Consultant: Budget should push arts, culture
From Trinidad Guardian 
Wed Aug 25 2010
Media, cultural and literary consultant Dr Kris Rampersad believes this year's budget should contain the necessary provisions to push T&T's arts and cultural sector from one of dependency to self-sustainability. She said if that was not done T&T would be missing a crucial opportunity to diversify its economy. In a press statement yesterday, Rampersad pointed out that arts and culture were a billion-dollar industry in other countries.
She added: "It is the kind of returns from museums, from performances abroad, from sales and downloads of a range of cultural products in a world hungry for new entertainment on the one hand..."On the other (hand), from fulfilling the cravings from new reflections of self and identity that our multi-culturalism can provide." She added that arts and culture have the potential to help people and communities to have sustainable livelihoods. She noted, however, that the structures, systems and investments necessary which would help T&T to take advantage of that was "sorely lacking."
She said the potential of art and culture was not only found in T&T's music, song, dance, drama or literature but also in outside-the-box industries of fashion and cuisine. "We are sitting down on a multi-million dollar revenue earner in literary tourism, but there are as yet no real facilities by which we can capture this international interest," Dr Rampersad noted. She said it was Government's duty to create an environment that would enable and facilitate that.
She said it was also Government's duty to promote public and private sector partnerships within individuals and groups in the sector, as well as international agencies and to ensure that no one group or groups of organisations had the monopoly and access to these facilities. Dr Rampersad added: "The 2010-2011 budget should present clear measures to provide effective tax and other incentives to the creative sector for the development of talents, products and communities, along with a short, medium and long-term vision that gives culture its rightful place at the centre of national development, not just piecemeal and tokenism."
For more visit www.krisrampersad.com
