I was pretty stunned to read today's online Guardian, detailing an article which says that the UK will be investing £13 million in 2008 in Carnival Arts... this from a country where Carnival in no way has a "birthplace"while we in Trinidad do not even have a concise history of Carnival in any type of recorded media!
After 42 years of merry mas in nearby Notting Hill, Her Majesty the Queen has finally decided to take this carnival thing seriously. More than £13 million will be spent on promoting carnival arts in the United Kingdom from next year.
Proposed UK Centre for Carnival Arts
A UK Centre for Carnival Arts will open its doors in Luton early next year, and a Carnival Education Resource Pack will be introduced into the primary school curriculum from September 2008.
The centre, which will be located in on the outskirts of London, has received close to £7 million, while an investment of £6.2 million will see children aged seven to 11 being taught the value and ingenuity of carnival arts.
In addition, the University of Bedfordshire will begin offering the UK’s first carnival arts degree.
The Centre will become “an expression of the living, breathing and evolving spirit of carnival arts,” according to its Web site (www.lcadt.com/centre).
It was always been my wonder why we, in Trinidad, have yet to encapsulate our Carnival heritage in the form of a Carnival museum, where the younger generation can visit , see photos and actual costumes of wining portrayals over the years as well as learn the historical roots of Trinidad Carnival. With the Government's proposed National Carnival Arts Centre I know there are plans to construct some sort of Carnival "museum" within the building, however when this will come to fruition no one knows since mas will be on the streets of Port of Spain again in 2008. From what I know I can see masqueraders parading on the streets for the next 3 years as absolutely no work has begun on this Carnival Centre, not even a contractor has been hired to date!
Plans for National Carnival Arts Centre Trinidad
Even more interesting about that Guardian article is the fact that Carnival will also be incorporated into the education curriculum, not only at the centre where workshops will be held for children and adults alike but also at the University of Bedfordshire which will offer a degree in Carnival Arts!
In the teaching and workshop spaces “people from all walks of life, united by a love of carnival, will be able to meet and share knowledge and resources.” Staff will be on hand to share their knowledge in areas including costume-making, business skills and music development......... It is hoped the centre will be a focal point for the nurturing of future carnival stars. Here artists and small business will receive advice about best practice, support in gaining funding or just have an inspiring chat with the pioneering staff.
The University of the West Indies ( UWI) Centre for Creative and Festival Arts also offers a B.A. in Carnival Studies, for those who are wondering what similar programs there are in the Caribbean. What I find lacking from UWI's offering are more Certificate or Diploma courses specifically geared at Carnival and mas making. Reading the planned projects for Luton's Carnival Arts Centre I am blown away by the fact that they are proposing to offer Carnival Education in colleges, schools and community groups, a much more holistic approach to Carnival Education than anything I am aware of in Trinidad.
Carnival Connections - community regeneration projects
The Carnival Connections programme is a full time post that delivers the Arts Generate project through an extensive carnival arts educational programme in schools and community/ youth groups. The project connects to various local and borough-wide community events (Mela, Black History month, St Patrick’s and St George’s Day) including the Luton International Carnival, where its main aim is to increase participation and improve the artistic quality and content of the event through the involvement of international and national carnival artists.
The Trust are currently working to produce the First Nationally acclaimed Carnival Foundation Degree Course with its partners Barnfield College and Luton University. The course structure has been developed and is currently being consulted with Carnival artists facilitated through an Education Sub Group of the Board. Courses will be Lunched March 2006.
Boroughwide & Regional Development
This part time strategic post is responsible for the carnival art developmental needs of groups boroughwide and regionally. It also develops awareness, understanding and appreciation of carnival arts, increasing opportunities for participation and development of new audiences through outreach workshops in schools and the community. A vibrant education based Carnival Arts Academy is being pursued, which requires liaison with local colleges, schools and University regarding accredited courses. This project seeks to establish income generation through winning contracts to support and develop carnivals nationally.
Carnival Essence - carnival archive project
This is a part time post and has recently secured £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery to produce Luton’s first Carnival archive recording memorabilia, costumes, and publicity as well as documenting oral and pictorial history of Luton’s diverse involvement in Carnival over the last 30 years. The project is launching the Archive film at the Library Theatre in Luton on Monday 15th August 2005.
It is intended that this project will extend to become a national Archive and resource within our proposed national Centre. A proposal is being developed for the national archive that will be shaped by a national steering group led by archive specialists from all related fields.
Arts development -Partake Project
Aimed at contributing to the regeneration of Luton's Bury Park and Lewsey Farm this exciting project will breathe new artistic life into these areas of Luton. With art workshops for community groups in Bury Park run by New Creations and visual arts activities in Lewsey Farm with a master class and artistic residencies in two schools run by Icknield Arts Association.
National Centre for Carnival Arts - making sure our vision for a centre of excellence is realised by 2007. For more details see the Centre section of our website.
Paul Hamlyn Educational project
The Trust has also secured £23,000 from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to produce Carnival Arts inset teacher-training package to enable teachers to implement Carnival Arts programmes without the support of Carnival artists. This project will extend and provide specialist carnival arts workshops targeting children learning at key stage 2 in the national Curriculum.
So as I wonder why a foreign country can see the importance of not only Carnival, but grooming the next generation to carry on the tradition I also ask myself why it is than they can get all this done to date and nothing has started on our own National Carnival and Arts Centre. Maybe we need the industrious Chinese immigrants who worked so fastidiously on the Prime Minister's ostentatious residence to start working on the National Carnival and Arts Centre or maybe we need a Government that actually cares about our Carnival and not only about using certain developments for political mileage.
SOURCES:
Trinidad Guardian www.guardian.co.tt
Luton Carnival Arts Development Trust www.lcadt.com/centre/
SOURCES:
Trinidad Guardian www.guardian.co.tt
Luton Carnival Arts Development Trust www.lcadt.com/centre/
8 comments:
As I have sacrificed everything to try to retain the true nature of our carnival, as I have gone to every ministry and business place with my plea, as I have fought tooh and nail for this band and realised at the end of the day "the Oracle' will be supported by only me, as I have been bred and born in a country that will allow carnival to be lost to a bikini fest, as I have tried and tried and tried I say this, we are sadly off, I am moving to london after this carnival, there is a place for me there, I love my land and I will continue to bring mas here, but we do not love ourselves,we have stained a wonderful story, we continue to bury our heads deeper and deeper in the sand, until the world's main producer of steel pan will come from europe and the best mas it's culture and what it really means will come from the same, who are we people, who the hell are we?
AAron, I feel you plight, cause it is the same thing here... I believe in the spirit of the mas. I honestly cry when I see a king cross the stage, and I see Carnival as an ultimate worship.
The fact is that commerce would never understand art. And as an artist, I have to live; it hurts me when some can look at you and say no, especially those who gain so much from the Carnival.
Taboo, is also supported by it's limited but very dedicated and hard working committee; we sweat, and we work because we want to tell a story, we want to educate, we just want to be heard. True, we might not be as artistically deep as "THE ORACLE" props to you.
My thought is that like HArold Saldenah, I am telling history; my work is to maybe go into the future, the technology, the pollution, the anger, and the wars. Then reflect it; Tha 80s show by som may be seen as fru fru, or just hype; but to me it's a presentation of mas 100years from now. Just as we saw the French Revolution cross the stage, the 80s era would cross the stage.
I think that mas in in my soul, and when the people of Brazil, Canada, Washington, and even Japan respect my contributions to their Carnivals. Our little island has so much potential but we don't want to invest in it.
I am glad that there is a Carnival Center going up in London; I am one of the consultants on the proposed cirriculum. So I was proud to be recognised by them; a similar one is to go up in New York very soon also.
These people are willing to put so much into what we have, sooner or later; our Carnival will become a shell of what it was, simply retoric, a voice that no one would pay attention to in the future...
Aaron, I applaud your efforts in bringing forward the Oracle. But the issue is not the upsurgence of bikini mas but the indifference of our government to preserve the carnival culture.I think there is a place for both bikini mas and traditional mas.You need to remember people play mas for many different reasons. Some people like to wine and get on bad and only that while some like to tell a story. None of us have the right to say which version is more legit because ppl get different things out of Carnival. Enough people play mas for both to share the road.I think the most important thing is to preserve the craft on the whole.That the wire benders teach new wire benders, that the midnight robbers teach new midnight robbers etc.Which is part of the reason I am so determined to wear boots this year.I have no idea how we reach to sneakers in mas.And just from talking to older heads it seems that part of the problem is that YOUNG PEOPLE are interested in carrying on the traditions are a minority.And the powers that be are doing nothing to encourage more of them to get involved.
AT the same time I can also applaud IP and Tribe who with a younger blood have, at the very least attempted to merge the two genres of mas in an effort to maintain the past while still letting the wine and jam crowd have a time.Although I am not amused that costumes can be bought en masse in China. But if not them, who here in Trini will make it?Ultimately the legacy is not being passed on.
In addition certainly cannot be our generations' fault that the pan men still begging a home,that the carnival center eh build or that you have had doors shut in your face.As they say, if you want to know yourself, look where you come from.
I think mas should come from the earth, the souls and heart and the NATIVES!!!
It is sad that in Barbados, a band that is not 100% created on Bajan soil cannot participate in ANY competions.
And in other carnivals that mimic ours, a non-masquerader can be charged by law for entering a band he is not a part of.
It's unfortunate that the NCBA, and the NCDF constantly fight amongst eachother, instead of work together for the good of the culture.
I am strongly against purchasing things from abroad and using it in our mas, just because it appears cheaper.
In 2004 I sold 200 pieces to an agent in Brazil, in 2005 they were on the street of T&T for Carnival. So it's not that our work is not good enough, it's that it needs to be endorsed by others for us to see it as a valuable comodity.
It's as if we Trini's are sleep walking. Pan had NO RIGHT to be produced any other place that TnT. Yet we allowed the world to take it over. It's one thing to share, but do NOT let them come and copyright the very thing that you have created. It's like someone taking your child from you and you no longer lay claim to that child. Carnival is OUR child, PAN is our child, and yet we've given away our rights to those children. It blows my mind that we have not invested in the very things that the rest of the world has adopted. I truly fear that someday we will nolonger have a carnival.
laventille lady you may not be too far from the truth. Our honorable leader/Pastor has already produced utterances of a holier than though mentality with his efforts to eliminate gambling and alcohol in this country.I find it disconcerting that the Carnival center is taking so long to start construction. If Pastor decide tomorrow that Carnival is below his standards he has imposed for the country then we might never get a center. And we President who is a big mas man he self will be powerless to do anything when Pastor make heself Exceutive President.
BTW Elections Nov 5.Take a position.
Aw Saucy, a subject of my heart.
“If you want to know yourself, look where you come from” Carnival Jumbie.
Well yes, indeed.
I don’t find it unusual or surprising that “we” Carnival arts are seriously appreciated by others outside of Trinidad and Tobago. As an expat (my parents left Trinidad and “sent” for my sister and me when I was 12yrs) way into my adulthood, when I could afford a purposeful annual return to Trinidad, I fell in love and came to understand the amazing creativity and true artistry of this ting of steel pan and mas. It was never just a jump up and wave, and or wine down to the ground party in the streets for me, and it never will be. Just before I left Trinidad, I witnessed a band which did indeed live up to the majesty of its theme. That band, Wayne Berkeley/ Bobby Ammon “Secrets of the Sky,” was indelible through my not fully appreciative young eyes. I had no historical context to how this ting was to evolve to seer those amazing images in my mind. The band won everything that year: King, Queen, Outstanding Individual (I think it was Erica Williams in Goddess of the Sun), Band of the Year and any other awards anyone saw fit to bestow on that amazing outpour of creativity and majestic artistry.
It was to take the last ten years of disappointing mediocrity with some sprinkling of some less than inspiring Minshall output, though still appreciated (I missed, both "Red" and "This is Hell", "Red" just before I decided to commit to check out Carnival for real, and "This is Hell", the only year in the last ten years I did not reach; oh and heaven knows I missed the glorious years of the genius of Minshall in the late 70’s 80’s and mid 90’s, until at last, I can honestly say Trinidad Mas is not dead. Just this year, Brian MacFarlane’s “India Story of Boyie” showed there is life in the heart of the spirit of mas, after all. The band did not quite equal the wonder I felt in my bones with “Secrets…” but came quite close for sure. The band was of now, our era, but emphatically showed that creating and MAKING this MAS is an ART that is UNIQUE to the PEOPLE of TRINIDAD and Tobago.
For sure, the Government has a role to support the arts (generous patrons as well, for sure ) and to keep the streets safe during the baccahanal, but what I am not getting is the people’s demand for the arts of Carnival itself. When I talk with some of my family who are in Trinidad, about the marvelous artistry of Mas and Pan, I am sad to say only about 10 percent really understand what I am talking about, or even care. Some of the people I talk with on the streets have no connection to the local art forms of craft and artistic self expressions in mas and or even the historical context (not that I am all knowing, but I am at least inquisitive). Trinidad Carnival (particular Port of Spain mas) is considered by many to be decadent and pointless (and within the last 15 yrs, just and excuse for “nakedness”). On a quite hopeful note Pan seems to get a more positive support revealed from my personal survey. However, there is still not a critical mass or pride in the instrument and of the sound and musical intricacies (its just “noise” to some). My humble opinion is the very spirit that caused this ting, the Carnival, to evolve in the first place, the desire to make something out of nothing, has been lost to a couple of generations now. There has been a tendency for the people (the youths) to look outward to other dominant cultural influences such as American, European, and Jamaican to emulate. There is no doubt in my mind that Bob Marley, and Reggae deserves a special place in the hearts of T&T (all non European countries for that matter), but there should not have been a rush to minimize that which is quite culturally rich within T&T itself. When one of the most popular bands launches a concept of myths and magic for 2k8 and did not include one local character of myths and magic, that to me is an example of always looking outward from "we" place (in no way I am bashing bikini mas, and I must say several bands have stepped up their games to a higher aspiration of art, and I hope this trend continues).
But not all is gloom and doom. I do get a sense that full appreciation and pride are returning to the “lost generations.” It may very well take the outsiders to show Trinbagonian that their arts of Carnival are indeed quite relevant, supremely creative, unique, and is truly spectacularly culturally important for the unifying identity of a quite cosmopolitan and blessed country. Know yourself, correct what needs to be corrected, and love yourself. There are many young voices not getting heard like aaron, and taboo, but y’all should not run away. We need you to continue to make something out of nothing again ;) It’s not a relic ting, but a living ting! A living art created by Africans, Chinese, Indians, and oh yes Europeans. An art we (my heritage) created with our minds, our hands, our hearts, our sweat, our tears, our rhythms, our money, and our love. Bless Up!
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