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Time to act on arts

11/6/2009

This past weekend, members of the public were treated to amazing performances in dance, music and spoken word, during the National Independence Festival for Creative Arts (NIFCA) Performing Arts showcase. Yet, for many of those who thrilled on stage, the show is now over and the extent of their artistic contributions would have been reached at the final curtain call.
This is a sad state of affairs. The fact that creative arts hold great potential for Barbados’ economy has been acknowledged time and time again. Still, despite paying lip service to this subject, the relevant stakeholders have failed to develop a comprehensive strategy that would see Barbados reap the full benefits in this area.

It is true that there has been a consistent effort on the local front to push certain aspects of our culture. For instance, last Sunday, the Barbados Youth Business Trust opened its fifth biennial arts and craft exhibition at the Satjay Centre in Bridgetown and two days ago the Barbados Museum and Historical Society launched its 2009 Fine Craft Festival. There are also frequent art and craft exhibitions, occasional literary fairs and book launches, and a few singing competitions outside of the national calypso contests during the Crop Over Festival.

Still, the question remains – Is enough being done? When one looks at what pertains in a model situation as in the case of the United States (US), we can see that there are still higher heights to reach. In the US, arts organisations generate $166.2 billion in economic activity, support 5.7 million jobs and return nearly $30 billion in revenue to the US government each year, according to a study by The Americans for the Arts. With that in mind, it begs the question: How much economic activity is generated in Barbados through the arts? Do we even know or have the appropriate structures in place to measure such?
Though it might be considered unfair to compare a small island like Barbados with a super power like the US, there are still some benchmarks that should be met despite our small size – having a national art gallery and a suitable theatre facility, for instance.
The fact remains that what pertains now is sufficient only to sustain local interest in the creative industries and generate moderate revenue for artists. There needs instead to be a collective effort by government and the private sector, and co-operation by the public, in order for the arts to facilitate major economic development.

First, Government must set out to elevate the arts within schools’ curricula and ensure that opportunities exist to further education and skills, as well as facilitate job opportunities in that area. It must also identify key areas for development and outline a clear strategy for growth, including funding, training, marketing – especially on an international stage – and means of assessment.

Artists are usually innovative and as such would be excellent entrepreneurs. However, the private sector must step in to give support. In turn, companies can look to the long-term benefits to the country of increasing foreign exchange-earning potential.

The public must also seek to change its attitude towards the value of art and artists. Parents who have traditionally pushed their children to pursue medicine and law will need to change their way of thinking and consumers will have to open their eyes to the possibilities of art as a product of worth.

In the end, developing Barbados’ arts potential will create a powerful driver for the economy, but in order for us to reap success we will have to see more action and less talk.

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as of close 9/15/2009


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