Boost for culture

Renovation to the building that houses the Daphne Joseph Hackett Theatre and Queen’s Park Gallery is costing Government five million dollars. However, it is expected that the work will be completed by July 7, making it fully available for CARIFESTA 2017.

Yesterday, following a tour of Queen’s House, which is located in Queen’s Park, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley said that when the doors to the building – which has been in disrepair for many years – reopens, it will have several new features, including an elevator especially designed to accommodate members of the disabled community.

“The corridors, the balconies are being extended to provide more room and, of course, special care is being taken to ensure that our actors are appropriately accommodated.

“There will be both a male and female extended section for persons who are involved in the acting aspect of it. And of course downstairs, where we have the gallery, will be appropriately renovated and be made available,” he said.

He added that the enhanced facility, which is a very important space in the creative sector, will not only be a tribute to the craftsmanship of the workmen involved in the project, but also to the development of the country’s cultural industries.

Minister Lashley noted that over the years, many facilities used for cultural work have been going into disrepair for various reasons.

However, he said as his Ministry and stakeholders focus the country’s attention on the importance of the cultural industries sector, restoring the buildings have become a necessary and critical undertaking.

“This is critical for us and I think that for us to be able to restore these buildings, really is an indication of the level of seriousness that we have in government, particularly where the economy is faced with some challenges.

“We are very serious about ensuring that we propel that growth and we allocate the resources to ensuring that the buildings that are critical for this work to occur are renovated and maintained.

“Of course after this building is completed, we are intent on putting in place, a proper maintenance schedule so that of course, it does not get to the stage it was before,” he said.

Speaking in the presence of senior members from his Ministry and also from the National Cultural Foundation, Minister Lashley said while CARIFESTA is being held in Barbados from August 17 until the 27, given the pace at which the contractor has propelled the work, he is hopeful that the building will be available for the Festival of Arts. (AH)