Cultural arts hold major economic potential

By Maxwell Haywood 27.JUL.07

It has been two weeks since carnival ended. From all accounts, people enjoyed the celebrations more than they did in recent years. Kudos to the artistes, organizers and all other participants! However, sustaining this effort and putting the cultural arts in order will require major work and foresight by all those involved in promoting Vincy Mas.{{more}} Increasingly more attention is being paid to the economic and industrial aspects of the cultural arts sector.

Recently, I read a report entitled “Overview of the Cultural Arts Industries in Caricom: Trade and Development Challenges”, which was prepared by the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) of CARICOM. The report is dated October 2006.

Besides noting the economic aspects, the report did not forget to highlight “… that cultural industries are a critical catalyst for identity formation, nation-building and reinforces and expands the cultural confidence of the region and diasporic communities.” At the same time, the report lays out the economic situation facing the cultural arts sector in the Caribbean.

As I read the report, I found that the content of the report is quite instructive for every one involved in the cultural arts in St.Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), especially those in the areas of music and festivals. Importantly, this regional view provided by the report helps us to see the economic challenges and potential of the cultural arts sector in SVG.

In these two fields, the report noted the Caribbean region’s contribution. Caribbean artistes have been successful at the global level and the report mentions names such as: Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Eddy Grant, Harry Belafonte, Shaggy, Kevin Little, Arrow, Billy Ocean, Baha Men, Wyclef Jean, Sean Paul, Rihanna, Ziggy Marley, Ini Komoze, Maxi Priest, and Damien Marley. There are many more!

The report noted that rewards are coming. For example, in 2003 the Copyright Organization of Trinidad and Tobago Organization (COTT) collected TT$7.7 million in royalties/remittances for its members. In 1998, COTT collected over US$50,000. The member societies of the Caribbean Copyright Link (CCL) collected US$2.3 million in royalties in 2004. In the 1990s, reggae music, dominated by Caribbean artistes, earned US$1.2 billion in sales. Live performances in Jamaica bring in approximately US$50 million annually.

According to the report, Caribbean festivals also have economic value that is worth noting. In 2004, 40,555 visitors went to Trinidad and Tobago’s carnival and spent about US$ 27.5 million dollars. Additionally, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago earns US$ 0.5 million in departure taxes and about US$ 2.1 million in indirect taxes. Also, in 2003, 12,164 visitors went to St.Lucia’s Jazz Festival and spent about US$17.3 million. In that same year, 2003, 2,562 visitors went to St. Kitts Music Festival and they spent about EC$ 3.I million. In addition, the Dominica World Creole Festival (WCMF) brought 2,294 visitors to Dominica, who ended up spending approximately US$ 2.3 million.

Furthermore, Caribana in Toronto draws 1 million people, who spend Cnd$200 million. Labor Day in New York, pulls 3.5 million people who spend US$ 300 million. Notting Hill, London pulls 2 million people who spend £93 million.

It is evident that the Caribbean region could gain more from the cultural arts. But for this to happen, the cultural arts sector will have to become more organized. For example, in reference to music, the report sets the challenge by stating: “[The] Caribbean music industry requires institutional support to upgrade the nascent creative and entrepreneurial capabilities, to facilitate balanced growth in the home market, to maximize on the trade potential

of diasporic markets and to make further inroads into global music markets”.

To maximize the social and economic benefits of music, there are several areas that cry out for attention. They include: music production, music publishing, copyright management and administration, audio-visual production, broadcasting, and live performances.

The report highlights several general weaknesses confronting the cultural arts sector in the Caribbean region: weak documentation and weak economic measurement; lack of artiste professionalism – some artistes view the industry as a “hustle”; weak business skills; lack of necessary support services e.g. entertainment lawyers, publicists, artist managers, and image developers.

One thing is certain: there is much work to be done to realize the full economic potential of the cultural arts. However, the effort must be systematic and must involve all stakeholders with an interest in the cultural arts industry. By doing this, the only outcome is greater success.