Entertainers shun grant money from Government

Prominent players in the local entertainment industry are not convinced that some of their colleagues are struggling as much as they say they are.

At the same time, questions have been raised about whether some artists were opposed to paying taxes as they opted not to access grant funding from Government that would require them to be registered with the Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA).

Chief Executive Officer of Pyramid Entertainment Management Inc. Ruel Ward raised the concern on Thursday night that several artists seemed to be sitting and “waiting for things to happen” instead of taking advantage of the opportunities that were being made available.

“We cannot sit and wait for things to fall in our lap. We have to get out there and try to really market ourselves and promote ourselves. I have seen so many artists just sitting and waiting for things to happen, and I have seen so many that have gotten up and made things happen,” said Ward.

Over the past several weeks, some entertainers in Barbados have been crying out over a lack of income and a drying up of sponsorship, as they sink further into debt. This is coupled with growing worry over whether there will be a Crop Over festival this year, normally a time for a higher income for most of them.

And while Government has provided millions of dollars in grant funding through the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) to support projects in the creative industries, only some entertainers have reportedly taken advantage of this.

Ward, who has managed several big names in the industry over the years, said the last 13 months have been very difficult for him due to the dramatic fall in events and subsequent revenue.

However, he quickly pointed out that the pandemic had affected everyone differently, explaining that some artists were “more regional and international in terms of their performances” and so they were still able to get some gigs.

He also pointed out that a lot of the emerging artists have been able to use their social media influencer status to their advantage.

“One thing I would have to say that COVID has taught us is that we as creatives should not depend on talent alone – you really have to look at your brand and image,” he said.

Stating that early in the pandemic there were a lot of jingles and other gigs that were available locally, Ward said “I think a lot of artists would have had a lot more opportunities if they had just decided to be proactive in trying to secure some of this work rather than waiting for things to fall in their lap. That is where I am divided – yes, we are in a pandemic and they are saying government should have stepped in and helped more, but in a lot of cases the artists themselves could have done so much more.”

Ward was a panelist on the fourth in a series of online discussions facilitated by the Barbados Coalition of Services Industries (BCSI), looking at the impact of the pandemic on the creative industries. The theme was The State of the Events Industry – Barbados and the Caribbean.

During the function, questions were also raised about why some artists sought no assistance from the NCF, which would require them to submit a proposal and have a Tax Administration Management Information System (TAMIS) number.

Ward said “So are you really struggling? Here you have a project being put in front of you and you don’t have to do anything except submit [a proposal]. Some don’t want to go through the hassle of being registered, they don’t want to have a TAMIS number, they don’t want NIS, they don’t want to be tracked by Government.”

He said some artists may have been concerned that “going down the line” government may be able to “throw some taxes” on them.

“That has been a fight not just post COVID but pre-COVID. A lot of artists don’t want to be registered or be in the system so that government knows what it is they earn. Having not registered with NIS then now we are in this position where they can’t get National Insurance benefit,” he added.

This was supported by gospel artist Russell Richard Antonio Oliver, who said too many artists in Barbados were not operating as “a business”.

“From early I set up my business model. But for others who did not know they were forced to go through the NCF… and now everybody was like ‘what we got to do now?’ It is business,” said Oliver.

He said the pandemic gave him a better understanding of how to use his talent, explaining that virtual events will be more important going forward.

Meanwhile, Music Publisher Derek Wilkie said he believed there was need for an educational campaign among those in the creative industries on how the tax system works and when they would be required to pay taxes.

Veteran calypsonian Terencia TC Coward agreed that it was the possibility of their earnings being “tracked” that turned off a lot of artists from registering with the revenue collection agency.

“That tracking situation, I think that is what deterred quite a number of persons [and] would have turned a lot of people off,” she insisted.

However, she suggested that being registered had tremendous benefits over the long-term. (marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)