SHIFT IN THINKING

Not long ago full-time employment as an artist, actor, singer or dancer was perceived as the naïve plan for a dreamer and a career path discouraged by some parents and teachers like.

This perception, according to Programme Officer at the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development (MLSD), Erika Watson, even permeated economic policy where the cultural sector was considered a soft sector that had more sellers than buyers and therefore lacked the potential for growth.

“However, there has been a shift away from this thinking,” she expressed during the opening ceremony of a three-day workshop for community cultural practitioners held at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.

Hosted by Pinelands Creative Workshop (PCW), participants will focus on the development of a toolkit and export strategy for the research based initiative “The Internationalisation
of Community Cultural Performance Arts Products and Services as a Component of a Vibrant National Cultural Industries”.

Watson noted that the arts promote creativity which nurtures innovation and could lead to significant commercial gains in all sectors of Barbados’ economy.

“There is also untapped creative potential in Barbados which has not been able to excel in traditional economic activity. Their out-of-the-box thinking is sometimes stifled in a society that is still very conservative and traditional in its thinking. However, these persons can contribute significantly to the economy by providing them with outlets to allow their talents to be recognised, while facilitating viable, gainful employment.”

As reflected in the National Cultural Policy and Barbados’ Growth and Development Strategy, the Government of Barbados has recognised that a well-developed cultural sector could become a mechanism for positive social and economic development.

The Programme Officer also acknowledged that in the conceptualisation of the Barbados Human Resource Development Strategy, the reinvigoration of the cultural sector was identified as a critical strategic intervention that would help realise the strategy’s important mission of developing national, institutional and human capacity, so that the potential of all Barbadians was fully realised.

With significant financial support from the European Union and the successful engagement of key players in the cultural sector, including some non-government organisations; the MLSD has supported a number of initiatives as diverse as the cultural sector itself, providing training and facilitating research across its many subsectors.

“The three-day workshop is the culmination of another collaboration,” Watson indicated.

“In any export strategy, the quality of the goods or services is a key factor to its success. However, when it comes to cultural goods and services, the significance of quality is compounded by the unique nature of cultural products which are more than mere commodities, but are vehicles of Barbados’ national identity, history, traditions and values.”

“Pinelands Creative Workshop recognised this and sought to develop a toolkit that would enhance competitive capacity as community cultural practitioners…This information will not only ensure that performances that remain true to Barbados’ culture but also establish a clear, concise and consistent identity of these cultural products as they go global,” she said. (TL)