Often in life you see things from a different perspective from the sidelines. 

For many years I participated in the growth and development of art, but never fully understood why the various art forms were so low keyed and underdeveloped.

Many like me have tried, over long years, to maintain and present various versions of the arts in the best ways we know – and many have died trying, while others have not been compensated or rewarded for their lifelong efforts. Yet, through their persistence and determination the various art forms continue to thrive.

When talking about art there are various forms such as the visual performing and new culinary arts. But regardless of the area of creativity, most participants are struggling.

Some areas like Calypso (and to a lesser extent dance) and a growing number of musicians, have found various means and opportunities to eke-out a living, but most of it is still seasonal, while creative areas like theatre, choral groups, folk entities, painters and sculptors — all struggle to earn from their creative talents.

Many have retired, plenty have given up hope and some have migrated to find artistic contentment, all because of lack of total appreciation for arts and artistes at home.

Sadly enough, we boast of having a jazz festival for more than 30 years, but not one jazz club has emerged apart from the small venue at ESP in Bisee, established through great a family effort.

Dancers have to depend on hotel gigs, or wait for a major cricket showcase, or other major show once a year, or hope for a possible pick for an external opportunity every four years, like CARIFESTA and even hotel bands will pray and hope for a cruise ship break.

As for legitimate performing venues, the National Cultural Center hosts about 800 persons, The Tent in the north and a recent amphitheatre outlet at Serenity Park is now open, with promises to also build one in Vieux Fort.

Hundreds of students and young people, not excluding the many who have toiled over the years, all have hope and dreams that they will one day get the opportunity, recognition and consistent means of earning a living through their involvement in the arts, but that still remains a figment of their imagination.

Despite the hundreds of restaurants and the many places for recreation, plus the thousands of visitors that come here via the hospitality industry, growth and opportunities in live art forms are still dismal. All the handmade crafts peddled by vendors are imported and deejays are more easily employed to keep music alive.

The steel pan is almost extinct (apart from carnival season) with just one big show to relate to known as panorama. And as for our seamstresses, trinkets, costume jewelry makers and other creative designers, the whole lot can only survive seasonally because despite the many buyers only a few think local.

The schools, even though they have embraced the teaching of some art forms, have no organized after-school programs or performing outlets with trimmings.

My question is: How can we say that we are the Mecca of Caribbean Art when only 20% of our performing artiste can survive through their art? I go to certain recreational outlets and I hear many good and pleasant voices belting out their guts in song at Karaoke sessions, but not even a bottle of water is offered for their efforts.

So, we talk quite a lot about unemployment and social growth, yet we remain the greatest suppressors of artistic employment. We hear about the Blue and Orange economy and all forms of employment enhancement for economic stability, but the area of helping our artisans prosper is out of the equation.

How can we develop holistically then, if we keep marginalizing the creative section of our society?

At our ports of entry and our site attractions, all neglect performing artistes. To my mind, independence is about doing what we love, but not about getting a job because we dislike having to work to earn.

I urge the state and the commercial sector, as well as all well-wishers, to begin to create performing outlets and atmosphere related to accommodating our performing struggling population, as well as added means of payment for all our creatives to start having clubs that offer professional cultural performances as options. Let’s have more dance halls and party outlets and let them grow with creativity.

Otherwise, failing to do this is living a lie.

I therefore again make the case that art and artistes need full-time recognition; and theatre should be used frequently, and not only seasonally.

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