- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 04:41

The ignominy of the arts in Trinidad and Tobago

There is a truth universally acknowledged that there is no such thing as Art. There are only artists. I use the word “art” here loosely to refer to any endeavour that springs from the human imagination, about human creativity. In TT we have more than our fair share of artists of all sorts. What they have in common is poverty. They eat disappointment for breakfast, the ignorance of fellow citizens for lunch, and uncertain future prospects for dinner. Last week many TT citizens experienced a mixture of elation and shame that the rich and valuable Banyan archives were bought by Mia Mottley’s Barbadian government after TT institutions could not or would not pay for their continued existence. The digitised cultural collection – the largest in our region – contains thousands of hours of Caribbean life and art in all its aspects. For decades, the Banyan pioneers ran a bold and determined TV channel on a shoestring budget in Port of Spain. It broke new ground in creative media and was the catalyst for many brilliant careers, not only in the media and the world of film, but in several other, unrelated professions. Upon ceasing broadcasting, Banyan curated and digitised the copious archive and managed to interest TT’s largest state company, the National Gas Company, with a reputation for funding the arts, in procuring it for the nation. Then NGC president Mark Loquan reportedly proudly announced the acquisition at the opening of the 2022 TT film festival. Former PM Dr Rowley also supported the NGC purchase; but those lofty heads were thwarted by internal NGC forces. The jubilation the cultural fraternity felt over the impending purchase turned to sorrow when NGC refused to deliver on its promise. Barbados has a GDP per capita much lower than TT’s, and double our debt per capita, yet it jumped at the chance to sink money into the preservation of our culture for access by the entire region. But then, Barbados is wedded to Caribbean co-operation and it knows the value of culture, since, given its long and intense history of slavery, Barbados had little chance to develop a truly indigenous culture of its own. The episode proves Barbadians value our cultural wealth more than we do. Banyan’s experience is, sadly, not unfamiliar to arts practitioners and managers. They know too well the tribulations of getting arts funding, the hardships of the lack of meaningful support for culture and the historical paucity of private and state philanthropy. The reason is simple: we have no public policy on the arts and have no structure to support, develop and sustain the great gift we have as a creative people. It was reported that someone inside NGC gave Banyan the “runaround” and then dropped the project. Easily done. Companies and the people who work in their marketing departments are the most powerful people in the welfare of our arts, together with civil servants who manage government budgets for arts projects. They are the arbiters of our national culture. Sometimes those individuals truly care about the artistic work and the positive impact on artists if funded, but too few want to fund the artists (indirect costs), only the art (direct costs). Those making the art need to eat too. In the private sector, larger companies desirous of investing in TT society have a CSR policy that defines their public spending priorities – usually youth and sport. The arts may not feature on the list. Every company wants to invest in our young people, so there is a reduced opportunity for certain artistic endeavours to get funded. The CSR budgets are usually comparatively small and are allocated according to the tastes and knowledge of the marketing team and the extent to which a particular project will positively promote the company’s brand. The marketing directors present their project choices to the company CEO and board of directors, who then approve or disallow the choices. Banks and conglomerates might have foundations, managed through the marketing department, which are usually under-resourced in comparison to their profits. They all receive hundreds of begging letters for funding, and some just split their annual budget allocation evenly between projects. All are seeking opportunities to promote their brand. Arts managers must understand the funding cycle and how to get the attention of the marketing people. In the public sector, the arts ministry manages arts funding, and arts managers rarely interact with the bureaucratic system, yet more diverse projects get funded. In most countries which value the arts, funding is a serious national concern. Special institutions that are independent of the state, though funded by it, exist to champion, develop and invest in artists and cultural experiences that not only enrich people’s lives but also support a diversified arts industry. After 64 years of independence, it is what TT needs, and the private sector has a role to play in this. Happy Independence Day! Editor's note: This column returns on October 4. The post The ignominy of the arts in Trinidad and Tobago appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.