our institutional framework so that they

could be armed with all the instruments necessary to be able to do these things. The present Rights

Collection Agencies must be rehabilitated and the necessary others brought on stream. COTT, TTOC,

etc should be facilitated in the process of collecting the royalties due to T&T citizens from our creative

work. The appropriate International Conventions must be entered into to enable this. RERAP is the bodyformed to collect and administer the very important phenomena of neighbouring rights which is not

currently captured locally. The start-up cost of RERAP is $ 1 000 000. for: Legal costs; Administration;

Training; Marketing; Overseas Outreach; Launch; etc

$2 MILLION

THE NCC: Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE & ONGOING (should be unveiled by the launch of

Carnival 2011)

There is no greater economic force that T&T has created that can rival its global carnivals in terms of

impact. The NCC must be reconceived as a permanent agency entrusted, staffed and equipped to deal

with a global mandate for all the 300 Trini-styled Carnivals that already exist. It must be also based on

an understanding of T&T as the industrial, creative, intellectual and spiritual centre of a multi-billion

dollar social and creative phenomenon- a centre that has ambitions to carry its gospel to all corners of

the Earth and expand its market share exponentially by 2050. This vision must also overlook the

expansion of the plant capacity of T&T to facilitate recapturing the proprietorship of the elements of

production and the software for the global festival. It requires a CEO with vision and practical skills and a

working board of incredible creative and managerial expertise.

A figure of just over $100 M was quoted for last carnival, we believe with the new dispensation the NCC

should be allotted $75 M as an annual subvention to see after its large ambit of the international 300

Carnivals and the local Festival. Other costs- infrastructural, grant related, etc would now be facilitated

and administered through other independent agencies and funds we have outlined. $75 MILLION

y T&TS 300 TRINI-STYLE CARNIVALS ARE WORTH ABOUT $15 BILLION- OF WHICH WE CAPTURELESS THAN .0001%.

y WE HAVE LOST CONTROL OF MANY OF THE BOARDS THAT ADMINISTRATE THESE CARNIVALS.

y WE ALSO HAVE LOST ANY KIND OF T&T BRAND CONNECTION AS THE ORIGINATOR OF THESEFESTIVALS.

y THE COSTUME TRADITION WE PIONEERED IS COLLAPSING IN MOST OF THE CARNIVALS- AS ITIS AT HOME.


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y THE 2 INSTITUTES THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED FOR CARNIVAL EXIST IN ENGLAND- LONDONAND LUTON. FOREIGNERS ARE NOW TAKING OVER THE SPECIALISED GOLDEN AGE SKILLS WE

ONCE POSSESSED.

y THE NCCS CARNIVAL SPEND MUST BE CONCEIVED WITH THE IDEA OF RE-ESTABLISHING THEVITALITY OF CORE TRADITIONS. SKILLS AND PRACTISES. SITES OF RETENTION AND

INNOVATION MUST BE ACKNOWLEDGED, CREATED AND REWARDED.

CULTURAL INDUSTRY VENTURE CAPITAL: IMMEDIATE (Budget 2011 in conjunction with the Ministries

of Finance, Labour and Micro-Enterprise)

WE NEED TO CREATE A FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT THAT UNLEASHES THE CORE BUSINESSES WITHIN THE

SECTOR THAT ARE WILLING TO RISK TO INNOVATE AND GROW MARKET SHARE. If there is going to be

a sustained cultural industry with sophisticated entrepreneurial players who are capable of engaging the

global industry there needs to be at base a facilitative financial mechanism and environment for creative

business. T&Ts venture capital market is deplorably conservative and non-responsive- either it is kick-

started, new players brought in, or creative financial instruments be created to launch enterprises with

appropriate seed-capital. An expert financial and managerial team can be put together that understands

the sector to be the incubative team and monitors. $51.5 MILLION

(see appendix for a plan for the Ministry of Trade called The Billion Dollar Visionary Fund)

SECTOR HEALTH PLAN:

y Signing of a group health plan for the Cultural Industry for ages 18- 70 and a specialprovision for ages 71-99: $1 MILLION will give full major medical coverage up to $400 000/

person for 2050 people *see appendix for details


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IMMEDIATE ACTIONS

THE FIRST 100 DAYS


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IMMEDIATE ACTION:

1. MASSIVE STAKEHOLDER MEETING Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (within 1 month)The first action by the Minister should be a massive national stakeholder meeting that would

probably have to be held at the Centre of Excellence because there would be 5000+ people

expected. The aims of the meeting would be:

y Introducing the Minister and his team, which will mark a distinct break with the past of non-consultation

y The revelation of the broad philosophy of this Minister and his team

y

Getting the National Registry of Artists totally subscribed as people will have to registerupon entry. This Registry is a prerequisite for EPA entry within 3 years

y Release the Draft National Cultural Policy for stakeholder comment

y Begin a process of consultation for ideas with a massive suggestion box

y Launch some immediate initiatives for stakeholder support and buy-in$2 MILLION

2. THE DRAFT NATIONAL CULTURAL POLICY Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (1 month)The most important document for the sector! It must be a priority. Needs to be perused by Cabinet

and the relevant Ministries it intersects with (Education, Trade, Tourism) - and then released at the

stakeholder gathering. Also the draftees (full disclosure: of which I am one) have to be paid. $1

Million for: payment of draftees; administration of outreach and refurbishment of document;

national consultation sessions; final draft and launch.

$1 MILLION

3. THE OPTIMUM COUNTRY- OPTIMUM INDUSTRY PAPERS Status for implementation:IMMEDIATE (Budget 2011)

The Optimum Country is a series of Vision Papers on each cultural sector visioning what the

maximum productive capacity of the sector is with all the present players if the sector were

functioning at its optimum. The papers allow one to see which players, events, forces and elements

should be resourced and nurtured whilst the ecosystem of infrastructure, legislation and policy is

put in place. From these papers, long and medium term plans can be crafted and an immediate

action plan can be drafted up:

An example of an Immediate Sector Action Plan based on an Optimum Industry Study:

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY: $10 MILLION EMERGENCY MUSIC INDUSTRY PLAN- (matching funding intl)

y $2M: Funding for full albums for 25 of our best album acts- chosen from The Optimum

Industrydocument which identifies the acts who are poised for take-off

y $1M: Scholarships for 7 of our best music producers and engineers who would then be

the spear-head of taking the sound of local music to the next level

y $1.5M: Scholarships for 10 musicians in bass, guitar, drums, brass, keyboards, voice,

strings, African/East Indian/ethnic instrumentation- to become the cornerstone for local

session musicians for the local recording industry

y $1.5M: For the creation of 24 band-rooms across the country in community centresand other identified spaces for musicians to rent at subsidised prices.

y $3M: Tour funding for a 3 year brand T&T assault on the international music expos of

MIDEM and WOMEX for about 30 acts selected again from The Optimum Industry

document

y $1M: For an exploratory tour for a select 20 artist to England and Europe

y Launch a Record label start-up Grant with an incubation fund (partner with Ministry ofTrade)


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y Establish local content tax breaks for venues featuring live paid local acts (partner withCOTT)- possibly dollar-for-dollar for one year

y Establish a Ministry Of Culture Travel Department for all travelling working artists towork through visa requirements, procedural stuff with High Commissions and Embassies,

and EPA and other regulations

y THIS EMERGENCY INTERVENTION COULD BE WORTH MORE THAN $100 MILLION TO THEECONOMY ANNUALLY- AS ELITE ACTS ARE EACH CAPABLE OF EARNING NET $20

MILLION/YEAR AND THESE PROGRAMMES WILL IMMEDIATELY UNLEASH ABOUT 10 ELITE

ACTS INTERNATIONALLY.

y AT PRESENT T&T HAS ONE ELITE ARTIST WHO EARNS $54 MILLION A YEAR.

y BELOW HIM THE NEXT ARTISTS EARN ABOUT $1.5 MILLION BUT IF YOU WERE TO SUBTRACTPRIZE MONEY FROM THAT YOU WOULD HAVE ONLY $500,000. IN REAL EARNINGS. BENEATH

THIS POOL OF ABOUT 7 LIES SUBSISTENCE. THIS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN INDUSTRY.

y AT THE SAME TIME THERE ARE DOZENS OF ACTS THAT ARE GLOBAL READY AND NEED TO BEUNLEASHED. WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO FACILITATIVE MECHANISMS FOR THIS TO HAPPEN.

y T&T CAN HAVE AT LEAST 50 MUSICAL ACTS OPERATING AT THE LEVEL OF MACHEL AT $58MILLION/YEAR. 200 ACTS UNDER THAT EARNING BETWEEN $1M- $20 MILLION/YEAR. BELOW

THAT ABOUT 500 ACTS THAT ARE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED IN MUSIC AND WHO TOURINTERNATIONALLY AT SOME POINT IN THE YEAR. IN ANY GIVEN YEAR SOME OF THESE ACTS

CAN GRADUATE TO THE NEXT LEVEL. JAMAICAS INDUSTRY FUNCTIONS LIKE THIS.

y MACHEL EMPLOYS AT LEAST 50 PEOPLE IN HIS IMMEDIATE CIRCLE AS ABUSINESS/PERFORMING UNIT. MULTIPLY THIS BY 200

OTHER EMERGENCY SECTOR INTERVENTIONS:

SECTOR COST OF EMERGENCY INTERVENTION

Visual Arts $1 000 000.

Theatre $2 000 000.

Film and TV $2 000 000.

Literature $1 000 000.

Mas and Festivals $2 000 000.

TOTAL $8 000 000.

y THESE SECTOR INTERVENTIONS ARE TO RIGHT IMMEDIATE WRONGS AND TO IDENTIFY ANDPROPEL THE ELITE PERFORMERS INTO THE GAME OF GAINFUL GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT.

y WE MUST LOOK AT THE ARTS LIKE WE LOOK AT SPORTS IN TERMS OF ELITE PERFORMERSWHO ARE CAPABLE OF WINNING MEDALS- ONLY THAT ELITE ARTISTS WIN MILLIONS OF

DOLLARS OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE AS THEIR MEDALS.

y IF THIS COUNTRY HAS A CADRE OF 200 ELITE PERFORMERS OPERATING IN THE WORLD THEYALONE WOULD BE WORTH $10 BILLION AT AN AVERAGE EARNING OF $50 MILLION/YEAR.

y IF ANY ONE OF THESE ACTS WERE TO GRADUATE THE TOP TIER OF THE ENTERTAINMENTHEAIRACHY (E.G. BARBADIAN RIHANNA) THEY COULD BE EARNING IN EXCESS OF $100

MILLION/YEAR EASILY. THE MORE ACTS WE PUT IN THE UPPER RUNG THE GREATER THE

POSSIBILITY OF THIS HAPPENING.


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4. THE YEAR OF MEMORY Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (1 Month) THIS IS OF EXTREMEURGENCY!!!! We are racing peoples mortality and senility. The necessary stakeholders are

ready to move on this- plans have been in the works for a long time

2010 needs to be declared The Year of Memory and a major programme documenting the nations

cultural Legacy needs to take place. This may be the last year we have with most of the magic

generation which made T&T special. TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO HAS LOST UP TO 17,000 GENIUS

ELDERS FROM OUR GOLDEN AGE GENERATION IN THE LAST DECADE. THERE ARE 3000 VIPs LEFT.

T&Ts Golden Age lay between 1930 and 1950- a period of phenomenal achievement for the

country. That generation is now 75, 85 and over- and is passing onIn the Golden Age period of the

30s to the 50s Pan, Mas, and Calypso emerged in their modern forms, the entire multi-ethnic festival

character of the nation took shape, it was the period of the growth of the trade unions, religious and

secular organizations, and the birth of Independence. It was a period of all-round national

achievement. In one week in this last decade we lost Beryl Mc Bernie, Sundar Popo, and the Lord

Kitchener. Every new week there are more deaths. We have not paid any attention to this urgent

phenomenon and we are on the brink of losing the entire Memory of the Nation. The programmes

during the Year of Memory include:

y PROJECT MEMORY: a unit and methodology to record biography $15 Million

y The Guilds of Masters: a unit and methodology to pass on specialized skill and practice.We have identified 144 skills that are in immediate danger of disappearing. $10 Million

y INHERITANCE: The History of the Arts and Culture of Trinidad & Tobago Exhibit: apermanent exhibition to be lodged in the National Museum documenting the magical

creative multi-ethnic Legacy of T&T $1 Million

y Grounding with the Elders Lecture Series: The nation will come face to face with aseries of these Elders in one on one lectures and conversations $500 000.

y The 100 Greatest Moments of T&T Civilisation TV series & book: a 7 part televisionseries recollecting the defining moments of Trinidad and Tobagos phenomenal history $1

Million

y The 100 Greatest Mas Costumes & Carnival Bands of all time TV series & book: two 7part television series recollecting the greatest costumes and bands of T&Ts magical carnival

$1 Million

y The Carnival Files- a specialized process of recording Mas practice $1 Million

y Salute to the Magicians- a special commemorative dinner honouring T&T Mas genius$500 000

y The Golden Age Radio program- a thrice weekly filmed-in-studio-radio program ondifferent aspects of T&Ts multi-ethnic Golden Age Legacy $100 000.

y

Histories & Memoirs- the commissioning and/or facilitating ofa range of culturalhistories, biographies, and research papers and books: eg The SOCA Book; Caldeo SookramsHistory of East Indian Music; the Minshall Book; Rudders biography; the Trinidad Theatre

Workshop; etc $1Million

y The Theme Park: Status for implementation: LONG TERM (Phase 1 in 4 years) (this willbe dealt with at length later) Commissioned Feasibility Report $100 000

TOTAL FOR MEMORY PROGRAMMES: $31 200 000.


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The aim in all of these programs is to mainstream the Legacy and Memory of T&T in the life of citizens

throughout the length and breadth of the country. These programmes will work alongside other

initiatives like the National Heroes Policy, the 365 Heritage Sites, etc

y THE RECORDED HISTORIES OF T&TS GOLDEN AGE ELDERS ARE WORTHBILLIONS TO THE NATIONAL PATRIMONY

y

THE COLLECTED ARTIFACTS FROM T&TS GOLDEN AGE ELDERS AREWORTH BILLIONS TO THE NATIONAL PATRIMONY

y THE CURRICULUM THAT WILL BE CREATED FROM THE RECORDED LEGACYAND SKILLS OF T&TS GOLDEN AGE ELDERS IS WORTH BILLIONS TO THE

NATIONAL PATRIMONY

y THE PATENTING OF THE KNOWLEDGE, TRADITIONAL SKILLS ANDINVENTIONS OF T&TS GOLDEN AGE ELDERS IS WORTH BILLIONS TO THE

NATIONAL PATRIMONY

y THE HERITAGE SITES CREATED OUT OF THE LEGACY OF T&TS GOLDEN AGEELDERS ARE WORTH BILLIONS TO THE NATIONAL PATRIMONY

y WHY HAVE WE NOT DONE THIS?

y THIS YEAR CONSTITUTES OUR ABSOLUTE LAST CHANCE!!!


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THE PROGRAMMES


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THE PROGRAMMES:

To kick-start the process of the rehabilitating and modernizing of the sector there must be pointed

programmes which guide activity in certain directions. These are a host of programmes that have been

outstanding since Independence and others that have been suggested by visionary practitioners

throughout the years. Here are a list of them which should be immediately tabled:

REPATRIATING TRINI GENIUS FROM ABROAD

1. SUMMIT.org: Status for implementation: SHORT TERM (announced in Budget 2011 forrealization in 8 months) T&T has a brilliant diaspora of genius talents that have been brain-

drained away and who are not interested in returning. Summit.org proposes to create a 3 dayseminar that brings back hundreds of our best minds and talents from abroad for the purpose of

networking, returning and brainstorming solutions to pressing national problems. $ 3 MILLION

THIS WILL BE PARTNERED WITH BY PRIVATE SECTOR & INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS

HEROISM AS REPAIRING CITIZENSHIP, COMMUNITIES & AS A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY

2. The National Heroes Policy: Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (should be released forpublic comment in 2 months, Phase 1 in Budget 2011) The National Heroes Policy should be

launched as soon as possible as it can transform the country in a short space of time. There was

a policy that was being drafted by the last administration but for some reason never saw the

light of day.

There should be local community Heroes, regional Heroes, heroes related to specific fields, and

National Heroes. Each level of hero would have a concrete institutional space which consecrates

them and establishes institutional memory and take-aways that make the Legacy democratic.

All Community Centres should have purpose built Halls of Fames and Community Museums.

This country should have 365 Heritage Sites- one for each day of the year. Most Heritage sites

should correspond to Local and National Heroes. The country should also have numerous

Monuments corresponding to important heroes and/or events in the nations history.

All this should culminate in a National Hall of Fame which would be a Great Hall of Heroes

with superlative National Heroes (as well as Regional and International heroes as well).There

is also the Pat Chu Foon Savannah Walk of Fame idea If such an ecosystem were establishedwith all the relevant other programmes (TV programs, Films, music, books, etc) then we have

a very different type of population- from local to national level. Then we may finally have a

Nation!

ADMINSITRATION, RESEARCH & MARKETING THRUST $3 MILLION

3. The Book of HEROES:Status for implementation: SHORT TERM (announced Budget 2011 to bereleased in time for school term September 2011) This is a massive illustrated encyclopedia of

heroes which could be included in the primary and secondary school curriculum. The book is a

compendium of heroes and heroines from all over the planet- but from a very West Indian idea

of heroism- which is to say a multi-ethnic idea of heroism that has to do with resistance to

tyranny, oppression, creativity, vitality, and our very peculiar notions of brilliance and

perfection. The book needs updating, final illustrations and exhaustive editing. $500 000.


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THEATRE & DANCE

Because of the state of generational collapse of theatre and dance at present and its

ephemerality it is urgent that a programme for: canonization of masterworks, transmission of

skill; and recording of its history be urgently engaged. A national theatre and dance hierarchy

would have to be created that ensures the survival of national masterworks and mastery.

4. 2 National Theatre Companies and a National Dance Company: The country needs 2 NationalTheatre Troupes. The Trinidad Theatre Workshop should be declared the countrys National

Theatre Company and its repertoire of Walcottian productions and other works declared

National Treasures. They should be granted a dedicated theatre space and should also be placed

in charge of the nations Theatre-in-Education programme which they pioneered in the 90s.The

companys ambit is to ensure the survival of local and Caribbean masterworks by continual

performance and re-interpretation. Possible locations would be the Old Fire Station on Hart

Street next to the National Library or the abandoned National Library on Knox Street. The

National Theatre Arts Company which has already been created should be kept but its ambit

needs to be clearly demarcated. The company should be a repertory company based at the UTT

Academy for Performing Arts but should be made up of the senior and avant garde talents that

exist nationally. This Repertory Companys role is the generation of new work, experimental

work, and staging the kind of scale of works that having access to a large (hopefully highly

skilled!) student body allows you to stage. Getting the board and structure right for this

company is critical just as is getting the theatre department right at the Academy. This companyshould also have a theatre that is dedicated to it. The National Dance Company would have the

twin ambits of the 2 theatre companies. It would have a cadre of master choreographers moving

through it and building a core repertoire and its role would be to preserve masterworks by

pioneers like the Holder Brothers, Beryl McBernie and the Master Astor Johnson. They would

also be commissioning new works. A dedicated space would have to be identified for this

company as well. These 3 companies will be the beacons of excellence for the performing arts

fraternity and they would also be the centres of Memory for our traditions.

$5 MILLION

BUILDINGS WOULD NEED TO BE IDENTIFIED FOR THESE THEATRE COMPANIES AND DECISIONS

MADE AS TO THEIR TENANCY

5. National Shakespeare Festival: The nation needs a biannual Shakespeare Festival that wouldimmerse the fraternity in pure theatre and challenge practitioners into wrestling with

reinterpretation of texts, staging and other purely theatrical issues. This Festival also allows the

international theatre world to intersect with the local scene routinely.

$1 MILLION

6. Best Village to the World: Status for implementation: MEDIUM TERM (announced in Budget2011 implementable by 2012) It must become regular that the best Best Village shows go on to

tour the world. Proper archiving of Best Village needs to take place with a Hall of Fame and

more and where the best scripts and plays from the past can be resurrected as part of the

Caribbean canon. $1 MILLION


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PAN AS A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY

PAN- THE INSTRUMENT, ITS MANUFACTURING, R&D, PLAYERS, TUNERS, ACCESSORIES, PATENTS,

PLAYLIST, ARRANGERS, FESTIVALS, ETC MUST BE SEEN AS A BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRIAL RESOURCE

FOR TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

1. Pan as the Worlds Festival Instrument by 2020: Status for implementation: LONG TERM(announced in Budget 2011) We are proposing that T&T endeavour to make Pan the Festival

Instrument of Planet Earth by 2020. This means that wherever in the world there are Sporting,

Music, and/or Cultural Festivals we want Pan to be present and recognized as the indispensable

ingredient- along with Rhythm Sections. There may be synergies here for partnerships with local

and international corporate brands (especially beverages) to leverage pans presence at these

events. This will be the pillar upon which the Pan Industry will be built on as T&T will aim to

establish and continue to provide the hardware, software, creative innovations, specialized

skills, genius master players, and the scholarship for the rest of the world. There are hundreds of

progressive industrial and economic implications for T&T: if there are hundreds of pansides of

varying sizes touring the planet at any point in time then we may have to consider creating Pan

Silos globally where we store, tune, and rent pans- including all the brand name pans from all

our local tuner geniuses. ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING & OUTREACH $20 MILLION

2. Schools in Pan: Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (Budget 2011) Mainstream Lloyd Bests

model which has been already adopted. (SEE NEXT ITEM)

3. The Panyard Renovation and Reinvention Programme: Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE(Budget 2011) All 150 panyards are to have their tenures regularised- some bands may have to

re-locate to more suitable or less contentious sites. After this a special Fund and Unit needs to

be created to oversee the initiative of renovating and maximising the concept of the panyard.

Tenders will have to be extended for architects and other creative partners who want to take

part in the reimaging of communities around the hub of the Panyard. Hold consultations with all

panmen as regards needs. $100 MILLION

4. The Community Pan Project: Status for implementation: SHORT TERM (announced in Budget2011 staged July/August 2011) a competition partnered with B-Mobile. Top prize $1 M for the

best young 7 side Pan combo playing contemporary music. There will be sections for R&B,

reggae, chutney, jazz, pop, rock, calypso and soca. 5 of the instruments have to be pans with 2

being any other kind of instrument. The competition will take place within communities and

move between communities and build towards a national final. The aim is:

y to change and contemporise the repertoire that is now conventionally played on pan,expand its musical versatility and modernise its recordings

y to get young people from all ethnicities and classes interested in pan as a popularinstrument

y to create viable 7 and 5 a side combos that are more portable economic units formoving pan around locally, regionally and internationally as touring units

y to stretch the creativity and inventiveness of the young generation

y to rehabilitate communities by bringing excitement, peace, creativity and ambition tomany communities that are now threatened by gangs, delinquency, rural and urban

neglect, idleness, and more

y to give communities incentives to discipline their delinquents as communities will bedisqualified and penalized if there are any incidents at the competition venues

y to get youths to start to indigenize their musical identity, as even though they will beallowed to play any contemporary music, they also will be rewarded for how they

Trinbago-ise the song and sound

$4 MILLION


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5. Pan Out: Status for implementation: SHORT TERM (announced in Budget 2011 stagedJuly/August 2011) A competition which should accompany the Community pan Project. This is a

strict Pan burn-out between virtuoso individual players. They may have to do 3 pieces- one

accompanied by a track or band, another as a soloist, and another as a pure burn-out with a

competitor. The top 12 soloists will be honoured. $4 MILLION The backdrop to this is the

creation of an industry- like Big Mike being an active participant in overseas Carnivals- but

multiplied by hundreds- music, pan tuning, playing etc. Thousands of youths employed, the

sector is on fire and moving abroad in the world. Dozens of combos who work internationally

touring for six months (COST CONTAINED IN PREVIOUS ITEM)

6. The Pan Booklets: Status for implementation: SHORT TERM (announced in Budget 2012released Carnival 2012) A series of booklets with history of each panside which becomes their

touchstone and keepsake for the world. The books are also a way to document pan popular

history and make it mainstream and collectible. Research, authoring and layout can begin. $3

MILLION

CARNIVAL AS WELL MUST BE SEEN AS A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR ACTIVITY

7. The Master Plan for Carnival: Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (consultations to bestaged in July/August for Budget 2011) A master-plan to be worked out with all stakeholders,

but which will be a guiding blueprint for Carnivals of the future. (SEE NEXT ITEM)

8. The 1000 Carnivals Project (2050) Status for implementation: LONG TERM (announced inBudget 2011) There are 300 Trini-styled Carnivals world-over. The 2 largest street festivals in the

Western world are Trini-styled carnivals. These carnivals are worth about $15 Billion. Many

metropolises world over come to T&T to set up Carnivals in their cities. We propose that T&T

target creating 1000 carnivals globally by the year 2050 with ourselves as the industrial and

creative centre of them. $10 MILLION

CHUTNEY ALSO HAS PHENOMENAL POTENTIAL AS A BILLION DOLLAR POP CULTURE INDUSTRY- BUT

MAJOR WORK MUST BE DONE IN PREPARING THE SECTOR

9. Global Chutney: Chutney exists as possibly the popular music for a global East Indian diaspora ofover 2 billion people. Much has to happen to shape the craft of chutney to be ready for this

global moment- but it is necessary that we understand that this is a possibility. $1 MILLION

10.The Ramleela Initiative: IMMEDIATE & ONGOING The phenomena of T&Ts East Indianspopulation retention and innovation of the Ramleela form is an amazing story of survival and

the power of faith and theatre. Investigations into the potential of this phenomenon are

important and can serve the nation and many diasporas simultaneously. $1 MILLION

CULTURE AND TOURISM

1. The Infinite Country: Status for implementation: SHORT TERM (announced in Budget 2011) A

possible international campaign for T&T tourism wherein it is stated that T&T is the InfiniteCountry that contains continents Should be vetted by tourism stakeholders in a large

consultation. Ministries of Trade, Sports and Planning should be consulted.

2. I AM TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Status for implementation: SHORT TERM (announced in Budget2012 released Carnival 2012) An internal tourism campaign set around all the multi-ethnic

heritage sites, national heroes etc to make Trinbagonians familiar with their own land.


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NATIONAL MEETING BETWEEN GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS AND CULTURAL STAKEHOLDERS

y Private Sector and private patron involvement: (SHORT TERM dont rush into this! Seminarsneed to be devised) Many of the programmes outlined must necessarily be partnered with the

private sector and visionary private individuals. The government cannot be the only sponsor for

culture. T&Ts private sector and individual patrons have been woeful in the quantity and the

quality of their giving. When you consider dime a dozen examples such as New Yorks historic

Public Library which was set up and built generationally by mostly private money and which just

received a donation of over $100 Million from a private donor to upgrade itself then we know

we do not have equivalents here. Apart from the 100% Tax Rebate which needs to beoperationalised by Carnival 2011- there needs to be a massive outreach to private sector and

individual patrons about the necessity and nature of giving and cultural investment. We must

start to create a culture whereby people will their estates to the Arts and to Charity on the

whole

THESE SECTOR PLANS OUTLINE VERY SPECIFIC PERMANENT AND CONSISTENT AVENUES FOR

CORPORATE SECTOR AND DONOR PARTNERSHIP AND CONTRIBUTIONS

THE NECESSITY OF QUALIFIED AND COMPETENT CULTURAL ATTACHES ATTACHED TO OUR EMBASSIES,

HIGH COMMISSIONS AND FOREIGN OFFICES

y We have squandered phenomenal gains and bulkheads acquired in foreign countries and themajor metropolises of the world by our failure to have competent and skilled Cultural Officers

and Attaches.

y The Cultural Attache and Officer is the most strategic instrument in the penetration of foreignmarkets and maintaining and expanding our presence in major metropolitan markets.

y All overseas missions should have a qualified Cultural Officer.

y All Cultural Officers should be briefed as to the countrys strategic plans vis a vis Culture.

y The programmes of engagement of the Cultural Officer with the resident country will becrafted on an annual basis in consultation with the sector

QUALIFIED AND CAPABLE BUSINESS FACILITATION OFFICERS MUST BE ACQUIRED AND TRAINED FOR

OUR EMBASSIES, HIGH COMMISSIONS AND FOREIGN OFFICES


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CULTURALINFRASTRUCTURE


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ADMINISTRATION & TRAINING- WITHOUT A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE CLASS ALL

YOUR INSTITUTIONS ARE AS GOOD AS DEAD

1. 200 scholarships for institutional administration: Status for implementation: SHORT TERM(announced in Budget 2011 but roll out of candidates only possible for school term beginning

September 2011) Trinidad and Tobago does not have trained qualified institutional

administrators. To build billion dollar buildings without the cadre that can run and manage them

is madness. It is a skills bank that is missing and is the reason for the mismanaged capacity for all

our large institutions like our national stadia. The previous administration went on a building

spree without the corresponding training of an administrative institutional cadre. From

community centres to archives, from museums and heritage sites to the NAPAs we need to

urgently send interested people to become trained to take up the positions in all of these sites.

There are also a handful of highly qualified T&T institutional administrators who occupy very

high positions abroad in prestigious institutions. We may need to try and repatriate this talent

full-time, loan their services, or co-partner with them and their institutions to set up on-the-job

apprenticeships with our graduates before they come back home. We may also have to visit the

idea of hiring international experts as start-up and bridge administrators that will then

apprentice our graduates into these local institutions on their return. $4 MILLION

2. 200 scholarships for missing skills banks within the sector: Status for implementation: SHORTTERM (announced in Budget 2011 but roll out of candidates only possible for school term

beginning September 2011) There are a host of historical skill bank absences in the cultural

sector that must be filled if the local cultural industry is to survive. A proper census and read of

this needs to be done but some of those skill-banks include: DIGITAL ENABLERS (an elite IT class

that can facilitate the sector ; artist managers, agents, musical engineers and producers, film

and TV producers, qualified film camera men, lighting men, tour and booking agents, etc. $4

MILLION

HERITAGE SITES AS VECTORS OF MEMORY, CITTIZENSHIP, ART AND COMMERCE- THE CENTRE OF OUR

DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL TOURISM MUST BE THE CREATION OF BRILLIANT HERITAGE SITES

1. 365 Heritage Sites (the National Trust): Status for implementation: MEDIUM TERM (announcedin Budget 2011 roll-out in 2012) At present the National Trust and its board are deficient. There

is still no list of protected buildings and sites for the National Trust. Because of this decade longlapse our National Heritage sites are disappearing at an alarming rate and many others are in a

mess. The list of to-be-protected sites needs to be considerably increased. We are suggesting

that there be 365 sites- one for each day of the year- which sets up the mythology that every

citizen would love to have visited each one at least once in their lifetime. These sites become

firstly sites of domestic tourism but are also international tourism destinations themselves.

We are also suggesting that the board of the National Trust have members of bodies like

TTFILM, the Architects Association, the JCC, and ACTT on it.

T&T must embark on the adventure of conceptualizing of beautifully landscaped, architecturally

rich, and brilliantly administrated Heritage Sites- some which will be subsidiised- but many of

which will be multi-million dollar businesses. The problem with Trinidad & Tobago is that we

are event oriented and do not have DESTINATIONS that are worthy of visiting and attractingpeople. We are suggesting that apart from the conventional Magnificent 7, some other

selections would include sites like: the site of the Hosay Riots, the houses of CLR James, Roaring

Lion, Sundar Popo, Kitchener, Sparrow, Doctor Pawan, VS Naipaul, Earl Lovelace, Sam Selvon,

Rodney Wilkes, Lennox Kilgour, etc, the forge of Ken Morris, the mas camps of Peter Minshall

and Wayne Berkley, etc. There are dozens of sacred and secular sites that must be considered.

$75 000 000 this year $365 MILLION over 5 years. This is the backbone of the national Tourism

thrust


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COMMUNITY CENTRES AS THE HUB AND SEAT OF THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE COUNTRY.

2. 200 purpose-built Community Centres: Status for implementation: MEDIUM TERM (announcedin Budget 2011 to be completed by 2013) COMMUNITY CENTRES MUST BE RECONCEIVED AS

THE CENTRE OF COMMUNITIES AND MUST BE REMODELLED ARCHITECTURALLY,

ADMINISTRATIVELY, AND IN TERMS OF ITS PROGRAMMES.

A minimum specification model must be adopted whereby community centre sites must have:

NGO hubs with satellite offices, counselling services (pregnancy, rape crisis, recidivism

reduction, etc), conference facilities, nurseries, community halls of fames and libraries,

purpose built performing arts and exhibition spaces, meeting halls, computer & IT hubs, and

with alternative services including Elder-based Centres, Sporting based centres and the like.

There must be an immediate freeze on Community Centre sites nationwide (which are not being

built to minimum specifications) which must be seen as incubator and feeder sites into these

large national centres. Communities need to be mapped to identify the optimum sites for

Centres and to rationalize the types of services that individual Centres are best positioned to

deliver e.g, sports and youth based activities versus activities for elders, etc

A complete revisiting of the previous administrations community centre project must be done

as none of the centres meet the necessary standard. A retrofitting or complete overhaul of

architectural plans and/or possibly reassignment of tenders and contracts may be necessary.

The legal implications must be investigated. These Community Centres must also be rationalizedwith the previous administrations extravagant plan for hundreds of Sporting, ICT, and Early

childhood centres which was unsustainable. Many of these facilities must be rationalized

together. This is an inter-Ministerial exercise and requires Planning- but is urgent and essential!

Partnering with Information, Sports and Tertiary. These centres will cost from $3M to $20M

individually depending on site, size of community, (eg Maloneys Centre or Centres would

require a community pool, recording studio, and possibly radio station, etc)

MOST LIKELY THE FIRST YEAR WILL CONSIST OF A ROLL OUT OF ABOUT 12 CENTRES OF

VARYING SIZES- SMALL, MEDIUM, LARGE WHICH WILL ACT AS PROTOTYPES IN TERMS OF THE

REVISIONING: $120 MILLION. THROUGH CONSULTATION THESE SITES CAN BE SELECTED.

3. 7 Mother Community Centres in the 7 Mother Communities: Status for implementation:MEDIUM TERM (announced in Budget 2011 to be completed by 2013) There are 7 communities

which are at the cultural and social generative centres of T&T life and these deserve large

centres and a specific cluster of Heritage sites. These communities are: Laventille/Belmont/SE

Port of Spain; Woodbrook/St. James; Chaguanas/Couva; Moruga/Princess Town; Pt. Fortin;

Arima; Tobago as village. These are the high cultural seats of the country and deserve to be

treated as such. $20 MILLION/per centre- TO BE ROLLED OUT OVER THE COURSE OF THE FIVE

YEARS-

4. KNOWLEDGE AND TALENT CLUSTER SITES: Specific hubs based around clusters of talents,traditional areas of genius, and emerging innovations and scenes. There are sites where young

people are creating music, art, innovation- these places need to be resourced and wired and

made into labs and zones of experimentation and innovation. At basis they are CommunityCentres but they are an advanced tip of the possibility.

5. THE CRAFT INDUSTRY NEEDS MARKET SITES: At one time Trinidad and Tobago used to lead theregion and parts of Latin America with our craft originality and skill- again we squandered this

lead and the world has overtaken us. The industry requires mainstream shopping districts to

exhibit and sell their items- this is apart from the international expo and distribution links

which have been suggested in the TTENT mandate. Areas of the Queens Park Savannah or the

Waterfront have to be designated as full-time Craft areas with aesthetically refined boothing.


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MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE

THE UTT ACADEMY IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO TRINIDAD & TOBAGO- BUT NOT IN ITS PRESENT

CONCEPTION. THE UTT ACADEMY IS WHERE THE ENTERPRISE TO RESCUE OUR DISAPPEARING

MEMORY IS SITUATED AND WHERE THE URGENT BUSINESS OF PASSING ON OF DYING SPECIALISED

SKILLS MUST BE URGENTLY ENGAGED. THIS MUST BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME THAT ISSUES OF THE

BUILDINGS THAT ALREADY EXIST- AND OTHERS THAT ARE IN TRAIN- MUST BE RESOLVED

1. NAPA @ Princes Building: (IMMEDIATE!) There must be a full expert forensicanalysis & inspection done of NAPA ON PRINCES BUILDING GROUNDS by

stakeholders & experts- and these stakeholders must have full inclusion in the

planning of the other cultural facilities. We will ensure that this analysis be

expedited quickly so that all schedules for school terms and otherwise can be met.

FULL FORENSICS, REDESIGN & RETROFITTING $80 MILLION

2. SAPA: (IMMEDIATE!) There must be an immediate freeze on work on the SANFERNANDO NAPA REDESIGN & RETROFITTING $20 MILLION

3. JAPA: (IMMEDIATE!) There must be a discontinuation of the construction scheduleof the JOHN D ACADEMY & THE SAVANNAH CARNIVAL CENTRE REDESIGN &

RETROFITTING $20 MILLION

(IMMEDIATE!) These analyses and freezes will allow lessons to be learnt & a rationalising of proper

Academy specs throughout the national complexes. Some of these facilities may NOT be useable!

4. WAPA: (SHORT TERM!) The Wallerfield Campus of the UTT is an ambitious andphenomenal enterprise but must be purpose-driven. The Academy site for the

Wallerfield Complex- although it is an Academy of Arts and Letters- must retain the

strict consultation parameters that exist with the Performance driven Academies.

5. The UTT as a holistic unit: (IMMEDIATE!) The entire UTT curriculum needs to beindigenized as per the principles itemized in the stakeholder documents of2007. Pat

Bishop should be immediately re-instated as Principal of the Academies or at least

in an Advisory capacity to oversee this process. THIS IS URGENT AS IT IS AT THE

CORE OF THE LEGACY DOCUMENTATION, PATENTING, AND SPECIALISED SKILL

TRANSFERRAL PROCESS AT THE HEART OF THE YEAR OF MEMORY

6. The Guilds of Masters & The Mas Secret Societies: (IMMEDIATE!) The Guilds ofMasters and the creation of Traditional Mas Secret Societies are indispensable to

the urgent job of passing on and the retaining of traditional skills. This programme

requires urgent working capital. (see page 14 for cost and details)

7. AMAR Studios (Caribbean Sound Basin): Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE(Budget 2011) The AMAR studio must be re-appropriated from the Ministry of

National Security. The facility is still one of the 3 top recording studios in the world!

It should be placed in trust to the recording industry of Trinidad and Tobago under

trust of groups like RIATT and with a firm management team with a business plan

for its operation as the central facility of the countrys Musical Industry The UTT

can also utilize the facility as a training and Guild of Masters facility. REOUTFITTING

$7 MILLION

THE ACADEMY IS THE SEAT OF THE PROCESS OF CREATING T&T PATENTED PROPERTIES AND THE

CENTRE OF OUR DRIVE TO CODIFY, MAP AND OWN OUR INDIGENOUS INTELLECTUAL PROCESSES. IT IS

ALSO THE SPACE WHICH WILL ESTABLISH US AS ONE OF THE CENTRES OF CULTURE ON THE PLANET

AND WHERE HUNDREDS OF FOREIGN STUDENTS WILL COME TO MATRICULATE. THE UTT ACADEMY

MUST BE SEEN AS THE SEAT OF A $100 MILLION REVENUE CAPTURING CULTURAL/EDUCATIONAL

ECONOMIC SITE


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INDUSTRIAL COMPLEXES- GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO IDENTIFY A SERIES OF WAREHOUSE FACILITIES

FOR THE UTILITY OF THE CULTURAL SECTOR. IT COULD HELP IF SOME WERE CLUSTERED TOGETHER

1. Pan Headquarters: Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (Budget 2011) A priority is to revisitthe architectural plans for the Pan Headquarters and then complete the building with urgency.

$12 MILLION

2. Pan Industrial Complex: Status for implementation: MEDIUM TERM (Budget 2012 Phase 1completed by 2014) In keeping with the supply side of making Pan the Festival instrument of

the world by 2020 a full Pan Industrial complex must be contemplated with upstream and

downstream pan enterprises within working distance of one another. Already existing: There is acomplete factory shell that has been converted to house: Tuning Rooms; Storage Facilities;

Drum Sinking Area; Office Facilities. This is located at the Macoya Industrial Estate, Tunapuna.

This facility was created and completed by the government of Trinidad and Tobago in 2009. The

Drum Making and Chrome-Plating Facility is the central part of the estate. $40 MILLION

3. Carnival Industrial Complex: Status for implementation: MEDIUM TERM (Budget 2012) T&T hasrelinquished its role as centre of the 300 Carnivals it has spawned, it must reassert its true

position as the Motherland of the Diaspora of carnivals it has created and nurtured. Apart from

all the craft and marketing based reclamation that needs to happen we also need to re-assert

ourselves as the INDUSTRIAL centre of our Carnivals- as the main supplier of materials,

hardware, software, talent, ideas and expertise. This requires a very comprehensive read of all

materials employed in the Carnival and an industrial plan for what can be producedindigenously. This must then be factored into questions of strategic market access and it must

then be factored into the 40 year plan for the 1000 Carnivals plan for 2050. Can we possibly

envisage Carnival occupying 15- 20% of the nations productive capacity? Can we see the

industrial and employment capacity of Carnival taking up a significant part of our GNP and

productive capacity? These are the kind of scenarios we have to contemplate and envision $10

MILLION depending on the existing warehouse infrastructure

4. The National Film and TV Soundstage AKA Film City: Status for implementation: MEDIUMTERM (Budget 2012) The TV, Film and Animation industries needs a massive warehouse complex

to create soundstages, wardrobe and set rooms, storage space, archives, and a series of labs and

boutique studios. This site should also be the site for the proposed animation facility whereby

we become an outsource hub for the world animation superpowers in Hollywood and Europe.Suggestions include former Sharc Studios location at the old Tracking Station in Maceripe. $10

MILLION depending on the existing warehouse infrastructure

5. The Fashion District: Status for implementation: MEDIUM TERM (Budget 2012) The seat of theRenaissance of T&T fashion will have to be factory complex whereby seamstresses and talent

are located that can mass produce T&T brand items for international distribution. Most T&T

designers have had to become luxury brand couture labels to be able to survive in face of the

absence of government support for the sector. This has meant that most mid-tier designers

have collapsed and disappeared and that the artisan class of tailors that we once led the world

in have also disappeared. $5 MILLION

6.

Carnival/Festival/Folklore theme park: Status for implementation: LONG TERM (Phase 1 to

open in 2014) Although T&T right now lacks the technical, intellectual and talent capacity to

sustain it- we must see the creation of a theme-park centred around our rich mythology as a

goal. This maybe a site that is linked to one of the cultural mega-projects already projected- the

Savannah Cultural Complex for instance. Or the site may be Heritage themed- for example the

plans suggested by many that South East Port of Spain- which is the Golden Age seat of Pan,

Mas and Calypso- with hundreds of Heritage sites within walking distance- becomes converted

into a Heritage village with dozens of recreations happening on a weekly basis. Tourism thrust

based upon our entertainment, Heritage, Festival capacity. COMMISSIONED STUDY$400 000.


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THE SAVANNAH COMPLEX

1. The Carnival, Steelband, and Festival Museum: Status for implementation: MEDIUM TERM(Budget 2011 completion 2013) This must be part of the remodeling of the present plans for the

Savannah Carnival Centre- apart from the stands it will probably be the defining part of the

building. It should be seen as an extension of the National Museum- which is to be re-located to

Knowsley- and part of the UTT Academy. The facility would be a Wonder of the World where the

full glory of T&Ts multi-ethnic Festival culture will be on display. 100 of the greatest Mas

costumes of all time will be recreated by repatriated artisans in apprenticeship with young

craftsmen and the process mapped.THIS IS URGENT!!! There should be an inner restaurant

courtyard where select costumes are danced everyday according to a yearly roster. Many of

these costumes will be on rotating display nationwide and internationally as ambassadors. All

50+ on permanent display at the facility will dance outdoors on select Festival days during the

year- especially at Carnival. The facility will be the centre of T&Ts re-appropriating the

proprietorship of the 3oo Trini-style Carnivals that exist worldwide and staking the claim that we

are the Festival and Carnival centre of the planet. $200 MILLION FIRST PHASE $50 MILLION

2. The Institute of Carnival: Status for implementation: IMMEDIATE (Budget 2011 warehousing tobe allocated in late 2011) The Institute needs its budget quintupled. This will be the brain centre

of the Museum- pioneering Carnival research and curation. At present it needs warehouse

facilities and an expanded Budget and staff- Pat Bishop should also be re-instated to oversee its

operations. (SEE ABOVE ITEM)

3. The Festival Academy: Status for implementation: MEDIUM TERM (Budget 2011 completion2013 the Carnival Institute warehouse can serve as an interim space) There needs to be a place

where the reconstruction of the greatest carnival costumes happens. The same Carnival

Institute warehouse is the site. This will probably be the permanent site for a lot of the

matriculation of UTT Academy students in the Festival Arts. (SEE ABOVE ITEM)

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM (expanded): Status for implementation: MEDIUM TERM (Budget 2011

completion 2014) The National Museums move to Knowsley does give it some extra room to expand its

collection and display capacity- but is still woefully inadequate. It may be necessary to move the

National Gallery out of the National Museum and locate it to a massive facility. One suggested such site

is 3 floors of the to-be-constructed signature building that should replace the Salvatori Building. Another

sector request is that 3 floors of the IFC Building at the Waterfront next to the Hyatt be given over tothe National Gallery- which would rhyme with the paintings at the base of the building. Such a

positioning of the National Gallery would: mainstream Art in Trinidad and Tobago in an unparalleled

way; completely change the complexion of downtown Port of Spain; and rehabilitate the Capitals centre

and consolidate its trumpeted position as the Cultural Capital of the Caribbean. $50 MILLION

THE NATIONAL HALL OF FAME: Status for implementation: MEDIUM TERM (Budget 2011 completion

2014) Because of the sheer weight and quantity of Trinbago heroism and the confined Museum space at

Knowsley it may be necessary to create a local (and Caribbean) Hall of Fame. This would be a people-

centric Hall of Fame akin to the National Portrait Gallery in London. Here is a place where the

undervalued work of our greatest photographers can finally find a home. A sculpture garden adjoins.

THE HOUSE OF MUSIC: Status for implementation: SHORT TERM (Budget 2011 for the acquisition of thecollections and for the collectors to begin the process of curation, meanwhile an appropriate site can be

located) The House of Music will house the recorded and memorabilia Legacy of T&T music. T&T has the

2nd

oldest recording industry in the world. We were one of the 2 seats of the creation of the modern

phenomena called Popular Music- yet there is no place in T&T where that Legacy can be heard!!! We

need to purchase the 2 largest collections of memorabilia- which both exist outside of T&T in Canada

and Alaska! The 7 greatest collectors should immediately be employed as core curators and

preservationists around which the staffing of the facility should be built. This can be a major income

earner into our future $100 MILLION


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THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES: Status for implementation: MEDIUM TERM (a site must be rationalized from

the 2 competing sites in Port of Spain and Wallerfield, Budget 2011 for the acquisition of the BBC

collections and for the beginning of construction) About 40% of T&Ts paper-based archives may be in

jeopardy of disintegration. Most of its audio tape heritage pre-1990 may be irretrievably damaged. Most

important TV and film stock stored nationally before 1997 has been erased and cavalierly treated. The

BBC which has faithfully kept all of our recorded film stock before 1962 has been trying to get rid of its

collection and has been offering us it for sale for the last 10 years This country urgently needs to

construct a purpose-built climate controlled Archive Building with a trained and qualified staff so that it

can house our invaluable print, TV, film and artifact collections. Architectural plans exist and the

proposed site has been relocated from town to the UTT Wallerfield complex- this decision must be

revisited. $200 MILLION FIRST PHASE $50 MILLION

NALIS & THE COMMUNITY LIBRARIES: Status for implementation: SHORT TERM (Budget 2011 for

rehabilitation works which will be ongoing) One of the few success stories of public institutions the

Library needs resources to staff itself properly and expand and enrich its community libraries and

outreach programmes. Its West Indiana collection also needs to be mainstreamed and integrated into

the wider Library culture and system. $40 MILLION

THE NATIONAL GREAT HALLS STILL TO BE BUILT

1. The Foreshore Complex: Status for implementation: LONG TERM Until a full analysis of NAPA

Princes Building is done it may be difficult to rationalize what other large facilities need to beconstructed. However there is a possibility that a major concert hall venue may need to be

constructed with multiple-stage facilities. The best site for such a venue is on the land now

leased to the Port by the Foreshore adjoining Price Smart. $200 MILLION- AWAITING RESEARCH

2. The Shaw Park Complex: Status for implementation: SHORT TERM Built completely accordingto stakeholder requests the Shaw Park Facility in Tobago should be allowed to be completed as

per the architects vision. $50 MILLION

THE REGIONAL INITIATIVES

There are certain regional initiatives that T&T should lead as catalyst and senior partners within

CARICOM. These are initiatives that greatly advance the cause of regional integration and unity and willintegrate business and many other sectors at a foundational level.

1. The Caribbean Museum: Status for implementation: LONG TERM (negotiations should beginthis year but will take about 3 years to set up) An idea that emerged at CARIFESTA due to the

generational loss of Memory and Heritage that is currently decimating Caribbean culture

resulting in collapse of traditions and communities. Based in probably Barbados- or even

Haiti(!!!)- the Museum is testament to the phenomena of our pre-Columbian and post-

Columbian civilisation. $50 MILLION Announcement & Implementation at the discretion of the

government and the Honourable Prime Minister

2. The Cricket Museum & Hall of Fame: Status for implementation: MEDIUM TERM (CARICOMand the WICB must agree to a series of meetings and a committee to ensure this happens) An

indispensable adjunct to the WI Cricket Academy must be the Hall of Fame and Museum whichalso will be the major income earning vehicle of West Indian Cricket. The economising of West

Indian Legacy is the greatest missed opportunity of West Indian business, sports, and

civilization. It must be engaged as soon as possible! This facility may be adjoined to the

Caribbean Museum. $50 MILLION $50 MILLION Announcement & Implementation at the

discretion of the government and the Honourable Prime Minister


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THE FESTIVALS&OTHER MATTERS


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TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: THE MULTI-ETHNIC NATION OF FESTIVALS

T&T received the Festival tribes from all its Mother countries and has produced an unparalleled nation

of Festivals. Many of the Festivals are comfortably seated in their age-old rituals- others are expanding

and require delicate but sure hands in the facilitation of their growth. Through consultation- the fruit of

which will then be enshrined in the Cultural Policy- issues such as the subventions that should go

towards certain groups would be resolved. As well groups would have a number of independent arms-

length bodies such as the Arts Council with the National Foundation to write to for extraneous funds.

Many groups in this area belong to the religious based Source Groups from which much of the now

secular forms of culture emerged. Because these Source Groups remain the primary inspirational bedfrom which the manifestations of culture emerge close and devoted attention needs to be paid to

them.

SENSITIVELY INNOVATING FESTIVALS:

We have become used to the cluelessness of a leadership class that believes innovation is a Covey-

management derived formula- or a garish stainless steel addition to the middle of a green field. We have

not allowed organic innovation to happen and true visionary transformation that respects the origins

and spirit of a phenomenon to emerge. With the Festival DNA of our nation we must be particularly

careful because so much of our democracy and multi-ethnic tolerance comes from them. The following

is an example of how transformation can happen from 2 Festivals currently going through traumatic

growing pains:

PARANG CROSSROADS:

The problems that have faced both the Paramin Parang Feastival and the National Parang Finals are a

case in point. Both festivals are at a crossroads and have been insensitively dealt with by the powers

that be. Paramin emerged as a brilliant outdoor Folk Festival in a historic village community. It then

became a national event- during the late rainy season. The expansion of the Festival and its picturesque

venue on the village football field has led to problems- mud and traffic. The solution was to move the

Festival to Country Club- which has destroyed everything of value in the Festival. A proper architectural

solution to the problem on the same football field could result in Paramin retaining its rural charm and

being able to expand its Festival to become one of the great Folk Festivals in the world- but it requires

innovation and sensitivity. The same goes for the National Parang Finals which is held on plyboard

stages in the Arima Velodrome. If the Finals were relocated to a Heritage Site converted cocoaplantation estate which also housed a Parang Hall of Fame for instance it could transform the social

and economic capital of the whole event! These are the kind of innovations that are required to work

with the spirit of Festivals whilst at the same time facilitating their transformation.

Through consultation we could emerge with incredible architectural, design and event-based

interventions and creative innovations and facilitations for our national festivals:

All festivals can be sensitively looked at in this way: DIVALI; INDIAN ARRIVAL; PHAGWA; KARTIC;

SHIVA RATRI; EID; HOSAY; SIPARI MAI; GANGA DARA; CHRISTMAS; EASTER; CORPUS CHRISTI;

EMANCIPATION; RAMLEELA; JAHAJI MASSACRE; SHOUTER SPIRITUAL BAPTIST LIBERATION DAY;

SHANGO, OSHUN; OLOKUN; LABOUR DAY; INDEPENDENCE; REPUBLIC DAY; etc


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THE RECLAIM FESTIVAL: Status for implementation: SHORT TERM (announced in Budget 2012 for

August 2012 ) A month long Festival which lasts from August1st

- Emancipation Day to August 31st

-

Independence Day. The Festival is about the reclamation of all aspects of Tribagonianess, our multi-

ethnic magic, and common humanity. It should happen every 2 years. It would feature days like National

Local Food Day, Panyard Day, Childrens Day, and others. Many of the cultural infrastructure projects and

programmes can be completed to be launched within this Festival THIS GIVES THE COUNTRY A MAJOR

INTERNATIONAL TOURIST SEASON EXERCISE IN WHICH MANY PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR

PARTNERS CAN CLAIM A SPACE AND CREATE. IT HELPS THAT IT IS BUILT AROUND EVENTS THAT WE

ALREADY DO.

$20 MILLION- WILL NOT BE ENGAGED UNTIL 2012

KINGDOM COME- THE LEGACY EVENT: Status for implementation: SHORT TERM (August 2012) Most

likely held as the culminating event of Independence Day. A massive event meant to honour and

celebrate the Legacy of T&Ts Greatest generation and our heroes and geniuses. This could be the

highlight of the Reclaim Festival and maybe the culminating event on Independence Day

$6 MILLION- WILL NOT BE ENGAGED UNTIL 2012


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REMODELLING EDUCATION WITH ART: Status for implementation: SHORT TERM (ongoing

conversations with the Ministry of Education, TTUTA and regional examination agencies necessary)

IF THIS ADMINISTRATION IS SERIOUS ABOUT CREATING A KNOWLEDGE-BASED CREATIVE CITIZENRY IT

NEEDS TO INVEST IN ARTS-BASED EDUCATION PARTICULARLY AT THE PRIMARY SCHOOL LEVEL. THIS

CREATIVE IMPULSE THEN NEEDS TO BE FACILITATED RIGHT THROUGH THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

1. We are suggesting that the subject called Civics be integrated into a course called Trinidadand Tobago and the Caribbean which should be taught at least 3 days a week right through

the school system- with National Inter-school TV competitions, etc. This is the only way in the

short and medium term to mainstream local, regional and ancestral history, arts and culture. A

committee with stakeholders could be set up through the Ministry to create the Subjects core

curriculum which it will then take to the curriculum division of the Ministry of Education

2. In keeping with this suggestion: There must be a thrust to create new generation books for thePrimary, Secondary, and Tertiary Education system that are rooted in our cultural and creative

legacies

3. THERE MUST BE THE URGENT CREATION OF MODEL/MAGNET SCHOOLS FOR GIFTED &DIFFERENTLY TALENTED STUDENTS (SPORTS, THE ARTS, INDUSTRIAL ARTS) (IMMEDIATE

Budget 2011)

4. A national scouting system must be set up to identify talent for these schools

5. There must be proper purpose-built Facilities for the Arts in all schools

6. There must be both qualified and practicing artist trainers to coach students in the system forsubjects. Representative organisations will register and accredit practitioners.

7. 100% Functional Literacy nationally must be a major goal set for within 3 years

8. There must be an expansion of the Pan-In-The-Classroom Programme. There are three areas ofwork involved here, they are as follows: Supply of Instruments to more Schools; Additional Pan

Instructors per educational districts; Additional Supervisors for the expanded project

$576,000 per year

9. The allocation for the Visual Arts Syllabus in Secondary schools is woefully inadequate- it is nowat the whim of Principals with the allocation averaging in the simple hundreds/student. Thesuggested annual requirement per student is: $7 878.56

DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS

y Censorship and Age appropriateness: (SHORT TERM dont rush into this!) Non-age appropriatemusic and creative content being played and exhibited within the earshot or range of minors

must become an offence and discussions must be had with ALL stakeholders as regards how to

preserve the innocence of childhood.

y Discussions with the Pirates: (SHORT TERM dont rush into this!) The DVD and CD pirates mustbe brought into the fold of the mainstream local music and film industry as legitimate

distributors, labels, packagers and proprietors of LOCAL CONTENT locally, regionally andinternationally.


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CULTURAL

LEGISLATION


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CULTURAL LEGISLATION

The following is the list of artists Legislative demands. Most of these are cultural sector demands that

have been on the table since Independence. To build institutions without passing the laws is to sabotage

your initiatives. The institutions are the nouns, the laws are the verbs.

1. GOVERNMENT SHOULD ENGAGE SECTOR GROUPS IN THE PROGRAMME PLANNING OF ONE OFITS TELEVISION STATIONS AND ONE OF ITS FM RADIO STATIONS WITH MANDATES FOR 100%

LOCAL CONTENT. NEGOTIATIONS TO THIS EFFECT HAVE ALREADY BEGUN. CONSULTATIONS

OVER THE BOARDS AND POLICY DIRECTIONS OF ALL STATE OWNED MEDIA SHOULD TAKE PLACE.A POLICY STATEMENT SHOULD BE MADE ON THIS BY THE FIRST QUARTER 2011; AN

ALLOCATION FOR LOCAL PROGRAMMING OF $17 MILLION AND RADIO P

Documents

Rational is Ed Budget Document