Carifesta and the Cultural Industry

15.AUG.08

Culture Minister René Baptiste is heading a sizeable Vincentian delegation to the tenth Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) being held this year in Guyana. The participation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in this, the region’s only authentic cultural festival, is a most welcome one, given our inconsistencies in the past. Over the years, SVG’s presence at CARIFESTA has been covered in controversy over issues as to whether we should participate at all and in-fighting over the composition of the delegation.{{more}} When we did participate, as in that unforgettable year, 1979, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been able to make a name for itself, only to disappoint in terms of building on our reputation.

In a way, SVG’s own inconsistencies towards CARIFESTA mirrors the inconsistencies of the region itself. Thirty-six years after its grand launching, the region has not yet been able to make up its mind about the role and place of CARIFESTA in the development process in the Caribbean. Since the inauguration of this Festival in 1972, there have been no end of disagreements over costs, hosting, venues, and even the focus. The 2008 version faced some uncertainties, especially when skyrocketing airfares astronomically raised the cost of participation. The decision to honour the region’s commitment to its arts and culture is surely a positive one for the region.

From a Vincentian standpoint, Minister Baptiste deserves praise for her unstinting perseverance in this regard. Whatever her shortcomings, no one can question her wholehearted support for the arts and cultural development. Even when she has not always had the wholehearted support of many of her colleagues, she has not wavered but has stuck to her commitments. She must be mightily pleased that our country is to make its presence felt at the Festival. Of course there will be those, “in the know” and beyond it, who will have their own take on this matter, but it is significant that the SVG flag will fly in Guyana.

It is a pity that over the years we have not been able to make greater progress in cultural development. Our own shortsightedness, petty squabbling and personal rivalries have added to a lack of a clear policy. In addition, the overwhelming cultural penetration, termed cultural imperialism by some of the Caribbean’s leading artistes, has led to a lack of appreciation of our cultural richness and of its practitioners. Fittingly, CARIFESTA is being held in the month of August, a month of significant historical importance to both the descendants of African slaves as well as indigenous people, for our cultural mores and practices are very much a product of our historical evolution.

For us in the region, CARIFESTA ought to be much more than a festival of song, dance and art. It is also a practical demonstration of our level of cultural development. In this day and age, that “development” must also seek to capitalize on economic possibilities. How can we utilize the cultural richness being displayed at CARIFESTA to further our own economic development? What support can we give to our artistes and artisans to fine-tune their skills and cultural products, to package them attractively in such a way as to make the cultural industry a major pillar of our development strategy? In a world where modern technology and travel make communication between different peoples a thousand times easier than in the past, the products of our cultural industry must be used not only for our own entertainment but also to help to fuel our economic development. The industry, therefore, must be treated with all the respect and attention it deserves. Even the much-maligned Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) which the Caribbean is due to sign with the European Union contains possibilities for export of our cultural products. But we can only take advantage of these if we are serious about developing the industry. CARIFESTA is but the showcase. The real test will come in the follow-up.