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In the aftermath of the annual ritual of the presentation of the Budget, three of Trinidad and Tobago’s most credible and authentic practitioners in the arts and culture were reported in the Trinidad Express newspaper, last week, as expressing reservations about what is passed off as Government support for culture and the arts.
The practitioners were Rawle Gibbons, playwright, director and theatre and Carnival Arts educator; Sonja Dumas, performer, choreographer, filmmaker and arts consultant; and Wendell Manwarren of the widely popular 3Canal, music maker, in particular rapso artiste.
They described from their respective experience the narrowness of the Government’s perspective on arts and culture. Practitioners like these belong to a cadre rarely appreciated or consulted by Ministers of Culture.
Unfortunately instead, as with government statements on many subjects, those relating to support of culture and the arts are mostly rhetoric.
I have reflected several times on the congenital inability of our (in Black Stalin’s immortal phrase) “part-time lovers” of popular culture to appreciate sincerely the richness of what we have and to act decisively.
A further reference to the history of Invaders and its panyard is necessary. The agonizing length of Invaders’ journey to security of tenure would not have escaped readers of last week’s column.
Photo: Invaders
After the hoop-la of declaring 147 Tragarete Road a heritage site in 2007, it was another 17 years before their tenure was regularised only last month.
Let us reflect on what Rawle Gibbons raised about performance venues and the need “to move away from conventional spaces that cannot properly serve the expressions of our arts and culture”.
In relation to steelband performances, Rawle was quoted as saying: “I’m doing a production about steelband, but there is no adequate space for this.” The fact is that our national instrument still needs purpose-built pan theatres.
It will be recalled that the aesthetics and practical usefulness of our muti-million dollar National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) were heavily criticized. I have described NAPA as a building that “ignored the real dimensions of the culture to be accommodated”.
Moreover, as widely reported at the various times, the entire building required remedial works as we say, early o’clock. Eventually NAPA had to be temporarily closed for an extended period less than four years after it was opened.
All this cost additional hundreds of millions of dollars. Similar but possibly less extensive woes reportedly afflicted the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA).
In connection with steelband and other performances, a space with a revolving or moving stage is an important asset. I recall seeing one in Jamaica many years ago. NAPA was constructed with one.
A post entitled ‘NAPA Setting the record straight with facts’ on the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDECOTT) website states: “the moving stage is designed to accommodate the quick movement of steel bands, orchestras, theatre performers and sets”.
I saw a steelband performance at NAPA once with that stage in operation but it is alleged that it stopped functioning also early o’clock.
Regarding, the dimensions of the culture to be accommodated and in the absence of a moving stage, readers are reminded of the innovative work of Michael Cooper and the Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation.
In May 2010, the Foundation put on its first 8 of Hearts steelband concert using two stages in order to alternate performances by the eight top bands of Panorama 2010. As one band finished on the first stage, the next band, already set up, began on the other stage and so the programme progressed on a homely, but effective stage system.
Photo: Pan Trinbago
Subsequently, the Big Five concerts were put on in front of the Grandstand, Queen’s Park Savannah using three stages. I was a participant in the initial meetings to establish the Big Five concert.
Ainsworth Mohammed of Exodus and his team, drawn from other bands, were key persons in carrying that venture forward into three concerts pre-pandemic, (2017-2019).
It is appropriate to congratulate Ainsworth publicly on his recent receipt of a national award for his work in the sphere of culture.
Photo: Pan On The Net
The label ‘pan theatre’ has been attached to certain panyards but this is an inappropriate label. Panyard and theatre space is a topic to be explored further.
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