A.C.T.T.
ARTIST COALITION OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
5 Gulf View Drive, La Horquette Extension Road, Glencoe 797-0949 activismtt@yahoo.com activismtt.itrini.com
TRINBAGO ARTISTS ACTIVISM UPDATE
PROGRESS REPORT
This is a progress report on the lobby to get government to consult with artists over the $5 Billion worth of cultural infrastructure being built. This is where things are at present:
Government continues to act arrogantly and without informed consultation:
Despite protest Princes Building Grounds has been fenced around to begin work on the National Performing Arts Centre and National Performing Arts Academy. Chinese labour is already sleeping on the property. No artist- or the general public for that matter- has had access to (or input in) the architectural plans.
The Design Board is also up for the $700 M/$480M/ or $450M Carnival Complex in the Savannah that is almost universally panned by artist. Now Prime Minister Manning has said the plans are going through major revisions. By who? Under whose instructions and contributions? No stakeholders again are part of the deliberations. All behind closed doors.
Government continues to spend hundreds of thousands on its ad campaigns on TV and newspapers selling the Cultural centres. Their ads normally incorporate the language of our objections and our ideas and try to build a spin using the artist lobby’s words. This has been how government has conducted this entire enterprise. Refusing to meet with people but absorbing their comments, objections and ideas and then creating campaigns from them- whilst not taking on the substantive objections.
Our Next moves:
The UTT has engaged the consultation process big time and extensive private consultation is happening as regards its curriculum. This is building towards a large inclusive stakeholder gathering to be announced soon. Despite this government’s architectural plans are happening totally independent of the UTT’s curriculum plans!!!
ACTT will be answering gov’t ads in the media
ACTT Stakeholder meetings will be called soon for strategy and dialogue
The Independent Senators will act
Hopefully the President and other senior players will enter the fray
The civic organizations will be making moves on the Cultural centres and mega-projects on the whole
For more detail call me: Rubadiri 1-868-797-0949 or email at rubadiri@yahoo.com
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS
After a year and a half- we met with the Minister:
A result of the pressures we have been exerting especially in the media culminated in a meeting with the Minister on Friday 2nd March 2007. Coming out of that meeting:
The Minister has promised she will hold an artist stakeholder forum at the Queens Hall within a month or so. However we have heard this for the last 5 months.
We demanded and were able to get the following documents which we are making available to all artist representative groups to pass on to their memberships. All artists should get their hands on these documents to add their thoughts. The documents are: 1. The Draft of the long demanded National Cultural Policy document; 2. Revised floor-plans for Community Centres which now include proper performing Arts spaces; gyms; internet facilities; etc; 3. The head of UDECOTT Calder Hart was instructed to release the architectural plans for all the cultural centres to us. This has not been done.
We were able to personally communicate all the demands personally and meet with members of the Minister’s team- what good any of this will do is arguable. One of the submissions we hope find traction is the awarding of 100 or more scholarships for Institutional Administrators to run the institutions once built. The idea that administrators are a qualified post and that they can and should be trained seemed to have caught the Minister’s ear. Tis an election year so don’t be surprised to hear plans announced for scholarships soon! It may appear in an ad…
Outreach:
ACTT took part in the 24-hour Vigil organized by FITUN from 6.00pm on Wednesday April 4th until 6.00pm on Thursday April 5th. The venue was the Queen’s Park Savannah, opposite the Prime Minister’s Office, Whitehall. Presentations were made to many FITUN unions who support artist initiatives.
Civil Society Organisations are Uniting around these issues:
ACTT through Rubadiri Victor made a presentation on behalf of artist at the Mega Projects Symposium held at the Paramount Building in San Fernando. The symposium was entitled:
Mega- Projects: Are They In The Citizens’ Interests?
A Public Policy Forum Jointly Hosted By The:
Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago
Artists Coalition of Trinidad and Tobago
Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGOs
Institute of Surveyors of Trinidad and Tobago
Joint Consultative Council
Society of Planners of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago Contractors Association
Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects
Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute
The presentation was received very well. Coming out of this symposium will be a joint statement about the spate of mega projects in general and Cultural institutions in particular being drafted by all these bodies. This statement will be published as a full page ad in all the daily newspapers within the week. Every single one of these civic organizations including the Architects Association support artist and our call on a freeze of the projects until an inclusive stakeholder forum is held
Independent Senators Join Their Voices to Ours:
A presentation was made to Independent Senators at the Red House on Tuesday 13th March 2007 by a team comprising Camille Selvon Abrahams of Anime Caribe fame; Jazz musician/ teacher//promoter Sean Thomas and Rubadiri. The Senators have vowed to pick up the artist struggle and will be bringing up the issues in the House and in other places.
Honourable President Max Richards and other senior personalities informed:
About 20 packages were sent out to various senior personalities informing them of what is happening vis a vis government’s refusal to consult. A reply letter was received from the President saying that he was looking into the matter. Some of the talks arising from these missives are continuing and the fruit of these will be announced soon.
UTT opens itself up for Stakeholder Consultation:
The first stakeholder consultation with the University of Trinidad and Tobago was held on Friday 23rd February 2007. The UTT are in charge of and/or have some overview over: the National Performing Arts Centre and Academy (Princes Building Grounds); the National Performing Arts Centre and Academy (Naparima Bowl); the National Performing Arts Academy (Wallerfield).
Attending the consultation from the UTT’s side was: its Director Professor Ken Ramchand; its Provost; about 8 of its Fellows (including Ravi Ji, Earl Lovelace, etc); and staff.
Invited to attend from the artist side were about 14 representative groups including NDATT (drama); NDATT (dance); Pantrinbago; Chutney Associations; TUCO; etc etc. Many did not show. Attending were: Mario Lewis (visual artist); Camille Selvon Abrahams (animator); Vijay Ramlal (chutney); Sonya Dumas (dancer/choreographer); Dean Arlen (visual artist); Rubadiri Victor (multi-media artist); etc
Massive UTT Stakeholder Curriculum 'Consultation':
Under the auspices of the Principal-to-be of the Academy Pat Bishop a massive stakeholder consultation was held. Most of the time was spent on presentations from staff members and ancillary staff from the Aacdemy about the plans of what is to come and probably not enough time was spent on dialogue back and forth. This might have been interesting as it was a large gathering of almost 200 senior practitioners and technicians. Also interestingwas how ACTT through Rubadiri was treated as an invited guest rather than a fellow convener of the meeting and a partner in the process. Artist lobbyist are actually partners in processes with sound technical skills- not just spirited 'fighters'. They should have been seated at the table. All in all these consultations will continue to build towrads a massive forum at a date to be announced.
Minister Chin Lee Agrees:
Rubadiri Victor had a short pow wow with Minister of Tourism Chin Lee who agreed to broker meeting with the Minister of Culture. He initially was against artist’s stance asking, “Give me 3 good reasons you artists have problems with what the government is doing.” I gave him 3. He then said, “That’s 3 real good reasons boy! Let me see what I can do.” Let’s hope they listen to him.
Senior PNM Party Members agree with artists:
ACTT also conducted short meetings with senior PNM party members who agreed with artists and have also tried to broker an artist forum. We will see how far this goes…
Community Outreach:
ACTT has made presentations to communities like Malick, assemblies of civic organizations and NGOs, etc. on artist issues and their connection to real life struggles and aspirations of communities and individuals. Audiences continue to be responsive and automatically see the connections. Many are onboard.
Media Outreach:
ACTT continues to take whatever opportunities emerge to foreground artists’ stance. These have had the effect of slowing govt’s progress at times, although they seem to be in steamroller mode at present. On Thursday 30th November, 2006 at 10am ACTT was supposed to host a press conference upstairs the National Museum opposite Memorial Park, Upper Frederick Street, Port of Spain. After granting permission the Museum pulled it. There are a number of press related activities to be announced and launched soon.
Savannah Forum Media Outreach
The week before Panorama a consultation was held in the Savannah under the Samaan Tree by the south eastern edge of the Savannah. It was supposed to be a rally but due to zero ground-work by ACTT and FITUN it instead turned into a very fruitful media sensitization. Up until that time the print media had frozen artist objections out of its pages for a year and a half. We actually got some newspaper press after this. Radio and TV have been accommodating to artist stances.
Stakeholder meetings:
Although they have slipped off since carnival ACTT has had stakeholder meetings to move affairs along. We hope to start back bigger and better. This of course requires you the artist and stakeholder to show interest and show up. Groups that have been showing up include: Trini Reggae singers; Craftspeople; Animators; Pantrinbago; Chutney Association; NDATT (dance); NDATT (drama) but not as frequent; Rapso; Rock musicians; Soca/fete Promoters; Technicians; Film and Video professionals; COTT; FITUN; Circle of Poets; Society of Children Books; Drummers; RIATT; occasional soca band leaders and artists. The outreach for the next set of meetings will be more extensive.
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