Bajan task force on cultural industries nears

Government’s push of the creative economy as a major source of foreign exchange and employment took another step as it moved Friday to set up a Task Force on the Cultural Industries.

Minister responsible for Culture John King addressed the first national consultation for cultural industry figures at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC) to build the foundation for the task force.

“We are really seeking to create a Task Force to look at the creative economy, the cultural industries, all facets of it, to see how we can influence policy, direction, growth, all of those things,” King, an accomplished performing artiste, said.

He urged participants that included representatives from the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), the film and animation industries, visual arts, fashion designing, media, entertainment and copyright that he wanted action from them and not just talk.

“Do not let this be another talk shop,” he declared.

“Do not let this be another event where we get together and talk pretty, pretty, pretty and then when it is finished, there is absolutely nothing that comes out of it that makes any impact on the creatives, the economic side of it or even the social side for that matter.”

King reminded the attendees, among them the new cultural industries faculty at the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill that all the great civilizations are based on accomplishments in the creative industries.

He told the forum: “What is to stop Barbados from being that next great civilization?  Only you. Nobody is going to come and do it for us. And therefore, this Task Force that we are seeking to create, you will get further information from us in the days and weeks to come.

“But I really wanted to make sure that those of you who are willing and committed to this cause, that we can meet on a regular basis to begin the process of taking this idea of cultural industries and creative economy to a limitless space where our people can benefit from it.”

The consultation included panel discussions on the business of culture in a COVID environment, industry challenges, solutions and best practices as well as improving compliance with industry regulators.

As far back as October 2008, then CARICOM Secretary-General Edwin Carrington, addressing the inaugural meeting of the Regional Task Force on Cultural Industries urged its members not to rehash what has been done before.

Instead, he advised them to make recommendations for actions on the part of CARICOM nation to provide the region’s cultural entrepreneurs and artists with the incentives, financial support, policies and legislation necessary to enable cultural industries to grow and thrive.

Carrington had also charged the agency to recommend cutting edge ideas and approaches that would guarantee sustainability in Caribbean cultural industries and to adopt a coordinated regional approach that would build on, energize and promote the development of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, then just two years old. (EJ)