Towards a manifesto of sorts
Why a fringe festival? Why is now the time? Why us?
Last night I went to the Carifesta IX "pre-launch" event at the Hilton Trinidad, attended by cultural officers from 15 Caribbean territories and various other dignitaries. I listened to the speeches, I talked to some of the festival officials, I tried to figure out what was going on. I was particularly struck by a few things.
1. How few people under the age of fifty were at the launch, if you subtracted the energetic performers there to provide entertainment and the Hilton wait-staff.
2. The fact that no fewer than two of the official speakers reminisced about being at the first Carifesta in 1972--three years before I was born.
3. The fact that, give or take the mention of a few dates and the odd stray buzzword, the official speeches could just have easily been delivered at that first Carifesta 34 years ago.
4. The fact that many of the key organisers of Carifesta IX could have been--were?--key organisers at Carifesta I.
All this despite the talk about Carifesta IX being a "new" Carifesta, an arts festival for the 21st century, reflecting contemporary realities.
We owe an incalculable debt to the generation of artists and writers who came of age in the 1960s. They fought incredible battles, achieved amazing things. Their works are now recognised as classics. They have won prizes, awards, honorary doctorates, Chaconia Medals or even Trinity Crosses. They head committees or institutions. They have the attention of ministers and permanent secretaries. They are called on to give speeches and write forewords. They are icons. They have their place in history.
But surely, after thirty or forty years, it's time for them to loosen their grip a little. Loosen their grip on the power, the narrative. Realise the Caribbean has changed enormously in the last forty years. We're not fighting the same battles. We're not trying to answer the same questions. And another generation full of bright minds and talents is doing extraordinary things. We of that generation see that, know that. It's time for the official power structure to know that too. Maybe Carifesta IX can be another chance to make this point. And if the official festival bureaucracy won't let "us" in, let's do what bright, ambitious people in the Caribbean have always done: find a space, however small, however modest, and use it to make something big.
This blog, in the first place, is such a space: a space to start talking, exchanging ideas, figuring what we can do and how. We have five months to go, more or less. No time to waste. Now is the time.
Thoughts? Ideas? Leave a comment. Jump in. Let's go.
Last night I went to the Carifesta IX "pre-launch" event at the Hilton Trinidad, attended by cultural officers from 15 Caribbean territories and various other dignitaries. I listened to the speeches, I talked to some of the festival officials, I tried to figure out what was going on. I was particularly struck by a few things.
1. How few people under the age of fifty were at the launch, if you subtracted the energetic performers there to provide entertainment and the Hilton wait-staff.
2. The fact that no fewer than two of the official speakers reminisced about being at the first Carifesta in 1972--three years before I was born.
3. The fact that, give or take the mention of a few dates and the odd stray buzzword, the official speeches could just have easily been delivered at that first Carifesta 34 years ago.
4. The fact that many of the key organisers of Carifesta IX could have been--were?--key organisers at Carifesta I.
All this despite the talk about Carifesta IX being a "new" Carifesta, an arts festival for the 21st century, reflecting contemporary realities.
We owe an incalculable debt to the generation of artists and writers who came of age in the 1960s. They fought incredible battles, achieved amazing things. Their works are now recognised as classics. They have won prizes, awards, honorary doctorates, Chaconia Medals or even Trinity Crosses. They head committees or institutions. They have the attention of ministers and permanent secretaries. They are called on to give speeches and write forewords. They are icons. They have their place in history.
But surely, after thirty or forty years, it's time for them to loosen their grip a little. Loosen their grip on the power, the narrative. Realise the Caribbean has changed enormously in the last forty years. We're not fighting the same battles. We're not trying to answer the same questions. And another generation full of bright minds and talents is doing extraordinary things. We of that generation see that, know that. It's time for the official power structure to know that too. Maybe Carifesta IX can be another chance to make this point. And if the official festival bureaucracy won't let "us" in, let's do what bright, ambitious people in the Caribbean have always done: find a space, however small, however modest, and use it to make something big.
This blog, in the first place, is such a space: a space to start talking, exchanging ideas, figuring what we can do and how. We have five months to go, more or less. No time to waste. Now is the time.
Thoughts? Ideas? Leave a comment. Jump in. Let's go.
posted by Nicholas Laughlin at 8:36 AM
4 Comments:
Yes Yes Yes. Now is the time .Art Aloud !!!. We as artists have to claim a space for our collective voices to be heard.If we don't do it now , we run the risk of being lost in the space between the great elders and the new world that is quickly starting to look like a carbon copy of America. We are here now ,we have a mighty voice and it must be heard.
Art Aloud !
I am in.
Nicholai.
Sounds good! I think I would much rather participate in the fringe festival than the offical one.
I am available to assist with planning.
Mark (Seems I've finally found a reason to begin blogging)
We live in exciting times. This is how I like to view things. These are incredible years where we are witnessing a world which is rapidly changing shape before our eyes. Our ability to thrive (not just survive) is increasingly challenging. Are we going to be engineers of our success of engineers of our demise through inaction? What will we say to the generations to come, that we were too afraid to act? If we do not do our part here now as the Generation in the Middle, living in the most influential nation of a region where the crucible of humanity co-exists, then we are wasting a valuable opportunity and history will hold us accountable. Let us consider shifting the focus of our energies from the problems to focusing on the possible solutions, to doing our work as a river in its inevitable journey to the sea. Change the direction, circumnavigate the obstacles, cut a new path, quench the thirsty, provide irrigation and recreation. Let our streams unite, so when they come they’d better know how to swim.
We need only honour our [Spirit, God, Allah, Krishna, Shango, Chi, Great Spirit, Mother Earth, whatever] so that the rain of our inspiration [as artists] continues to fall so as to sustain the flow. Let's do it! Here we come!
Remember september26---october7,2006.Art exhibition featuring Rex Dixon,Peter Doig,Kofi Kayiga,Chris Ofili,Roberta Stoddart.
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