Just ignore the trolls who are obviously achieving their objective. These are political hacks who try to disrupt conversations. Just ignore.I f BU were to be diverted by those who bray what would happen you think? Stay focused by exercising self discipline.

Lemuel…………we have reached that environment, the ministers (lawyers/doctors) continue to display to us on a daily basis their lack of sense or any intellectual capabilities beyond the petty practices that have succeeding in ruining the island. Remember, between both parties there are approximately 22 lawyers. All these lawyer/doctors and the island continues to be sold to the highest bidder, state owned entities/shares sold to outside entities, private businesses owned by foreign entities, tells us something is lacking in their intellectual abilities.

Dr. Honourebel

continue to rebel
women will always back women in public
no matter how wrong
women are something else
careful how you trod with them
they get personal and emotional
just be careful
De dawtas take a little longer to site up……….
Gregory Isaacs
where are the rebels ?
homosexing and jonesing ?

Two U.S. Fast Food Outlets cry foul re their 180-odd% tax the government is putting on their unhealthy American food imports and immediately The Minister calls a meeting with Ministry of Agriculture and those outlets who feel wrongly ‘punished’. If these outlets close down perhaps at the most 100 people might be out of jobs, if that.

Now the CCCG (on behalf of nearly 2000+ unfaired Barbadian creatives) who have studied and worked on the soon-to-be-passed Cultural Industries Bill, without remuneration for their time, for some 15 months pleading to be heard by The Minister of Culture, pleading to work for nothing with government for the good of the country, with all that pleading simply gone on deaf ears.

All the creatives of this country want is a fair Bill for ALL creatives. Without a fair Bill for ALL nearly every creative on this island will not only continue to but will suffer more hardships than ever before, and further there will be more of a creative drain than in the past. Think about what that means? Perhaps God forbid…imagine a flawed Crop Over. Imagine a flawed festival of any kind. Imagine Music done. Imagine Art finish. Imagine Architecture done stop. Imagine Design out the window. Imagine Chefs gone to greener pastures. Imagine? Nope cannot imagine. Ya know why? ‘Cause imagination also gone through the eddoes. And yes! Even those who the Bill seems to favour better read between the lines!

There is no doubt that both internationally and at home, the Bill is seen as horribly flawed. It just needs to be reviewed…I personally see no problem with that. The CCCG sees no real problem with that. Just some simple adjustments that are easy and would have ALL the creatives of the island happy as pappy. So what’s the beef? Cannot comprehend. But then perhaps I am just not intelligent enough to see how difficult this exercise would be.

Yagga…………..the dawtas may take a little longer to site up…………but the sons never site up at all.

men homosexing and jonesing

add pipe smoking, alcohalling and

rebels needed
conflict
resolution
growth

Rosemary………………the leaders in Barbados have an extremely bad reputation for showing very scant respect for their own people, it is something that is continually mentioned in international circles. Charity must be seen as beginning at home.

why Carol Roberts and Dennis Johnson playing material by Red P.B
LOOK
new music
150 songs

Fire
Fireworks –

The whole framework of creativity needs to be looked at seriously. Throughout the Caribbean. I find it disgraceful what this St. Lucian living in Barbados had to go through as an artist…bad enough his treatment in St. Lucia but on returning home? And we here want to believe that all is well and will continue to be well (even better according to the Ministry of Culture once the Bill is passed) in the entrepreneurial spirit of creativity…hmmmm. Well blow me down.

The Free Movement of Art and Artists
May 15, 2013 by Katherine in Blog, Uncategorized | Permalink

I am an artist, a writer and a project manager working in the manufacturing sector, living in the Caribbean; a community of small Independent island nations, linked by history, geography, similar cultures and a mingling of families and heritage unlike any other region in the world.

The Caribbean Islands have come together in Trade blocks over the years, recognizing the need for economic strength amidst the new realities of the WTO trade reality. These Associations, the OECS, CARICOM and CARIFORUM being current versions are supposed to link our individual islands, into a cohesive group.

As part of the development of the CARICOM region, each member nation has agreed that we need to put measures in place to allow for the free movement of people, goods, services and move toward a single currency for the region. Implementation has been slow, and at times at a dead standstill, depending on the political will of the member states, but there is still, for the most part, a recognized need, even if the methodology and timing is not agreed to.

I am a CARICOM Skilled National. I am a St Lucian national, but I reside and work in Barbados. I write, perform, and paint here. But I am still St Lucian, and when a call went out for St Lucian artists living abroad to submit works of art for consideration to exhibit at the 2013 St Lucia Jazz and Art Festival this year, I was quick to submit digital photos of my best recent works, done here in Barbados. Very few people in St Lucia have ever seen my artwork, and the St Lucia Jazz Festival is an International event, offering exposure for my work, much greater than any individual exhibit that I could hold myself for visitors and local art buyers and I was thrilled when the Director of the Inner Gallery indicated that she would like to show three of my works during the festival.

I never considered the venue to be one where I would be looking at a likely outright sale, but to have my works seen by a broader audience, and my first mixed media piece was well received at Pigeon Island, the main stage venue for the festival.

So, having said all this, it sounds like a wonderful opportunity, and the experience should have been a wonderful one for an artist, correct?

While the vision of the CARICOM community and the CSME are ideal and support the arts in theory (after all the first category of persons given freedom of movement were artists and journalists)… in practice, trying to put theory into reality in my case was horrendous, costly and made difficult by the border agencies which should be in place to enforce and enact the vision and ideal of the CSME.

In order to make sure that I had something official to let the St Lucia Customs officials know that the works of art I was travelling with were made in the Caribbean, I made sure to go through the process of creating a CARICOM invoice and getting a Certificate of Origin issued for my three paintings. So in theory, shouldn’t these items have been seen as Duty Free and as a St Lucian, I hoped that they would be seen as works done by a St Lucian, even if they were actually created here in Barbados. With freedom of movement, should it even matter?

Being the honest person I am, I declared the paintings and the purpose of bringing them into the country. I indicated that they would be on display and offered for sale and returning back to Barbados after the festival if not sold.

I was told I would have to leave a deposit on the possibility of them being sold, money which I could only collect by returning to the airport with the paintings when I was returning to Barbados, so that Customs could see that I had not sold them. I indicated that at the point of sale that taxes and duties could be charged, but to no avail. If I wanted to display my works- I had to give Customs $180.00 EC. If it was just a business-like transaction I would not have minded so much, but I was held up, my bags searched, and treated as if I were doing something wrong. When I had to exit Customs to get the cash from an ATM machine required by one Customs official, I was stopped rudely by another Customs Officer and asked where was I going… and told I could not just leave the hall.

Finally having turned over moneys to the Customs officials to “hold” for me, feeling that I was betting against my artwork getting sold, and as if I were smuggling contraband of some sort, I finally entered St Lucia, toting my artwork to get it over to The Inner Gallery so they could get the first two pieces up on display at Gaiety, before the exhibit began the following day.

The ElderSelf-portrrait

The works, as expected, were appreciated, but not sold during the exhibit, but I had at least achieved my main objective of showcasing my work to people who had never seen it before. I actually had close friends who have known me for years, say that they never knew my artwork was so good. LOL

Hopefully there are more people like that in both St Lucia and the wider world now, who see my work as being of a high quality, and perhaps when I have a solo exhibit, they will actually buy a piece or offer me a commission. But until the practices of Customs start seeing the works of artists from within the region as goods which can move as freely as their creators are in theory supposed to be able to do, the only place I will be able to afford to exhibit my work will be in the country where I produce it. Unless I am prepared to pay to ship it and pay duty on it’s “value”, hoping they will sell, but at an a price high enough to cover these increased costs.

So, on the way out of St Lucia, having spent my last morning collecting and repackaging my work, I arrived at the airport and knocked at the door to where my deposit was supposed to be awaiting me, and there was an incoming flight, so I was advised that I would not be able to be helped at that time, although I was also due to check in for my flight, and the same paintings that they needed to see were in my luggage.

Just before the moment of truth, two officers came out and verified that I was indeed carrying back my work, and I was told to come back into the arrival hall as soon as I checked in, in order to obtain my refund.

When I did, a third officer was there at the desk with my receipt, and she gestured for me to come stand in front of her at the desk. When I came around to her, she said, “what is this all about?” So, knowing I was supposed to be in the departure area already, I bit down my frustration and explained as briefly as possible what the deposit was for and that I was there to collect it back. She asked me to show her the paintings.

Knowing full well that should I show my reaction, I would not improve my position, I explained that the gentleman who gave her the receipt she was holding had verified that the paintings were with me before I checked my luggage. The next fifteen minutes were spent by her walking slowly to the office, confirming my story, then walking elsewhere to collect a cash pan with my monies, and finally in returning said $180.00 EC to my hand so I could rush out and clear security for my flight back to Barbados.

I would love to say that it ended there, but on arrival back into Barbados, of course not having learned my lesson in St Lucia, about how well honesty and full disclosure serve me in these circumstances, I also advised the Customs officers in Barbados of what I was carrying, and showed them the stamped Certificate of Origins and CARICOM invoices from Barbados.

I had to take a box cutter, and remove all of the protective foam padding from my frames and paintings, and prove that they were what I said they were, and an officer actually stated to me that there was no proof that the frames and paintings that I was carrying were the same ones that I was bringing in, since there was no serial numbers or anything.

I offered to show my signature on the works which stated the date and place they were done and pointed out that I had always followed a policy of disclosure to the Customs authorities. I asked if she thought I was bringing in a more expensive frame than the one I had taken out of Barbados, and then she said that she never said she doubted my truthfulness. Sure sounded that way to me…I have never felt like a criminal before when travelling, but I was treated more like a smuggler than an artist.

I am an artist however…. one who wanted to display works of art before a larger audience, to show my friends back home what only those who have visited me here in Barbados have seen of my work. I am not a thief or a criminal, nor am I someone with the funds to pay large deposits of monies to Customs on my own work.

I am not sure where the all of various Governments are throughout the region in the development of their own Cultural Development Policies and legislatures but if the simple hosting of an exhibit can be so demoralizing to an artist on one trip, there needs to be some serious work on a regional cultural policy that involved sensitizing the customs officials about works of art and ensuring that regional creative and cultural work is seen with respect and that Artist can be free to move within the region. I am a part of a group of artists who are trying to give input into the Barbados’ CIB which is currently an imperfect document (for the artists) and I know St Lucia has progressed in the development of their own Cultural policy, but regionally, we need to be guided by what is best for the Cultural workers, if the Creative arts are to flourish, provide employment to individuals, options to our creative children, and contribute to our societies the way they should and could, given the support and respect that our efforts and works.

One Love and Blessings,

Kat

@ RP,
Women arrive at GAIA with drugs in their stomachs and vagina the artist with wrapped up artwork should anticpate he would have to open his packages and remove foam. Its an inconvenience but drug runners use every device to get their contraband in you cant blame the Customs unless they locked him up without reason.

CBC no better than VOB
not playing the music
old songs
nuff ads
bare talk
……….praise r p bag
and that is Crop Over

Boy Carson- You are something else.You dont mix matters.You tell it straight.John Roett /Caswell Franklyn .what a combination
lol

As I asked before, why not discuss what the group is trying to achieve instead of the personal attacks, for they do nothing to intellectually stimulate discourse on the issue at hand. I must admit, I do find political yardfowls amusing. Those who matter in my life know the things I have done, take me seriously, and are well aware of the numerous instances in which I have proudly represented my country. Fortunately, neither “Carson”, Just asking”, or “ghost who walks” (so proud of the display of weakness in your cowardly anonymity) fall into that category of mattering to me, and appear more than likely to fit in easily with those who remain doomed to an eternity in obscurity and zero achievement, with their lips firmly sewn to someone’s ass. Sad to think that there are people in my country so blind and stupid as to render themselves helpless against individual thought and intelligent discussion for the betterment of our country, but are more content to be stifled by political affiliation and remnants of racism. Truly sad. Next!

David, we are well aware that nothing can be perfect, and that there will always be peripheral restraints and legal implications to be considered. We understand this totally.. We have also shown great RESPECT to everyone who has been a part of this draft Bill, for it at least shows a beginning to the understanding of who we are and what we do. So is it therefore too much to ask for the same respect to be shown to us? All we ask for is discussion to arrive at compromise, ultimately culminating in a Bill of which we can all be proud and that will benefit every creative person in the country, and by extension, the country itself.

JOHN ROETT

“so proud of the display of weakness in your cowardly anonymity)”

In case you didn’t notice, you are writing on an anonymous blog, joker.

Tell me who is the Blog owner?

People have resorted to attacking John Roett, why?

Because it is easier to do this than to debate the issue at hand, Dr The Honorable decided to go down a sexist, racist path in what I can only consider as the best of the worst Trolling. But this is to be expected, he can post under a pseudonym, a Nom de Plume, because heaven forbid that he use his real name to post the ignorance that he did.

I choose to post the following under my name, as a member of the CCCG, an artist, an avid supporter of culture, a young entrepreneur, and as an individual that has fought against this Bill from the first Public Consultations, I will call a spade a spade, this is bill in its current form is worthless.

It is incomplete, rushed and is essentially a piece of legislation that is being passed hurriedly to take advantage of the UNESCO Heritage Status we were recently awarded, and the funding that comes with that.

It will not develop the Cultural Industries, and if we are being perfectly honest we do not even have a serious cultural industry, not one that has an impact on the economy. But that does not mean that we cannot, we can, and we can have one that can drive this country and it’s economy forward into the future.

But we are missing far too much, and contrary to the beliefs of many people in Government, it cannot be “amended later” we have heard that tired talk for too many decades, we have legislation, a century old that should have been amended multiple times, but hasn’t. We ignore the creatives, who on their own have amassed and accrued a magnitude of wealth of knowledge, networks and contacts.

The Gov’t relies on technocrats and bureaucrats who will attend the seminars, workshops, a conferences around the world, but often lack the ingenuity to take the ideas shared and discussed and implement them here at home.

And so a rift is formed, one that has grown to the point where there is little to no trust of these ministries and statutory corporations. We have allowed politics to pervade and corrupt at every level. So much so that even ministries do not speak or work together on legislation that is obviously reaching across a cross section of Ministries.

On this Cultural Industries Bill this is woefully apparent, in the Public Consultations, no one from the Ministries of Tourism, Foreign Affairs & Trade, Education, Finance. All of which aee essential if we are going to have a thriving C.I.

At the consultations at Combermere Sen. Jepter Ince explained that this much lauded fund would be used to do exactly what BIDC, Invest Barbados, BTA and the NCF all already are mandated by LAW to already do.

We need to start from scratch, we need to develop from a Primary School level real programs in the Arts, and carry them through to Secondary school, this allows for creative free thinking to be nurtured and encouraged, out of which true innovation and creativity are born, and from that comes a new entrepreneurial class. The one that we are so speak about so often but do not really understand what it means

This Bill in its current form is not a Bill it is piece of paper with writing, it is a forgery, not worth the paper it is printed on, and yet, it is going to be used to benefit the few, and allow monies t be drawn that will not be used in any meaningful way. It is a counterfeit, a fake check, it is FRAUD, plain and simple.

And it needs to be called such, and often.

I want this Bill, the CCCG wants this Bill, the Creatives of Barbados want this bill, but not in its current form, not like this. Until then we will step up our campaign and be relentless in our attack.

Mr Minister, and whichever of your cronies will read this, we are not taking this lightly, we attempted to be civil, to have civil discussions and consultations, for over a year now we have tried, written, called, reached out and have been rebuffed and rejected.

Now we declare war, and we will be merciless.

Enjoy it , I know we will

Omar

I just wasted ten seconds of my life reading the hogwash that you wrote.

@John

Good to see the CCCG sticking together.

@Bush Tea

BU has posted many blogs highlighting that it is about accessing UESCO/EU funding which is drying up anyway. The CCCG in its postings has acknowledged this as well. It is why BU has been pushing for concessions for the film industry (External) to ensure the project gives itself a chance to be self financing. You are correct, if they have to wait on government funding it will languish low on the priority list given the state of the national coffers. Perhaps the spunk the CCCG is showing will become infectious 🙂

As I understand it,this bill is about funding and tax concessions for cultural industries in a tidy framework that also allows Barbados to access funding from International agencies.

The bill will get passed and next election we can discuss which politicians benefited the most and how much International funding leaked into the political campaign.

In the meantime I will be happy to purchase crop over music online. David can help by putting up links to websites that sell Barbados cropover music.

David I understand that.

I would like to see Barbados get into the film production Industry like Toronto and Vancouver.

I would also like to see Bajan “productions” funded as is done in Canada.

one question ,is this Parkinson woman a foreigner?
if so she may have avoided the rapes and other things done to bajan young girls growing up in barbados ,hence her sight may be blinded to the reality of barbados.
now let us really discuss this.,
barbados has a made up culture ,copied from Trinidad which was copied from Brazil.
now the true culture of barbados should be African,Irish,Scottish,English combined.as this is who is there now and always has been,
there fore it should have things taken from these cultures involved.
have you ever seen a African carnival??????? no.
have you ever seen a Irish carnival?no
and so on.
so what you are doing is making a false culture where it would be much better to have the real thing.African dance and drums,warrior dances from Africa,
spears includes.! Irish dance,highland games [Scottish games]English culture
i suppose could be dressing up as high society English .and English armies raping and plundering the lands.which would be the reality of barbados culture.
let us face it soca music and all that loud raga raga nasty music you play at crop over is horrible and has nothing to do with music.
also let us face that bajans do not pick crops really any more.
so you see you are just really copying Trinidad,
although i have never been to Trinidad carnival i would certainly not want to attend for drunks and whores and loud obnoxious mus booming in my ear.
plus i do not drink alcohol
alcohol accounts for 85 % of all crime and murder worldwide..
for the low class white trash tourist they may think this is fun,but it is actually
disguising behavior made out to be fun ,party frenzy.
it has nothing to do with barbados culture. it is just a way to keep bajans stupid and drunk.so the government keeps you down where they want you.
now shut up and think filth and wuck up that is all you are worth to them.
and you all do a wonderful job of showing your true colors on crop over day dont you??????????
grow up kids.
filth and lewdness is not a culture.it is lack or culture.

also ask the world government about oil.!!!!!!!
and why we need it as i am sure if synthetic oil can be made
so can synthetic gasoline.interesting is it not.,
http://youtu.be/Bes62O0Y5-w

Yes Barbados may not have the expertise in all activities which the CIB is meant the trap BUT it is not about current state but futiristics as well.

@Omar

Agree with your last comment but in the notes by the CCCG it criticizes the weighting given to film in the CIB. The approach should be an all embracing Bill to nurture all activities in Arts.