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POLICY PAPER TO INFORM THE PROPELLING

OF BARBADOS’ CREATIVE ECONOMY:

A CULTURAL INDUSTRIES DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

♣♣♣♣ ♣♣

Prepared by:

The National Task Force on Cultural Industries

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter of Transmittal …………………………………………………………...…………………………………..i List of Abbreviations……………………………………………………………………………………………….ii Prime Minister’s Forum………………………………………………………………………………….………..1 Establishment of a National Task Force on Cultural industries……………………………………….……...4 Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………….7 Part I – Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………21 – Historical Overview of the Sector…………………………………………………………………….22 Part 2 – What are Cultural Industries?....................................................................................................24 – SWOT Analysis Cultural Industries in Barbados………………………………… ………..…….25 Part 3 – Review of Existing Policies Models…………………………………………………….…………….35 Part 4 – Existing Framework for Cultural Industries………………………………………………………….38 Part 5 – Impact of International Agreements/Conventions…………………………………………………..56 Part 6 – Intellectual Property with Respect to Cultural Industries……………………………………….….68 Part 7 – Approach and Methodology………………………………………………………..…………………78 Part 8 – Software Development………………………………………………………………………...………82 Performing Arts Music………………………………………………………….…………………………………...…….87 Dance………………………………………………………………………………..………….……….90 Choreography…………………………………………………………………………………….….…92 Theatre Arts……………………………………………………….…...............................................96 Business Strategy for Cultural Tourism………………………………………………………….…………..109 Festival and Events Bureau……………………………………………………………………………….…..121 Visual Arts……………………………………………………………...….…………………………………….123 National Gallery of Art………………………………………………………………………………………….128

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Craft and Design in the Cultural Industries…………………………………………………………………..132 Architecture in Barbados……………………………………………………………………………………....136 Project Management in Cultural Industries…………………………………………………………………..137 Film Policy…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………142 Charts for Framework for Film Policy………………………………………………………………………...156 Printed Matter Publication and Literature…………………………………………………………………….162 Summary of Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………165 Contributors……………………………………………………………………………………………………..169 References…………………………………………………………………………………………………..….170

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

AICA SC The International Association of Art Critics, Southern Caribbean ASCMS Agreement on Subsidies & Countervailing Measures BAC Barbados Arts Council BATMAN Barbados Association of Tent Managers BCC Barbados Community College BGA Barbados Gallery of Art BIDC Barbados Industrial Development Corporation BMEX Barbados Manufacturers Expo BMHS Barbados Museum and Historical Society CARICOM Caribbean Community CBC Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation CHEKS Cultural Heritage Education for Kids COSCAP The Copyright Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers CPC United Nations Central Production Classifications CXC Caribbean Examinations Council DMO Destination Marketing Organisation EDUTECH Educational Technological EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone FTAA Free Trade Area of the Americas GATS General Agreement on Trade in Services GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade GDP Gross Domestic Product ICOM International Council of Museums IGCTKF Inter-Governmental Trade Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources,

Traditional Knowledge and Folklore INTERPOL International Police NAGC National Art Gallery Committee NCF National Cultural Foundation PEACE Personal Empowerment in the Arts through Creative Education SBA Small Business Association SCME Standing Committee of Ministers of Education SJPP Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic

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SMEs Small and Medium Sized Enterprises TRIMS The Agreement on Trade Related Investment Measures TRIPS The Agreement on the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights UAC University Academic Committee UCB University College of Barbados UNESCO United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation UNIDROIT United Nations Law WIPO World Intellectual Property Organisation WTO World Trade Organisation YES Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme

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THE PRIME MINISTER’S FORUM ON CULTURE HELD ON JUNE 28, 2002 The Prime Minister’s Forum on Culture of 2002 was held on June 28, 2002 and had as its objectives the following goals:

To provide a forum in which all the cultural development stakeholders could exchange views and share information;

To map out a framework for further meetings among the differing constituents within the cultural sector;

To set out a framework for how ministries, agencies and partners in the cultural sector should inter-link as it relates to cultural development;

To set out a timetable towards the formulation of an official National Policy on Culture to go before Cabinet/Parliament;

To develop and agree on a framework for carrying out a comprehensive study of culture. [This study would mainly be used to determine the economic impact/contribution of culture within the Society, as well as how best investment and capital injections into cultural industries should be made. The Forum on Culture was to be used to garner the formal commitment of the players within the cultural industry so as to be able to obtain the requisite data on the sector];

To prepare a statement from the stakeholders on cultural development making specific recommendations for action and a concrete timetable for implementation of actions.

Structure of the Prime Minister’s Forum on Culture The Consultation took the form of an open forum with the respective players and their representatives taking part in discussions led by working papers and presentations from government and other invited presenters. It was the view of the Prime Minister’s Office that having an open forum would allow for the maximum participation of all persons present. In order to facilitate maximum participation, a written brief was circulated to all potential participants prior to the holding of the forum in which the proposed discussion was outlined. Participants at the Forum Persons invited to participate in the forum were drawn from organisations in the public, private and third sectors and included the following:

National Cultural Foundation

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Ministry of Culture Prime Minister’s Office Ministry of Economic Development Ministry of Finance Ministry of Trade Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry of Tourism Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Social Transformation The National Library Service The Barbados Museum and Historical Society HIV/AIDS Commission Commission for Pan-African Affairs Community Independence Secretariat Barbados Community College (Arts Programme) University of the West Indies (UWI) - Cave Hill Musicians Retailers Producers Craft Persons Artists – Fine, Graphic, Culinary Costume/Band Designers Private Sector Representatives Media (Print, Electronic, Internet) Youth/Community Representatives Barbados Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (BANGO) The Barbados Agency for Musical Culture Inc The Barbados Craft Guild The Barbados Arts Council The Attorney General’s Chambers

Discussion The Forum discussed the following:

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Culture in National Development Development in Cultural Industries Institutional Arrangements for the development and sustaining of Cultural Industries The Role of Festivals and Cultural Events

Main Issues arising from the Discussion The main issues arising from the discussions were:

That culture and the arts should be integrated into the school curriculum That Film and Television should be recognized as powerful tools in cultural development and

should be more effectively exploited to ensure national identity That artists needed to produce products of high quality

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ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL TASK FORCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL INDUSTRIES

From the Forum it was concluded that Government’s commitment should be the creation of an environment and infrastructure which would encourage and nurture creative self-expression among all Barbadians. It was felt that the development of cultural industries as a legitimate aspect of the Barbadian economy was crucial at this juncture of the country’s development and their success and sustainability as an economic sector would not only depend on Barbados’ ability to provide the requisite tools for the creative spirit to thrive but would also depend on its commitment to excellence in the quality of its cultural products and services. In order to achieve these goals, the forum concluded that it would be necessary to examine ways in which education within Barbadian schools could be re-structured so as to integrate culture and the arts as part of the school system. The objective was the stimulation and fostering of creativity amongst all Barbadians. Arising out of the Prime Minister’s “Forum on Culture”, a rationale was developed and terms of reference drafted for the establishment of a National Task Force on Cultural Industries [the Task Force], the main responsibility of which was to formulate a plan of action for the development and sustaining of Cultural Industries in Barbados. The following represents the rationale articulated at the Forum: Rationale and Terms of Reference of the National Task Force on Cultural Industries The Task Force on Cultural Industries was constituted to execute the following actions:

a. To undertake a comprehensive situational analysis of cultural industries in Barbados; b. To carry out research, review and analyze existing policies, models, and best practices

on the development and promotion of cultural industries in other countries to inform the development of cultural industries in Barbados;

c. To make recommendations for the development of sustainable cultural industries with regard to the following areas: - the creation of an institutional framework to facilitate the development of

cultural industries; - the formulation of a marketing strategy, including the process of identifying

suitable branding for Barbadian cultural products; - identification of appropriate education and technical training relevant to the

development of cultural industries;

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- the development of fiscal arrangements for stimulating the growth of cultural industries, including recommendations on the nature of capital investment from the government and private sector;

- the examination of existing legislation to make recommendations for the appropriate amendments or creation of new legislation with particular relevance to intellectual property for the development of cultural industries;

- the examination of the terms and conditions of international trade agreements and the relevance of such arrangements to the development of cultural industries;

The Cabinet of Barbados took a decision on August 02, 2002 to approve the establishment of the Task Force with its mandate and terms of reference as outlined above. Following the Cabinet’s decision, letters were sent out on September 02, 2002, to the following persons inviting them to serve on the Task Force:

- Professor Woodville Marshall (Chairman)

- Mr. Adrian Cummins (Deputy Chairman)

- Ms. Alissandra Cummins - Mr. Norman Barrow - Ms. Lynette Eastmond - Mr. Ian Estwick - Mr. John Kidd - Ms. Carol Nicholls - Mr. Gilbert Rowe - Mr. Antonio “Boo” Rudder

All those persons invited indicated their willingness to serve and to participate in the work of the Task Force and on September 30, 2002, the Task Force met for the first time to discuss the manner in which it would discharge its mandate. Unfortunately, the Chairman of the Task Force, Professor Woodville Marshall, resigned on November 22, 2002 and the Task Force was re-constituted in the following manner:

Mr. Adrian Cummins (Chairman)

Mr. Gilbert Rowe (Deputy Chairman)

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Mr. Norman Barrow Ms. Alissandra Cummins Miss Lynette Eastmond Mr. Ian Estwick Mr. John Kidd Mrs. Carol Nicholls Mr. Antonio “Boo” Rudder

The Task Force met and commissioned the preparation of several policy papers on cultural activity within Barbados, in many instances drawing on the resources of the many individuals and institutions working in the several disciplines of the arts and culture.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Prime Minister’s Forum on culture was held on June 28, 2002 and had as its objects, inter alia, the following:

To provide a forum in which all the cultural development stakeholders could exchange views and share information;

To set out a framework for how ministries, agencies and partners in the cultural sector should inter-link as it relates to cultural development;

To set out a timetable towards the formulation of an official National Policy on Culture to go before Cabinet/Parliament.

The structure took the form of an open forum with the respective players and their representatives taking part in discussions led by working papers and presentations from Government and other invited presenters. Government Ministries, agencies, private sector organisations and NGOs participated in the forum. The discussion included the development of cultural industries and Culture in national development. The main issues which arose from the discussion were the manner in which culture could be integrated into the school curriculum and the need to have artists produce goods worthy of distribution internationally. Arising out of the Prime Minister’s “Forum on Culture”, a rationale was developed and terms of reference drafted for the establishment of a National Task Force on Cultural Industries [the Task Force], the main responsibility of which was to formulate a plan of action and the requisite environment for the development and sustaining of Cultural Industries in Barbados. Rationale and Terms of Reference of the National Task Force on Cultural Industries The Task Force on Cultural Industries was constituted to undertake a comprehensive situational analysis of cultural industries in Barbados and make recommendations in respect of the development of fiscal arrangements for stimulating the growth of cultural industries and the appropriate legislation with particular relevance to intellectual property for the development of cultural industries. The starting point for the Task Force was the review of the Regional Cultural Policy of the Caribbean Community Member States of August 1994. The Task Force then proceeded to consider what would be an appropriate definition to embrace the several categories of cultural industries existing within Barbados. After much discussion, the Task Force settled on the definition of cultural industries articulated by UNESCO. For

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the purposes of this Report the Task Force classified cultural industries under the following three broad heads: Arts and Culture Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Photography, Craft, Libraries, Museums, Galleries, Archives, Heritage Sites, Festivals and Arts supporting Enterprises Design Advertising, Architecture, Web and software, Graphics, Industrial Design, Fashion, Communications, Interior and Environmental Media Broadcast (including Radio, Television and Cable), Digital Media (including Software and Computer Services) Film and Video, Recorded Music and Publishing SWOT Analysis of Cultural Industries in Barbados Strengths The following strengths have been identified within the Barbados culture sector:

o strong network support and capacity in the cultural industries o stable government o personalised, community-based approach to programme delivery o distinctive, innovative and creative cultural products o strong alliances with regional and international agencies o well-educated work force capable of responding to international standards

Weaknesses

o The lack of financial options for creative industries thereby limiting industry growth o The high business costs in Barbados thereby resulting in deterrence of potential investors o The relatively low level of private sector partnership and cultural philanthropy for arts and

cultural events in Barbados thereby limiting the growth and vibrancy of our arts and cultural scene

o Lack of quantitative data to measure the contribution of culture to national development o Insufficient marketing of cultural services and products o Lack of legislative support and policy for cultural resource management

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Opportunities o The growth in Cultural Tourism as an increasingly important source of revenue o Barbados’ proximity to the markets of the USA, Canada and South America which provides a

ready consumer base and access to a vast wealth of creative resources Threats

o International competition from increased use of technology o Changes in cultural values and attitudes of the Barbadian Society o Limited role of the community and business sectors in cultural development o Reduced funding from international agencies due to Barbados’ economic classification o Poor public perception of the role and effectiveness of the cultural sector o Inadequate financial support o Inadequate legislation for the protection of cultural heritage

Review of existing policies, models and best practices Cultural Industries worldwide contribute significantly to economic development of many developed and developing countries. Cultural products now account for a significant share of the economy in the USA, Canada, The United Kingdom, Jamaica and Singapore. Existing Framework for Cultural Industries within Barbados Available Data Although there exist no comprehensive statistics on the economic impact of culture on the economy, there are within the Balance of Payments of Barbados Report 2002 of the Central Bank of Barbados some three categories of services detailed which can be specifically subsumed under the term “Cultural Industries”. The categories are Computer and Information Services, Royalties and Personal, Cultural and Recreational Services. The category of Miscellaneous Business, Professional and Technical Services also contains a number of the services which can be subsumed under the definition of Cultural Industries. Cultural industries are poised to be a significant contributor to the economy of Barbados, despite the fact that there is a perception that cultural industries constitute a “soft” sector and are carried out more as an after hours diversion than a veritable business enterprise.

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Current Fiscal and Legislative Regime Cultural Industries The following sets out the fiscal and legislative regime governing the several areas of cultural industries within Barbados: The Small Business Development Act, No. 23 of 1999

An enterprise engaged in arts and cultural activities, entertainment services, hotel, restaurant and other tourism related services, and sporting and recreational services are included in the definition of such a business under this Act. The Special Development Areas Act 1996

This Act provides for the designation of special development areas, relief to persons carrying out work in these areas and providing financing of such work. The activities that an approved developer may carry out are:

o Tourism projects highlighting the heritage and natural environment of Barbados; o Arts and cultural investments;

Tourism Development Act 2002

This Act encourages the sustainable development of the tourism industry by providing duty free concessions and income tax concessions for approved tourism projects and certain tourism entities and for other related matters. This Act expands incentives for investment in the tourism and hospitality sector in Barbados, beyond the traditional accommodation sector. Incentives are offered in the Act to:

o recreational facilities and services; o development of attractions emphasising the island’s natural, historic and cultural heritage;

The Enterprise Growth Fund

The Enterprise Growth Loan Fund Limited [EGFL] is a private sector initiative established to render support to small business ventures by purchasing a minimum $50,000.00 in shares in a new business. The Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme

The Youth Entrepreneur Scheme [YES} is structured to support youth in business under the following heads:

o General business counseling; o Direct technical assistance;

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o Entrepreneurial development training; o Marketing outreach

Technical Support

The Government makes possible through the Barbados Investment Development Corporation [BIDC] small business and new enterprise Development Centre technical and operational assistance to small and new enterprises. Impact of International Agreements and Conventions on Cultural Industries International trade agreements vary in the way in which they treat cultural products. Recognising the growing market in services, knowledge and information, these agreements have moved beyond trade in goods to cover world wide trade in services as well as certain aspects of intellectual property. “Cultural goods” are however subject to the GATT rules. Recent initiatives suggest that a new cultural instrument needs to be negotiated to develop an international consensus on the exclusion of cultural goods and services from international trade rules and to encourage and promote indigenous cultural expression and cultural and linguistic diversity. This instrument would embrace cultural goods as well as cultural services and make references to competition policy to address market dominance problems that can adversely affect the vitality of indigenous cultural industry. Having reviewed the Compendium of services sectors in Barbados developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the purpose of guiding the Barbados Team during the WTO/FTAA negotiations, it is recommended that a thorough and detailed consideration be given to culture in order for the Trade Team to properly negotiate cultural industries in a possible free trade environment. Intellectual Property with respect to Cultural Industries The intellectual property regime, both domestic and international, has a critical role to play with respect to the development of cultural industries. It is therefore important that any specific policies to be developed with respect to intellectual property and cultural industries be addressed within the wider context of the overall national policy on intellectual property. It is important that Barbados analyses existing and future trends and use this work to identify future needs, priorities and areas of action. Since intellectual property is itself a cross-cutting issue, intellectual

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property policy formulation demands an integrated approach. Work on culture needs to be integrated within the wider national policy on intellectual property. Increased public involvement and understanding of the importance of intellectual property protection and the role intellectual property can play in national development, including culture, is critical. An essential corollary to the education drive will be the provision of an adequate infrastructure for the exploitation of cultural products/services through implementation of aggressive marketing strategies. Other than participation in international discussions and negotiations, Barbados must also play a much more active role in taking advantage of the many opportunities within WIPO for technical assistance and project development. The development of a national Intellectual Property Plan provides critical opportunities for exploration/exploitation of these resources. Approach and Methodology The Task Force reviewed an extensive collection of information from other countries on models and best practices in relation to the development of cultural industries. The Task Force also held several discussions with certain interest groups within the culture sector in order to ascertain not only what was the present status of cultural industries, but also to determine what action was needed for cultural industries to develop as a viable and sustaining sector. These discussions included discussions with officials of the Central Bank of Barbados and UNESCO, the National Cultural Foundation, the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, the University of the West Indies, the National Art Gallery Committee, theatre producers, dancers, musicians, artists, members of the Private Sector, Government officers and other individuals involved in the arena of culture and the arts. Recommendations for Development of Cultural Industries Performing Arts Music The music industry in Barbados needs to recognise the importance of marketing, distribution and retailing, as well as the management of the intellectual property rights arising from the creation of its unique cultural products. There must be the removal of all duties and taxes on all items used by cultural practitioners and a customs’ classification must be devised to allow cultural goods to be properly designated. Dance In Barbados as of February 2003, there were in existence well over thirty-five (35) dance associations, community dance groups and dance schools registered with the National Cultural Foundation. There

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are four major dance companies: The Barbados Dance Theatre Company, Dance Strides Barbados, The Dance Place and The Louise Woodvine Dance Academy. Ball Room dance is today in Barbados the fastest growing form of dance expression. Income is to be derived from the conducting of workshops, seminars and training courses for dancers, dance instructors, dance associations and cultural organisations. Government must commit to the creation of an environment which would allow for this growth to continue. Theatre Arts Several festivals and theatre groups have contributed to the development of the theatre arts in Barbados over the last thirty (30) years. Barbados Writers’ Workshop, St. John’s Cultural Group, The Esso Arts Festival and Country Theatre Workshop are but a few. Additionally, the Theatre Arts Programme at the Barbados Community College should be extended (there are quite a few qualified teachers of the art form in Barbados) to include an assignment to theatre organizations for apprenticeship. Government should establish a National Theatre School as a precursor to the National Performing Arts Company to facilitate the training of younger theatre artists by the more established practitioners; new scripts should be created to meet demand for local productions and original local productions must be developed in order to lead to a repertoire of performances available for local, regional or international stages. Cultural and Heritage Tourism There is a need for effective protective legislation to prevent the region’s cultural heritage from the depredations of modern day pirates. The Masters of Arts degree programme at the University of the West Indies is today in Barbados the fastest growing course within the history department. Income can be generated from the conducting of workshops, apprenticeships, seminars and training courses for students, teachers, heritage workers, curators ( including from the region) museums and heritage institutions. This programme needs to be strengthened and enlarged to take into account heritage resource management ( including interpretation) enshrining World Heritage concepts and practices for sustainable development. Government must commit to the creation of an environment which would allow for the growth of the heritage sector to continue. The Barbados Museum should be utilized in steering this process and all institutions of learning within Barbados should similarly be engaged. There should be increased participation of communities in this process.

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Status of Heritage and Heritage Institutions The protection of copyright in intellectual property is also critical. Barbados has a rich plethora of heritage resources, which are appropriate for preservation and future development as heritage education resources and tourism attractions. The failure to integrate heritage institutions in the tourism development process indicates that strategic planning between heritage institutions and the tourism industry remains a crucial need.

The Role of Museums In Barbados the role of the museum in advising a variety of departments and agencies on many related heritage issues, as well as its participation in a series of planning initiatives in tourism development, curriculum development, identification and evaluation of resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone, museum development, coastal conservation, and land use planning, has revealed inconsistencies in the national planning process. The development and coordination of public policy recognising and respecting the heritage in all sectors has already been accepted as a necessary part of the national development strategy. The Barbados Museum has formulated briefs advocating the development of a comprehensive national heritage conservation strategy to form part of the national development process. In addition, growing demand for the authentic experience of Barbados’ heritage has made this sector of tourism imperative for development. Plans have been articulated within the last ten years for the development of : National Art Gallery, National Heroes Gallery, Museum of Parliament, Maritime Museum, Slavery Museum, Aviation Museum, Cricket Museum and Hall of Fame, Three W’s Museum, Military Museum, Geology Interpretive Centre, Museum of Music as well as community museums throughout Barbados. The process of museum development nationally is much desired but should be managed appropriately to harmonize concepts, attain and maintain standards of practice, and ensure complementarity of marketing and promotion.

Business Strategy for Cultural and Heritage Tourism in Barbados The key recommendations are to increase communications, linkages, research and training about the opportunities and impacts of cultural and heritage tourism as well as to focus on the conservation and interpretation of resources, and developing and packaging existing products and actively market culture and heritage products in markets. Barbados is an established, successful, mature and popular tourist destination. But if Barbados is to retain its position as such it must continue to develop its tourism product. One of the key areas where Barbados could do more to be competitive is in the line of cultural

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and heritage tourism. Cultural tourism is not new. Conferences, seminars, and campaigns around cultural tourism have taken place as the interest in cultural tourism has increased. Cultural and heritage tourism occur when participation in a cultural or heritage activity is a factor for traveling and involve a quality visitor encounter with a cultural or historic experience that is authentic and that is not created solely for the purpose of attracting tourists. Cultural and heritage tourism must be sustainable and must ensure that the quality and integrity of the cultural or heritage resource/experience are conserved. Cultural and heritage tourism are based on a mutually beneficial partnership between the culture/heritage and tourism sectors and must be a revenue-generator for both sectors. A Growing Market Opportunity Cultural tourism is growing around the world. Barbadian cultural products have significant potential as a travel motivator. Barbados has a tremendous wealth of quality cultural and heritage experiences. The tourism industry is mature and well established and the cultural /heritage aspect can be easily overlaid on the existing tourism product. In terms of existing global cultural tourism, Barbados is at a disadvantage. Few Barbadians are aware of Barbados’s cultural and heritage offerings. Barriers to Growth The following are the barriers to the development of cultural and heritage tourism in Barbados as identified:

Mutual lack of knowledge between the cultural/heritage and tourism sectors and about the opportunities of cultural and heritage tourism;

Lack of formal linkages between culture and tourism at government and working levels; Cultural and Heritage ambivalence about tourism given concerns about sustainability; Lack of knowledge about the economic impact of Cultural and Heritage Tourism; Lack of resources to develop and market cultural and heritage products; Lack of education and training related to cultural and heritage tourism; Lack of market-ready, packaged product; Minimal marketing of culture and heritage.

There are many players who must work together to develop cultural tourism in Barbados. These include public and private sector players from both the tourist industry and the cultural and heritage sector. The target market for Barbadian culture and heritage is ultimately the world. A recurring theme in

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strengthening cultural tourism is the lack of appreciation of the success and potential of cultural tourism. Barbados’ objective should be to establish the importance, nationally and internationally, of cultural and heritage tourism as a key Barbadian product line in the minds of consumers, the tourism industry, cultural organizations, the media and all levels of government whilst at the same time integrating culture and heritage into the day-to-day planning, marketing and operations of the tourism industry. Action therefore should be taken at the several levels. To achieve these goals and objectives, this plan outlines actions in five areas:

Communications and Linkages; Research Education and Training Product Development Marketing

Visual Arts The promotion and the development of the Visual Arts in Barbados have been achieved primarily through the efforts and contributions of the art galleries. The Barbados Arts Council and The Barbados Museum are long serving institutions, which continue to offer a range of services to artists within the constraints of their financial and human resources. The National Cultural Foundation opened the Queen’s Park Gallery in December 1984 and in 2002 established the position of full-time curator. Art Education and Training Parallel to the movement in the art galleries, formal training in Visual Arts was started in January 1974 at the Barbados Community College with the establishment of the Division of Fine Arts. After an intensive two (2) years of research and curriculum development, the Division of Fine Arts implemented in September 1987 the Associate Degree Programmes in Art Education, Graphic Design and Craft Media. The first graduates of the Undergraduate Degree Programme in the Division of Fine Arts of the Barbados Community College were awarded the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 1998. The National Cultural Foundation is currently responsible for the development, training, promotion, and marketing of the visual arts in Barbados. The development of the visual arts in Barbados has suffered from a perceived lack of transparency in the allocation of what limited resources and opportunities have been available. One of the significant problems facing the management of the visual arts in Barbados is the lack and/or publication of any strategic development plan. With limited resources, the Government

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of Barbados, through its various cultural agencies needs to examine and set priorities as to how it will meet these demands. With the establishment of the National Art Gallery Committee in 1998 a dialogue has been established between government and other cultural agencies.

The National Art Gallery Committee’s primary role is thus to develop information about Barbados’ visual arts resources and to provide opportunities to enable the community to examine these and make choices about how they wish to develop, interpret and promote this aspect of Barbadian identity, in order to meet government’s commitment to establish the Barbados National Gallery.

There are many opportunities and imperatives to build and celebrate the visual culture of the nation, but there are equally strong imperatives to develop professional management practice as at least as high a priority as collection development and the designation of an appropriate building site. The Committee intends through the creation of strong partnerships to establish the new Barbados National Gallery, but this can only be done through the support of existing constituencies.

Craft & Design in the Cultural Industries This sector has a diverse group of practitioners that range from hobbyists to full-time career artists. The Barbados Crafts Council as the entity that promotes this aspect of the creative industries is circumscribed by under-funding and needs to be equipped with a suitable secretariat to fully represent the needs of its membership. Unlike the Barbados Arts Council, the Barbados Crafts Council does not receive a subvention from Government, even though it has received some support from the BIDC towards its establishment. There is a need for structured links between the various institutions that offer some form of craft/design training in Barbados. Heightened training and access to training opportunities abroad will be crucial to the survival and adaptation of the sector. There is also a need to preserve traditional skills that are in danger of being lost. It is important for there to be programmes which encourage creativity and develop design skills among persons involved in the traditional crafts in Barbados. Although there is no formal programme that trains persons in the traditional crafts of Barbados, the following are recommended:

An established apprenticeship programme that ties students to top artisans/master craftsmen for a fixed period during which both trainer and trainee are remunerated for their efforts;

The facility for such persons to practice and market their craft; The requirement of apprentices to practice their craft for a fixed length of time before becoming

eligible for the title “master craftsmen”;

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Project Management in Cultural Industries It has been suggested that for cultural industries to develop within Barbados there will be a need to utilize project management as a tool in the process. There is a need for community development and participation as well as relevant education programmes in order to sensitise persons to careers in the cultural and creative industries. The National Cultural Foundation is poised to act as an enabler and intermediary. It must discharge the role of coordination, central planning for the industries, lending and selling project management services to the artists, policy development and locating project financing by acting as a conduit between the funding agencies and the business. It is submitted that the National Cultural Foundation should also be structured in a way to ensure that it becomes the region’s leading intellectual think tank in the cultural and creative industries, providing consultancy and advisory services. Film Policy A Barbados Film Industry can commence with $2.5 million ‘seed money’ invested by the Government into a film business operation designed to repay the investment, provide employment and make profits from overseas sales of films. It is hoped that the ‘business’ company incorporated to market and produce films will initiate co-financed film and co-produced films set in Barbados and which will result in foreign film producers being lured into Barbados to make films here. The film policy framework and proposed action plan encompasses the following:

The establishment of film entities; The creation of a governing fiscal policy; The implementation of legislative measures; Funding sources and uses.

The film industry should seek to obtain commercial investment from regional and international agencies.

Literary Arts Two of the biggest challenges facing literary artists in Barbados are the absence of institutionalized incentive to write and the lack of a qualified publishing entity. The following are some of the recommendations made to address this situation:

Authors should be offered the facilities that international publishers offer- fully financed printing, marketing of books once published, distribution;

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There needs to be system whereby authors can submit their manuscripts for publication consideration;

Authors should be commissioned to write books; There should be a distribution arm of any publishing company established; There should be fellowships granted to facilitate writing.

Software Development The development of commercial viable software is an attractive industry for small island states such as Barbados, since its major investment is one of human as opposed to financial resources. The widespread availability of technical education has produced significant development tools such as HTML and Visual Basic. Modern applications use a variety of software development tools to produce viable products. These tools are widely available within Barbados. In order to drive the process, Barbados must promote the entrepreneurial use of skills to re-position businesses within a global economy. While the resources required to produce high quality, competitive software are not very high, there still is a critical need to make funds available to those entrepreneurs who wish to make their products commercially available. The demands of the market must drive the development of the software. There is a void of Caribbean focused software in many areas of business in the region. Website creation and maintenance have emerged as the fastest growing area of development for small software developers and as more and more businesses take advantage of the worldwide audience available on the internet, the need for website developers has mushroomed. As competition intensifies and the number of good commercial products in the marketplace increases, the use of sound marketing strategies is likely to make the difference between success and failure. Products must first seek to fill a perceived niche in the market and once the niche is identified and the product directed to that niche, traditional and non-traditional marketing strategies must be employed to propel the product and its advantages into the mind of the prospective customers. Young entrepreneurs need to be exposed to these marketing concepts in order to produce a high quality product that can compete with the international brands. On-going education and training in technical as well as soft skills must keep up with the rapidly changing face of the computer industry. New skills must be learned and exposure to emerging technologies must become a way of life for the software developer. A key source of information about

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new technology is the computer magazine. These magazines should be made available at accessible prices across the country to promote exposure to new platforms and ideas. Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity Barbados should develop a written proposal signed by the appropriate national authority seeking the support of UNESCO’s Global Alliance for the purpose of developing its Cultural Industries. UNESCO’s ADG Culture should be apprised of any preparatory work already undertaken (survey questionnaire, results obtained so far if any, statistics or diagnostics, whether established by Barbados or by any multilateral agency, potentials Barbados wishes to build on. This leads to inclusion as an Alliance member http://www.unesco.org/culture/alliance).

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PART 1

INTRODUCTION

Globalisation, technology and competition are changing the global environment at so rapid a rate that it is now generally accepted that factors, which traditionally fostered economic growth, will in today’s environment not automatically be definitive of success. Developed and developing countries alike are now placing emphasis on the “Creative or Cultural Industries” as a way of stimulating economic growth. It is therefore not surprising that Barbados has embarked on the articulation of a policy framework aimed at nurturing and harnessing the creative talents of its people towards the development of a “Creative Economy”. The Creative Economy will have at its epicentre the exploitation of the knowledge, imagination and passion of our citizenry with the objective of providing all individuals and by extension, Barbados, with a new competitive advantage within the global economy. It contemplates a fusion of the arts with business and technology as a catalyst for propelling the economic growth of our nation. The development of the Cultural Industries is a key component of the Creative Economy. Cultural Industries are defined as “industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property”. These cultural industries directly or indirectly produce cultural products and services, which cut across multiple economic sectors giving rise to exceptional value and wealth. Our vision must be to develop vibrant and sustainable cultural industries to propel the growth of Barbados’ creative economy. The cultural industries not only generate economic value directly but also represent an economic enabler to help drive innovation and differentiate our products and services. In order to properly conceptualize a policy framework for the stimulation of cultural industries it is therefore imperative that an analysis of the current state of the culture sector be carried out as a precursor to any such policy formulation.

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HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE SECTOR The National Consultation on Culture of 1996 The 1996 National Consultation on Culture produced a Draft Policy on Cultural Development, which emerged from the initial Discussion Paper for National Consultation on Culture conceptualized by the then Division of Culture, Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture in July 1996. The Plan of Action, which emerged from that Consultation process, is succinctly embodied in the following findings:

The determination that a focus be given to the responsibility of the artist as well as cultural institutions for the development of cultural activity in Barbados with a view to the enhancing of the quality of life of all Barbadians;

The need to identify the action which would be taken by the public and private sectors to ensure the integration of culture into the process of nation building;

The requirement that proposals and practical recommendations should be made for the formulation of a National Policy on Culture to encourage cultural activity in all areas of life; and

The need to make recommendations for the development of viable cultural industries as part of the development of the economy of Barbados.

Although many of these recommendations arising from the 1996 National Consultation on Culture have been implemented by Government, the issue of the formulation of a comprehensive policy to stimulate, regulate and govern the area of cultural industries has yet to be fulfilled. Additionally, still outstanding as matters to be completed under that 1996 draft Plan of Action are the following:

The enactment of the Preservation of Antiquities Bill; The finalization of the Archives (Records Management) Regulations, 1996; The establishment of a National Art Gallery; The stipulation that 1% of the costs of every new and restored Government building project

should be reserved for the purchase or rental of local art work; The establishment of a Government Fund of BDS$250, 000 per year for the purchase of local

works of art for inclusion in the National Collection; The creation of a Directory of all Barbadian artists to be published by the National Cultural

Foundation; The establishment of a National Performing Arts Company and National School for the

Performing Arts;

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The re-introduction of an Annual Performing Arts Festival by the National Cultural Foundation; The establishment of a joint public-private sector Promotional Fund to facilitate the

development of new markets for and the marketing and distribution of local music; The establishment of a Barbados Film and Video Office to promote Barbados as a film

destination for regional and international productions.

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PART 2

WHAT ARE CULTURAL INDUSTRIES?

Definition The starting point for the Task Force was the review of the Regional Cultural Policy of the Caribbean Community Member States of August 1994. The Task Force then proceeded to consider what would be an appropriate definition to embrace the several categories of cultural industries existing within Barbados. After much discussion, the Task Force settled on the definition of cultural industries articulated by UNESCO. For the purposes of this Report the Task Force has therefore classified cultural industries under the following three broad heads: Arts and Culture Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Photography, Craft, Libraries, Museums, Galleries, Archives, Heritage Sites, Festivals and Arts Supporting Enterprises Design Advertising, Architecture, Web and Software, Graphics, Industrial Design, Fashion, Communications, Interior and Environmental Media Broadcast (including Radio, Television and Cable), Digital Media (including Software and Computer Services) Film and Video, Recorded Music and Publishing.

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SWOT ANALYSIS OF CULTURAL INDUSTRIES IN BARBADOS Strengths The following strengths have been identified within the Barbados culture sector:

strong network support and capacity in the cultural industries stable government well-educated population personalised, community-based approach to programme delivery a corps of skilled, committed, knowledgeable and professional staff distinctive, innovative and creative cultural products strong alliances with regional and international agencies.

Weaknesses The following weaknesses have been identified:

Inadequate and inappropriate private sector support and sponsorship Limited local market size resulting in the industry being driven by an export-driven approach

targeting global markets The lack of financial options for cultural industries thereby limiting industry growth The high business costs in Barbados thereby resulting in deterrence of potential investors The relatively low level of private sector partnership and cultural philanthropy for arts and

cultural events in Barbados thereby limiting the growth and vibrancy of the arts and cultural development

Inadequate physical plant Deficiency in relevant human resources Lack of quantitative data to measure the contribution of culture to national development Insufficient marketing of cultural services and products Lack of legislative support and policy for cultural resource management

Opportunities The following opportunities have been identified:

Barbados’ proximity to the markets of the USA, Canada and South America which provides a ready consumer base and access to a vast wealth of creative resources

The growth in Cultural Tourism as an increasingly important source of revenue Possibilities for Inter-Agency networking Marketable pool of resource materials and technical expertise

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Threats The following threats have been identified:

International competition from increased use of technology Changes in cultural values and attitudes of the Barbadian Society Limited role of the community and business sectors in cultural development Reduced funding from international agencies due to Barbados’ economic classification Poor public perception of the role and effectiveness of the cultural sector Inadequate financial support

There is within Barbados a lack of recognition of the extent to which culture contributes to the development of the country both in terms of its being utilised as a productivity tool across all sectors [e.g. – education, health, tourism, housing, agriculture, environment, commerce, industry] as well as a vehicle for enterprise and entrepreneurship. Over the twenty (20) years since the establishment of the National Cultural Foundation as Government’s principal cultural executing agency, there have been negligible analyses of the impact of the cultural industries on the economy and an absence of effective strategies to build on cultural development programmes. This has resulted in a lack of meaningful development of the culture sector as an integral aspect of the country’s economic activity. The following have been identified as contributing to the overall deficiency in performance of the sector:

poor physical plant and facilities; Poor delivery and technique in the performing arts; Poor communications within the sector; Inadequate supervision and accountability systems; Absence of schools’ arts and cultural programmes integrated in the primary and secondary

school curriculum; Paucity of cultural resource managers; Absence of effective human resource development and management programmes; Absence of recognition and rewards of workers in the cultural sector; Absence of strategic interdisciplinary approaches to education, culture, media and tourism

programming; Absence of initiatives to develop audiences and consumers for the cultural products and

services; Absence of an appropriate legislative framework supporting culture as an industry; Ignorance of career opportunities in the cultural sector; Absence of ongoing, structured apprenticeship programmes;

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Analysis of Contextual Issues The foregoing contextual issues have hampered essential progress in the strategic planning and management of the culture sector. However, the issue is not solely administrative since artists have themselves contributed to this dearth of data by failing to produce necessary bio-data to assist in the compilation of such information. This may be partly rooted in both the personal and national perceptions that cultural activity is not a career and that artists do not contribute to the economic growth of our country. Whatever the reason, it is clear that the solution is the establishment of a comprehensive system for the collection of cultural statistics and indicators capable of linking the various sectors and connecting them to different aspects of social and economic development with the objective of creating an economic profile of the cultural sector. Our capacity to develop the cultural sector is further limited by the exceedingly small pool of qualified cultural resource managers and practitioners (the five (5) critical agencies have a total of only thirty-nine (39) professionals who are expected to service potentially a local community of approximately 270,000 (including a school population of approximately 50,000 and a tourist population of approximately 1,000,000 visitors)). These figures illustrate the fundamental imbalance which is at the root of the sector’s own inefficiency and emphasise the need for effective training schemes. It is submitted that in order for the cultural industries to develop as a self-sustaining sector of the economy it will be necessary to dispel the view that professional development in this sector is a personal indulgence rather than a critical investment in the growth of the sector. Beyond the institutional context, there is also a need for the devising of a comprehensive strategy to encourage the emergence of creative talent from within communities so that every Barbadian has the opportunity to reach his/her full creative potential irrespective of the area of competence. It is envisaged that such an initiative will address the ignorance of career opportunities available in the cultural sector. Additionally, the lack of adequate conditions in respect of 90% of the physical plant has contributed significantly to low morale not only of cultural staff in all of our institutions but also of the artistic practitioners. The ineffective use and absence of space is a matter, which Government will have to address if the cultural industries are to thrive and become a vibrant aspect of the economy. Ongoing systematic maintenance programmes will need to be put in place to address this problem. Additionally, a programme of construction and expansion of purpose-built facilities is vital to the fulfilment of the vision articulated in any policy governing this sector.

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It is suggested that Government must be at the centre of any policy aimed at generating the support for the development and sustainability of cultural industries. The design, implementation and enforcing of cultural policies are critical to articulating national commitment to the growth and strengthening of heritage resources and cultural creativity. Intensifying cooperation between government, the private sector and civil society will therefore be a key component in this initiative. This cooperation should be extended to other sectors, thus defining links between education, tourism and health. Critical Success Factors The following are the critical success factors on which a successful cultural development and by extension a cultural industries strategy must be implemented and measured:

Governmental Recognition Provision of adequate human and financial resources Provision of appropriate physical plant and equipment The fostering of proper attitudes Documented cultural policy Capacity building and mobilisation of wider cross-section of interest groups Vibrant networks with the private sector, stakeholders and NGOs

Governmental Recognition Government’s commitment to the drafting and implementation of an appropriate cultural policy is critical to enhancing the sustainability of our cultural heritage and the development of the cultural industries. The establishment of the Task Force is the first of many initiatives which must be implemented to ensure that a suitable policy framework is formulated within the context of Barbados’ needs and obligations at the national, regional and international levels so as to further national development. Provision of Adequate Human and Financial Resources In order to facilitate proper succession planning and expansion of activities, it is critical that training is provided for all workers in the cultural sector and adequate financing is available to strengthen institutions and accommodate programming to develop the cultural industries. Failure to address the issues of enhanced financing will be a retrograde step in terms of the evolution of our society. Government, the private sector and the third sector must be encouraged to invest heavily in culture with Government providing the fiscal incentives for the corporate community and individuals to engage in cultural philanthropy. There are distinct advantages to this investment to both the economy and to this end, funding will be both important and necessary.

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Provision of Appropriate Plant and Equipment Fundamental to the understanding of culture as a tool of economic growth must be the need to strengthen the existing cultural agencies and establish facilities for proposed new entities, through a comprehensive programme of renovation, restoration and the construction of new physical facilities. Fostering Healthy Attitudes The attitudes towards culture by communities, decision-makers and practitioners are pivotal to the sense of national identity and creativity which cultural activity seeks to bolster. In addition, empowering the workers in the cultural sector through opportunities for professional development will be one of the ways in which their productivity can be appreciably increased. Documented Policy The essential aim of any policy on cultural industries must be to create an environment conducive to human development and enterprise. Over the last five (5) years, there has been an active and dynamic process of policy development within the culture sector. Indeed, it has become increasingly critical that all policy is documented for adequate dissemination within the sector and beyond. Capacity Building and Mobilisation Cultural creativity is an essential factor of development, in particular, within the realm of cultural industries. Harnessing the creativity of our people to build their capacity to achieve standards of excellence and mobilizing interest groups to invest in the process of building national identity is central to Barbados’ development as a nation and to the creation of the Creative Economy. Vibrant Networks The establishment and maintenance of a vibrant private sector network is critical to the success of the Cultural Sector. In order to create an environment for creativity to flourish, the commitment of the private sector and civil society is essential. If Barbados is to develop an effective national strategy for culture, Government initiatives and the efforts of cultural entrepreneurs should be complementary. The establishment of networks to forge partnerships between government, the private sector, NGOs and communities offers opportunities and support for closer cross-sectoral alliances, which will be even more vital within the context of liberalization of trade.

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Strategic Goals and Objectives Strategic Goals The following strategic goals have been identified to guide the activities of Government to achieve development of the cultural sector of the economy in an effort to realise the vision of converting cultural industries into a fundamental plank of our economy:

Ensure that cultural policy is a key component of the country’s national development strategy in determining the kind of society and the type of individual nurtured in an effort to preserve the unique nature of Barbadian identity;

Promote creativity and participation in cultural life in order to boost the development of national identity and sophisticated demand of communities in cultural products and services;

Reinforce policy and practice to promote cultural industries; Attain levels of excellence in the cultural industries comparable to world standards by effective

cultural mapping; Reposition the cultural industries to be one of the significant planks of the Barbados economy; Ensure that more human and financial resources are available for cultural development; Expand and consolidate communications networks across the cultural sector.

Strategic Objectives Communication Networks

Increase the level of local programming in radio, television and information technologies to serve the cultural and educational needs of the public;

Encourage the commitment of radio, television, the press and the other media to cultural development issues and the distribution of the output from the cultural industries;

Establish mechanisms to facilitate access to archival, museums and library collections including the promotion of these institutions as centres for information, education and lifelong learning;

Elaborate policies for the preservation and development of archives, museums and libraries and other information generated and/or collected by governmental and non-governmental institutions

Promote knowledge of the cultural and natural heritage among Barbadians and visitors by the virtual means provided by the new technologies;

Recognise the significance of the new media technologies for the work of creative people as well as the key role of artistic creation in building an information society;

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Cooperate in the domain of audio-visual media, particularly as regards training, and the development and distribution of audio-visual productions;

Encourage cultural cooperation and cultural exchanges, particularly through joint projects in the field of cultural industries, (production, investment and transfer of rights) primarily within the Caribbean but also across the world.

Cultural Policies

Design and establish cultural policies to become one of the key components of indigenous and sustainable development, and to promote their integration into development policies;

Promote exchange in national dialogue between individuals, the community, organisations and government on the basis of shared values and attitudes needed for the cohesiveness of the society and for the type of Barbadian to be nurtured;

Develop a cultural trade policy that is cognizant of the unique vulnerabilities of small island developing states which addresses these issues in the context of the increasing liberalization of the movement of people, goods, services and information;

Reinforce programmes and policies to strengthen national identity as a fundamental aspect of the articulation of cultural policies;

Ensure the full involvement of creators and their professional organisations in the realisation of the vision of national development;

Encourage the development and improvement of procedures conducive to cross-sectoral coordination of cultural policies

Cooperate regionally and internationally to tackle the challenges of urbanisation, globalization, and ongoing technological changes.

Promotion of Creativity

Promote new links between culture and the education system so as to ensure full recognition of culture and the arts as a fundamental dimension of education whilst developing artistic education and stimulating creativity in education at all levels;

Pay greater attention to the role of culture in the social and economic transformation processes;

Pay particular attention to the implementation of existing international human rights instruments, culture and trade legislation and intellectual property conventions.

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Human and Financial Resources Increase investment at the national level in cultural development and commit a minimum

percentage of government budget for this purpose; Encourage funding agencies to commit more funds to cultural activities and to strengthen their

roles in the field of cultural development; Devise and develop fiscal frameworks for cultural activities in order to promote corporate

support for culture, cultural heritage, the development of cultural industries, and elaborate mechanisms such as public endowments;

Increase investment in human resource development and support institutional strengthening frameworks;

Create employment opportunities to ensure that there is an increase in the number of persons working in the area of cultural industries;

Increase the number of persons trained at all levels in the cultural disciplines to the point of pursuing a career within those disciplines (community, school, post secondary and professional);

Allocate appropriate resources to cultural research and information necessary for devising and implementing policies for culture as a tool of national development and for the expansion of the cultural industries;

Assist artists, designers and craftspersons by clarifying, safeguarding and improving the rights of creators and consolidate these rights in relation to the market, both locally and worldwide;

Recruit and train specialists to meet the needs of the new and existing agencies, entities and programmes articulated above. To this end, the annual budget of the cultural sector should be increased by 2-5% as an allocation for professional training;

Establish the appropriate systems for a National Endowment Fund for the development and strengthening of institutions and training in the cultural industries;

Create appropriate performance indices of measurement for the cultural industries; Design marketing strategies for the cultural sector specifically designed to increase investment

in cultural development; Increase allocation to culture in the national budget from 0.65% to 2% over the next three (3) to

five (5) years;

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Strategic Initiatives Establish partnerships between the cultural and media sectors (e.g. the data gathered through

the National Oral History and National Art Gallery projects to be used as material for programming);

Commission work based on cultural and natural heritage, archive, library and museum collections, artistic creations and the cultural industries in response to the need for cultural awareness, education and national identity;

Design and implement training opportunities at the tertiary level (e.g. BCC, SJPP) for media workers in production techniques (e.g. scripts, lighting, sound, videography, set design) for the cultural sector;

Develop local and regional initiatives for efficient information-sharing systems ( i.e. policy, programming and technology);

Government policy to stipulate at least 60% of all media programming to be regional in content; Establish tax credit for persons or companies providing corporate sponsorship for the

promotion of cultural activities; Establish tax credit for those donating to an endowment fund for development and

strengthening of cultural institutions and training activities; Enact legislation to introduce, encourage and regulate a film and video industry; Establish a system of tax credits and financial incentives to persons involved in film and video

production and the promotion of the film and video industry in Barbados; Initiate a Caribbean lobby to articulate a common position on all culture and trade matters

related to WTO, FTAA and other international trading arenas; Establish a new regime to manage cultural industries and development based on the

expansion of concepts developed by the Florence Agreement; Conduct a national consultation on culture (establishing a national cultural forum to foster

partnership and networks) every five years; Conduct annual reviews of the cultural industries and the culture sector in general; Approve and implement the National Collections Policy; Finalise, approve and implement policy for the rationalisation of archives and library

management; Stipulate that 1% of every new government building should be reserved for the purchase of

local art; Enact the Archives Records Management Regulations and Proclamations re Archives Act; Enact the Preservation of Antiquities Bill;

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Establish National Museum Standards.

Promotion of Creativity Promote creativity and participation in cultural life in order to boost the development of national identity by

Expanding the CHEKS Programme to include schools outreach for the training of schoolchildren in the art of calypso and costume design and construction;

Designing and implementing a theatre arts curriculum in schools; Designing and implementing programmes to commission new works for new spaces including

the National Art Gallery, and encouraging government to include this in its physical development plan;

Commissioning compilations of anthologies of Barbadian music, literature, folk traditions, visual arts;

Stimulate Sophisticated Demand It is proposed that Government play a catalytic role in order to develop the cultural industries by stimulating sophisticated demand. It is recommended that Barbados promote arts and cultural entrepreneurship in the following areas:

Art, heritage and library consultancy services; Cultural Tourism; Development of Cultural industries such as design, publishing and arts supporting industries.

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PART 3 REVIEW OF EXISTING POLICIES MODELS AND BEST PRACTICES

Cultural Industries worldwide contribute significantly to economic development of many developed and developing countries. Consequently, one of the objectives of the Task Force was to determine what methodology should be applied within the context of Barbados in the formulation of a policy position with regard to these industries. The Task Force therefore as an essential element of its functions was required to review other jurisdictions where there had been a successful articulation of a policy framework to govern and regulate the development and stimulation of cultural industries in the respective country. United States In relation to the economic contribution of culture to the United States of America, cultural products now make up the second largest United States’ export behind aircraft. The US copyright industries contributed a significant share of the US economy, measured by value and reflected in their share of GDP. In 1999, the core copyright industries contributed an estimated US$457.2 billion to the US economy, accounting for approximately 4.94% of GDP. In 1999, the total copyright industries contributed an estimated $677.9 billion to the US economy, accounting for 7.33% of GDP. Between 1977 and 1999, the value added to GDP by the core and total copyright industries increased by 360% and 303% respectively. The real annual growth rate has more than doubled the growth rate of the economy as a whole. Over the last twenty-two (22) years, these industries grew at an estimated compound annual growth rate of 7.2% while the rest of the US economy grew at an annual rate of 3.1%. The Copyright industries have also created jobs at a much faster rate than many leading sectors of the US economy such as aircraft manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and textiles. Employment in the core copyright industries grew from 1.6% of the US workforce in 1977 to 3.24% in 1999. Total copyright employment grew from 3.3% of the US workforce in 1977 to 5.7% in 1999. Foreign sales and exports of the core copyright industries have also increased rapidly. Preliminary estimates measured foreign sales to be at least US$79.65 billion in 1999. This annual growth rate in 1999 of 15.1% is to be contrasted with the 1991 annual growth rate of 6.4% which represents more than a two-fold increase. The United Kingdom In 2001 in the United Kingdom, cultural industries contributed a significant share to the UK economy, accounting for approximately 5% of GDP. The cultural industries in that year contributed an estimated

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₤112.5 billion to the UK economy. This is as compared to ₤57.5 billion in 1998. The publishing, design and software and computer sectors registered the highest growth over the three (3) years spanning from 1998 to 2001. The cultural industries in the UK also created jobs at a rapid rate, employing about 1.3 million people in 2001 as compared to 966,000 people in 1998. In addition, foreign sales and exports have increased significantly. In 2001, foreign sales were in the region of ₤10.3 million as compared to ₤7.5 in 1998. Jamaica It has been estimated in relation to Jamaica that the music industry constitutes over US$ 1billion annually and in 1995 the total value of Jamaican exports amounted to US$ 1,400 million. The Jamaican Music Industry represents and has the potential to be a large Jamaican export, outstripping the total value of other exports within the country. Canada “Statistics Canada” has estimated that the cultural industries have contributed significantly to the economy of that country. It estimates that in 1994-95, the entire cultural sector, including cultural industries, broadcasting and performing and visual arts, festivals, heritage institutions and associated professions, accounted for over $20 billion or 3% of Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP). The cultural sector is also an important source of economic growth. Between 1989 and 1994, it grew by 9.9%, outstripping the growth in other key sectors, such as transportation, agriculture and construction. Looking only at the core activities- the creation, production, distribution and export of cultural industries, broadcasting, arts and heritage- the cultural sector contributed $15.3 billion to the Canadian economy in 1994-95.Cultural institutions, theatre productions and other activities also account for a large portion of the tourist dollars spent in Canada every year ($41.8 billion in 1996). In 1994-95, the cultural sector provided direct full and part time jobs for 610,000 people- or almost 5% of Canada’s labour force. Between 1981-1991, the country’s cultural labour force grew 32% while the population as a whole grew only 12%. Between 1991and 2005, the arts, culture, sports and recreation sectors are expected to increase about 45%, becoming the second fastest growing employment sector in the country. From 1990 to 1994, the cultural labour force increased 5.6% while the total employment dropped 0.5%.

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Singapore The Department of Statistics has stated that the total value added generated by the copyright industries in Singapore amounted to $4.8 billion in 2000. Among the three groups, the core copyright industries(mainly data processing services, printing of newspapers and publishing of periodicals, books and magazines) accounted for the bulk (55%) of value added. The partial copyright industries (mainly advertising and architectural services) contributed another 24% while the remaining 20% accrued to the distribution copyright industries (mainly wholesale trade of photographic equipment, toys and sporting goods). The value added of the total copyright industries expanded significantly from $0.8 billion in 1986 to $4.8 billion in 2000, representing an average annual growth of 13.4 %. Their growth was faster than the economy’s average annual increase of 10.65% over the same period. As a result, the economic importance of the copyright industries relative to the whole economy improved from 2.0% (as % share of GDP) in 1986 to 2.8% in 2000. Employment in the copyright industries grew at a faster rate than that of the overall economy. Total copyright employment rose from 30,700 in 1986 to 72,200 in 2000, an average annual increase of 6.3%. This exceeded the average annual growth of 3.8% in employment for the economy over the same period.

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PART 4 EXISTING FRAMEWORK FOR CULTURAL INDUSTRIES WITHIN BARBADOS

Available Data Although there exists no formal comprehensive statistics on the economic impact of culture on the economy, there are within the Balance of Payments of Barbados Report 2002 of the Central Bank of Barbados some three categories of services detailed which can be specifically subsumed under the term “Cultural Industries”. These payments, inter alia, identify and record transactions in respect of goods, services and income between residents of Barbados and non-residents in order to provide information for analyzing economic relations between Barbados and the rest of the world. The categories are Computer and Information Services, Royalties and Personal, Cultural and Recreational Services. The category of Miscellaneous Business, Professional and Technical Services also contains a number of the services which are capable of falling within the definition of Cultural Industries. Computer and Information Services cover transactions related to hardware consultancy, software implementation, information services and maintenance and repair of computers and related equipment. Royalties cover the exchange of payments and receipts between residents and non-residents for the authorized use of patents, copyrights, trademarks and franchises with the use through licensing arrangements of produced originals or manuscripts and films. Personal, Cultural and Recreational Services cover (1) audio and related services and (2) other cultural and recreational services between residents and non-residents. The first category comprises services and associated fees for producing motion pictures (on film or video tape), radio and television programmes (live or tape) and musical recordings. Included are receipts or payments for rentals, fees received by actors, fees for distribution rights (for television, radio). The second category includes services offered by museums, libraries and archives. Although these categories provide some insight into the foreign exchange component of the services provided therein, it is clear that the information reviewed is not comprehensive and fails to reflect the true measure of activity occurring within the cultural sector within Barbados. This distrust of the accuracy of the statistics provided is rebutted by the informal surveys carried out by the National Cultural Foundation within the several disciplines of the arts as well as at the 2003 Congaline Symposium in April 2003. It is submitted that cultural industries are poised to be a significant contributor to the economy of Barbados, despite the fact that there is still a perception that cultural

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industries constitute a “soft” sector and are carried out more as an after hours diversion than a veritable business enterprise. The position is however different in the area of Festivals. There are three (3) studies relating to the impact of festivals on the economy within Barbados conducted between the years 1995 and 2001. The total economic benefits of Crop Over as commissioned by a Government study in 1995 were recorded at BD$9,624,570.00. This study also attributed a total gross foreign exchange to Crop Over of $30.7 million dollars. Additionally a 1998 study by Keith Nurse (UWI) suggested that there was a 237% Return on Investment (ROI) on Crop Over. In the “Economic Impact of Crop Over Report of 2001”, prepared by Dr. Daniel Boamah and Mr. Harold Codrington of the Central Bank of Barbados on behalf of Aguda Quality Solutions Inc, for the National Cultural Foundation, it was estimated that the total economic impact of the Crop Over Festival of 2001 was approximately BDS$55 million. Direct impact accounted for over BDS$29 million, indirect and induced impact for just over BDS$24.4 million and VAT receipts for around BDS$1.3 million. Current Fiscal and Legislative Regime Cultural Industries This analysis highlights those areas within the realm of taxation having an impact on the industry of culture through the provision of an historical overview of the particular area, with reference to the existing framework, legal, fiscal and technical and in so doing, highlighting the associated challenges and limitations. Income Tax Act Cap 73 Within the Income Tax Act the following provisions and allowances are granted to the person eligible for the payment of income taxes (summarized as follows and detailed below):

Sec 12C. - Building allowance in the form of a deduction in the amount of ten percent where the property is registered with the National Trust.

Sec 12E. - Deduction of 150 percent of the expenditure incurred in encouraging tourists to

visit Barbados.

Sec 12G. - An allowable credit equal to 30 percent of the net foreign currency earnings, where persons have derived income from qualifying overseas professional services. (No longer applicable but an example for further kinds of concessions).

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Sec 12H. - A provision for set off against the tax payable on the taxable income of such

person, a foreign currency earnings allowance where persons have derived income from qualifying overseas professional services.

Sec 14A. – An export allowance is available where there is the export of products of a

company that purchases wholesale from a local producer exclusively for export. See also Sec 14A. 1. and Sec 14B..

12C. (1) Where a person has in an income year made a capital expenditure on any commercial building then in calculating the assessable income of that person for an income year there shall be deducted as a building allowance an amount equal to

(a) 1 per cent of the improved value of the property if it is not registered with the

National Trust; and (b) 10 per cent of the improved value of the property if it is registered with the

National Trust. (2) In this section “commercial building” means a building, other than a building described in section 12B

or 85(4) or an hotel within the meaning of section 2 of the Hotel Aids Act1, that is in use or is purchased, constructed, re-constructed, altered or adapted to be used for commercial purposes including use as offices or a warehouse or for any trade, but does not include a building let out as a dwelling house;

“improved value” has the meaning assigned to it by section 2 of the Land Valuation

Act.

12E. (1) Where a person engaged in the tourist industry has in an income year incurred, primarily and principally for the purpose of encouraging tourists to visit Barbados, expenditure for the purposes specified in Part II of the Second Schedule2 then in calculating the assessable income of that person for an income year there shall be deducted an amount equal to 150 per cent of the actual expenditure incurred. 1 The Tourism Development Act 2002 has replaced the Hotel Aids Act. 2 See Appendix 2 for the second schedule.

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(2) The benefit described in subsection (1) may only be granted on the certificate of the Director of the Barbados Board of Tourism to the effect that the person claiming the benefit is engaged in the tourist industry. 12G. (1) Where in the income year 1986 and in the 9 immediately ensuing income years a person carrying on business in Barbados derives assessable income from fees, payments or rewards in respect of the undertaking of qualifying overseas construction projects or in respect of qualifying overseas professional services3 and the Commissioner is satisfied that an amount of net foreign currency earnings relating to the fees, payments or rewards has been transferred to the credit of that person

(a) by the transfer of foreign currency to Barbados through the Barbados banking system; or

(b) by payment outside Barbados, in foreign currency in an account held in a bank outside Barbados with the written permission of the Central Bank of Barbados;

(c) by payment in Barbados in Barbados currency from funds held in Barbados which would be legally remittable from Barbados,

within the relevant income year, there shall be granted to that person a credit equal to 30 percent of the net foreign currency earnings.

(2) For the purposes of this section (a) “Common Market” has the meaning assigned to it by section 2 of the Fiscal

Incentives Act; (b) “net foreign currency earnings” means the gross amount of foreign currency

earnings received from fees, rewards or payments from work performed in respect of qualifying overseas construction projects or qualifying overseas professional services minus all outgoings, including outgoings of a capital nature, incurred directly or indirectly outside Barbados in relation to the qualifying overseas construction projects or qualifying overseas professional services;

(c) “outgoings” include (i) loan repayments in respect of the qualifying overseas construction

projects or qualifying overseas professional services, whether the

3 Includes 10. Entertainment

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taxpayer borrows the money directly himself or repays an intermediary acting on his behalf,

(ii) the cost of plant and machinery, minus its residual value or selling price upon completion of the work, employed in performing the qualifying overseas construction projects.

(d) “overseas” means the source of the investment outside the Common Market; (e) “qualifying overseas construction projects” and “qualifying overseas

professional services” are such as are specified in Part III and Part IV, respectively, of the Second Schedule.

(3) The Minister may by order amend, vary or revoke the Second Schedule. (4) Notwithstanding anything in this Act contained, a person may not qualify for concessions under this section and section 14A in respect of the same source of income. 12H. (1) Where in the income year 1996 and subsequent income years a person carrying on business in Barbados derives assessable income from fees, premiums, payments or rewards in respect of the undertaking of qualifying overseas construction projects or in respect of qualifying overseas professional services and the Commissioner is satisfied that an amount of foreign currency earnings relating to the fees, premiums, payments or rewards has been transferred to the credit of that person within the income year or within such later time as the Commissioner in his discretion may allow

(a) by the transfer of foreign currency to Barbados through the Barbados banking system; (b) by payment outside Barbados, in foreign currency in an account held in a bank outside

Barbados with the written permission of the Central bank of Barbados; or (c) by payment in Barbados in Barbados currency from funds held in Barbados which

would be legally remittable from Barbados, in computing the tax payable for that income year of such person, there shall be set off against the tax payable on the taxable income of such person, a foreign currency earnings allowance, calculated in the manner specified in the Fourth Schedule or Fifth Schedule, as the case may be. (2) For the purpose of this section

(a) “Common Market” has the meaning assigned to it by section 2 of the Fiscal Incentives Act; (b) “foreign currency earnings” means the gross amount of foreign currency earnings

received from fees, premiums, rewards or payments from work performed in respect

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of qualifying overseas construction projects or qualifying overseas professional services;

(c) “overseas” means the source of the investment outside the Common Market; (d) “qualifying overseas construction projects” and “qualifying overseas professional

services” are such as are specified in Part III and Part IV, respectively, of the Second Schedule.

(3) The Minister may by order amend, vary or revoke the Second Schedule. (4) Notwithstanding anything in this Act, a person may not qualify for concession under this

section and section 14A in respect of the same source of income. 14A. (1) Subject to section 14B, where a person has made export sales to a country other than a country within the Common Market, in computing the tax payable for any income year of such person there shall be set off for the purposes of collection against the tax payable on the taxable income of such person, an export allowance calculated in the manner specified in the First Schedule, if the person satisfies the Commissioner that the provisions of this section are applicable to it.

(2) The following are entitled to the export allowance the export of data processing services; (a) the export of products of a company that purchases

wholesale from a local producer exclusively for export; (b) the export of products of an industry or business, other than sugar in bulk or such

other product as the Minister declares by order to be a traditionally export-oriented product.

(3) Repealed by 1986-2.

(4) For the purposes of this section “Common Market” has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Fiscal Incentives Act, “company” means a company registered in Barbados;

“industry” has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Fiscal Incentives Act. 14A.1. (1) Where an enclave enterprise owned by persons who are not citizens of Barbados earns income derived from the reinvestment of profits earned in Barbados, that enterprise shall, in computing the tax payable in any income year on such income, be entitled to an allowance calculated in accordance with section 14A in the manner specified in the First Schedule for calculation of export allowance as if that income were export profits.

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(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) “enclave enterprise” has the meaning assigned to it by section 2 of the Fiscal Incentives Act. 14B. Section 14A shall not apply to a company which is declared to be an approved enterprise for the purposes of the Fiscal Incentives Act, in respect of the period during which that company is enjoying benefits under that Act. The Small Business Development Act, No. 23 of 1999 The Act provides that a small business may be the recipient of certain benefits where it meets stipulated criteria. An enterprise engaged in arts and cultural activities, entertainment services, hotel, restaurant and other tourism related services, and sporting and recreational services are included as such a business. A small business is defined as an enterprise which is:

Incorporated under the Companies Act; Has more than 75% of its shares locally owned; Has not more than $1m as stated or paid up capital; Has not more than $2m in annual sales; Has not more than 25 employees; Is not more than 25% owned or controlled by a company whose share capital and annual sales

exceeds that mentioned above; Is not controlled by a company whose share capital and annual sales exceeds that mentioned

above; Has no agreement for the payment of fees on a continuing basis for managerial or other

services to persons who are not nationals of Barbados or other states of the Caribbean Community and who are not resident in Barbados where those services do not form part of the normal business operations of the enterprise.

Allowances: Application must be made to the Minister, and upon approval of the applicant a small business may be granted the following incentives, where the Minister is satisfied that the business will be of significant or substantial socio- economic benefit to Barbados:

The payment of corporation tax at the rate of 25% on the profits of the business; Exemption of import duty on plant and equipment imported for use in the business;

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Exemption from withholding tax on dividends and interest earned on any investment in an approved small business or in any fund approved for investment in small business;

Exemption from payment of stamp duty under the Stamp Duty Act on all documents related to the business where the registration of those documents is required by law;

A deduction of corporation tax of an amount equal to 20% of the actual expenditure incurred in respect of the use of technology, market research and any other activity that is, in the opinion of the Commissioner of Inland Revenue, directly related to the development of the business.

Under the Act the following allowance for Loan Guarantees are also made: An Approved small business may apply for a loan guarantee cover under the Credit Guarantee Scheme through any one of the following:

Any commercial bank operating in Barbados by virtue of a licence issued under Part II of the Financial Institutions Act;

Any financial institution other than a bank to which access to the Credit Guarantee Scheme has been granted by the Central Bank; or

Any other institution or organization approved by the Central Bank as being eligible to access the Credit Guarantee Scheme.

Under the Act the following allowance for Technical Assistance is made:

The Cabinet may designate any government department agency or approved private sector organization as a provider of technical assistance.

The Special Development Areas Act This Act provides for the designation of special development areas, relief to persons carrying out work in these areas, and to persons providing financing of such work. The activities that an approved developer may carry out are:

1. Hotels including conference areas; 2. Residential complexes; 3. Commercial or industrial buildings, including office complexes; 4. Other facilities directed towards the improvement or expansion of services to the tourism

sector; 5. Water-based activities; 6. Tourism projects highlighting the heritage and natural environment of Barbados;

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7. Arts and cultural investments; and 8. Agricultural-based activities.

Approved developers and certain investors, other than commercial banks, may be granted the following tax concessions:

An approved developer shall during the development period be exempt from payment for taxes and duties as follows:

- Import duty, environmental levy and VAT on inputs for the construction of new buildings and the renovation or refurbishment of existing buildings;

- Charges on the repatriation of interest and capital for a period of 15 years commencing on the date to be prescribed by the Minister;

- Land Tax on the improved value of land; - Property transfer tax payable on the initial purchase of the property.

Corporation tax at the rate of 30%;

Initial and annual allowances on an industrial building at 40% and 6% respectively; or

Initial and annual allowances on a commercial building at 20% and 4% respectively;

Where an investor makes a loan to an approved developer of a sum of money raised for the purpose of financing any improvement works during the development period, the amount of interest received by the investor in respect of that loan shall be exempt from income tax.

Approval criteria:

A person who wishes to be an approved developer may make application to the Minister for the purpose.

The Minister may approve the application referred to above, either unconditionally or subject to such conditions as he thinks fit; or he may refuse the application.

The approval of a person as an approved developer shall be published in the Official Gazette. The approved developer shall comply with the provisions of the Town and Country Planning

Act.

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Tourism Development Act 20021 This Act seeks to encourage the sustainable development of the tourism industry by providing duty free concessions and income tax concessions for approved tourism projects, certain tourism entities as well as for other related matters. The Act, which replaces the Hotel Aids Act of 1956, significantly expands incentives for investment in the Tourism and Hospitality sector in Barbados beyond the traditional accommodations sector. Incentives are offered in the new Act to restaurants, recreational facilities and services, development of attractions which emphasise the Island’s natural, historic and cultural heritage and for the construction of properties in non-coastal areas. To be eligible for incentives/concessions under the Tourism Development Act, a project must fall within one of the following categories:

Construction of a new hotel, the alteration or renovation of an existing hotel or the conversion of a building into a hotel;

Furnishing and equipping of a building to be utilised as a hotel; Provision of tourist recreational facilities and tourism related services; Construction and equipping of a new restaurant or the alteration or renovation of an existing

restaurant; Construction of a new attraction or alteration or renovation of an existing attraction; Restoration, preservation and conservation of natural sites; Construction and furnishing of villas and timeshare properties; Addition to a tourism product of facilities or services intended to increase or improve

the amenities that the tourism product provides.

Section 27 is applicable to - Facilities and attractions based on natural or cultural heritage, and states as follows: “Where an investor secures a loan for the purpose of refurbishing, upgrading or constructing an attraction and that investor has in an income year incurred expenditure for the purpose of refurbishing, upgrading or constructing the attraction, then in calculating the assessable income of the investor for an income year:

1 Information taken from the BTIC website - http://barbadostourisminvestment.com/tourism_investment_legislation.cfm

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• deduct an amount equal to 150 per cent of the interest paid on an amount of the loan not exceeding $3 million.

• Add back interest paid on the loan in the income year

• Subtract from total taxes payable, an investment tax credit equal to 30% of the initial capital expenditure incurred in respect of the plant and equipment.

• Any excess of credit over taxes shall be carried forward for a period of 15 years. The Scope of Concessions:

Customs Duty or Income Tax concessions may be granted under the Tourism Development Act in respect of:

Duty-free importation (including waivers of Value Added Tax (VAT) and Environmental Levy) of building materials and equipment during construction and rehabilitation;

Duty-free importation (including waivers of Value Added Tax (VAT) and Environmental Levy) of supplies for refurbishment of hotels, restaurants, villas and sports and recreation facilities for tourism purposes;

Extended tax holidays/write-offs of capital expenditure and accelerated write-off of interest;

Training of employees;

Marketing.

A project approved under the Tourism Development Act, will not be allowed concessions at the same time under the Shipping Incentives Act or the Special Development Areas Act. Customs Duty Concessions are listed as follows:

The Minister may issue to the owner or operator of a tourism project or product which has been granted an Interim Approval, a permit for the importation of building materials and supplies without payment of customs duty. These items are to be used exclusively for the construction and development of the tourism project and they may be purchased from a bonded warehouse, imported or locally manufactured or produced.

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The owner or operator of a tourism project or product for which Interim Approval has been granted is exempt from the payment of customs duties on specified supplies to be used for equipping that project. Concessions for refurbishing a tourism product are also made available provided that the owner or operator of such a product has a valid license or is registered with the Barbados Tourism Authority.

If the holder of a permit can satisfy the Comptroller of Customs that the building materials and supplies purchased for a tourism product have been purchased in Barbados, or in the case of importation that the customs duty was paid by the holder of the permit, provisions are made for the grant of a refund of customs duty (including VAT and Environmental Levy). Such items may not be sold, rented, exchanged or given away, exported or applied for any other purpose except under exceptional circumstances.

Income Tax Concessions Income Tax concessions in respect of write-off of interest, accelerated deduction of expenditure, interest rate subsidy, equity financing, training and marketing are extended to hotels, restaurants and other tourism products. Training

An owner or operator of a tourism project or product who, in an income year incurs expenditure on training staff of that project or product, may deduct 150 per cent of that expenditure from his income for tax purposes. The expenses that may be claimed include fees payable to a training institution or trainer approved or recognised by the Ministry of Tourism or the Ministry of Education within Barbados, together with cost of accommodation and subsistence. If the tourism project or product has an employee share ownership scheme approved by the Ministry of Tourism, the deduction will be 200 per cent of the training expenditure.

Marketing

The owner or operator of a tourism product who incurs expenditure for marketing in an income year will be allowed to deduct 150 per cent of this expenditure for income tax purposes. Marketing expenditure shall include the cost of travel to trade shows, conventions and meetings, the printing of brochures and

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other literature for distribution overseas, the cost of electronic marketing and the hiring of short-term marketing consultancy services.

Tourism Product Development/Research etc.

The owner or operator of a tourism product who incurs expenditure for an approved tourism product development, tourism research, provision of an apprenticeship scheme, the organisation and hosting of tourism exhibitions and trade fairs or development of nature trails and community tourism will be allowed to deduct an amount equal to 150 percent of the expenditure in calculating assessable income for an income year.

Set-off of Approved Capital Expenditure

The owner of a qualifying tourism project, which has a value of up to $200 million, will be entitled to duty free concessions and (except for restaurants) will be allowed to set off approved capital expenditure against revenues for a period of fifteen (15) years. Hotels with capital expenditure over $200 million are allowed one additional year to write off expenditure, for each additional $20 million up to a maximum of twenty (20) years.

Refinancing of Loans

In the case of any loan for which an investor, owner or operator is allowed, a 150 per cent write-off of interest, no more than half of that loan may be used to refinance existing debt.

Properties in respect of which loans for refinancing of debt are made must be of an approved standard to benefit from the accelerated write-off of interest.

Value Added Taxes The VAT is considered a general consumption tax which is levied at each stage of production based on the value added to the product at that stage. The Public entertainment tax has a direct impact on performing artists, and further mentioned sections affect both multimedia and cultural heritage. Having an impact on the literary and performing arts: Sec 34 - Public Entertainment Tax "public entertainment" means any musical entertainment, theatrical performance, comedy show, dance performance, circus show, any show connected with a festival or any similar show to which the public is invited;

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Promoters of public entertainment and licensees and proprietors of places of public entertainment shall be registered for the purposes of the Valued Added Tax Act [VAT] notwithstanding that the taxable supplies of such promoters, licensees and proprietors for the period specified in paragraph (a); or (b), as the case may be, of subsection (1) of section 33 are less than the amount specified in those paragraphs. An application for registration under this section must be in such form as the Comptroller approves. A promoter registered under the VAT Act shall, at least 48 hours before the time fixed for the commencement of any public entertainment promoted by him, pay to the Comptroller an amount equal to 5 percent of the value of the tickets printed for such entertainment; and where no tickets have been printed the promoter shall pay such amount as the Comptroller determines. No promoter shall allow any public entertainment promoted by him to take place unless he has paid an amount referred to above and has received the permission in writing of the Comptroller.

A promoter who contravenes subsection (8) or (9) of the VAT Act is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $10 000 or imprisonment for 2 years or both; and, in addition, is liable to pay the Comptroller forthwith an amount equal to 15 per centum of the value of the tickets printed for the entertainment. Having an impact on computer technology/ multimedia: Sec. 14 (3) For the purposes of the VAT Act, where a supplier provides computer software or a right or licence to use computer software to a person, the provision of the computer software or the right or licence to use it shall be deemed to be a supply of services. Having an impact on cultural heritage (built heritage/ industrial heritage): Sec. 13 (4) For the purposes of this Act, where a supplier provides real property or the use thereof to a person by hiring, letting, renting or leasing the real property to the person or by licensing the person to use the real property, whether or not the agreement for the supply includes an option to purchase the real property, the provision of the real property or the use thereof shall be deemed to be a supply of services. The Enterprise Growth Fund Limited [EGFL] The Enterprise Growth Loan Fund Limited is a private sector initiative established to render support to small business ventures. The EGFL purchases a minimum of $50,000.00 in shares in a new business,

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which satisfies the expectation of generating substantial returns from tangible products. The business owner must demonstrate equity in the business either in cash, fixed assets or sweat equity and must be a registered company. The rate of return to the EGFL is 10% of the annual revenue. The option is available for the business operator to buy back the shares from the EGFL after three to five years. The Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme The Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme as a department within the Division of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport, promotes youth empowerment through the establishment of viable and sustainable micro and small businesses. It offers the following facilities: · General business counselling · Direct technical assistance · Facilitation of access to financial assistance · Mentorship programmes · Entrepreneurial development training · Accounting service · Marketing outreach · Outreach programme Technical Support The Government makes possible through the Barbados Investment Development Corporation [BIDC] small business and new Enterprise Development Centre the following:

Technical and operational assistance. This centre will secure the professional expertise which an applicant may require, to develop business and provide technical and financial feasibility analyses as a service of the BIDC.

The production of product design. The development of package and label design, displaying patents, trade-marks and compliance

to standards where required. The provision of marketing assistance for the local and export market. Market studies conducted to determine the viability of the product in the market place will serve

to inform of the methods and media to be employed in the promotion and advertising of the product.

Assistance to attend overseas trade shows. Both the BIDC and Caribbean Export are engaged in overseas trade shows, which exhibit local products. Assistance may come in several forms;

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assistance in defraying travel and shipping expenses. Each application is assessed by the agency on a case by case basis.

The Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity [BIMAP] The Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity is dedicated to providing quality business training to aspiring business professionals and entrepreneurs. Its business development and entrepreneurship division, responds to the special needs of small and medium enterprises through counselling, training, accounting, and general advisory services in all the major sectors i.e. manufacturing, wholesale, retail, service, agribusiness, informatics and tourism. The central objective of this division is to provide assistance to facilitate the establishment, survival and growth of the participating enterprises so as to maintain and increase employment in this area of economic activity. For these enterprises, BIMAP prepares feasibility studies, market research, business plans, loan proposals, financial statements, tax returns and offers special advice on marketing, costing, and pricing. Programmes include:

small business management training programme computer applications for small business entrepreneurship development programme small business counselling customer service for small business

Caribbean Export4 The Market Research and Intelligence Service of Caribbean Export provides information on:

Market Access Conditions Marketing Factors Distributor and Retailer Profiles Competitor Profiles Consumer and Customer Surveys

which is deemed to be crucial in helping companies become more export successful when targeting new markets. News releases generated through Caribbean Export indicate that USAID is to also implement an ambitious trade expansion and competitiveness programme in the region.5 Addendum 1 4 http://www.carib-export.com/index.php3?page_id=3 5 http://www.carib-export.com/index.php3?page_id=5969

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Customs and Excise Duties The Customs and Excise department institutes a series of duties applicable to all imports from third world countries into member states of the Caribbean Common Market. A complete listing of all duties may be found in The Barbados Customs Tariff – (Customs Act, Cap 66). The following information has been compiled from the 1989 text as a current version was not available. The following tariffs have a direct impact on the following aspects of the cultural industries in Barbados:

1. The quality of audio visual services provided: - Photographic and cinematographic goods.(Sec VI ch38) - Optical, photographic, cinematographic…sound recorders or reproducers, television

image and sound recorders or reproducers; parts thereof (Sec XVIII Ch 90) 2. Handiwork deemed “indigenous”:

- Rawhides and skins (other than fur skins) and leather (Sec VII Ch41); Articles of leather saddlery and harness, travel goods, handbags and similar containers; articles of animal gut (other than silkworm gut) (Sec VII Ch42)

- Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal (Sec IX Ch 44) - Manufacturers of straw, of esparto and of other plaiting materials, basket ware and

wickerwork. 3. Printed matter, publishing and literature:

- Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or of paperboard (Sec X Ch 48).

- Printer books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry, manuscripts, typescripts and plans (Sec X Ch 49).

- Textile and textile articles ((Sec X Ch 50-63). Addendum 2

Second Schedule Expenditure incurred in the tourist industry has been listed as follows in the Second Schedule appended to the Income Tax Act:

1. Fares, accommodation and subsistence of the taxpayer or his employee travelling from Barbados overseas on tourist promotion, exclusive of the cost of a holiday trip.

2. Salaries and wages paid to employees during their travel overseas to promote tourism, calculated proportionately in accordance with the duration of the trip.

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3. Payments to an agent in Barbados engaged in tourist promotion, to undertake promotion work overseas on behalf of the taxpayer. Commissions on sales are not allowable.

4. Costs (other than capital costs) of establishing and maintaining a permanent overseas sales representative as an employee to engage primarily and principally in tourist promotion for the benefit of the taxpayer.

5. Costs of advertising or other means of soliciting business or publicity outside Barbados. 6. Costs of supplying brochures or pamphlets for distribution abroad. 7. Expenditure incurred at fairs, exhibitions and travel marts, for tourist promotion. 8. Expenditure on overseas market research or on the obtaining of overseas market information. 9. Contributions to joint tourist promotion arrangements to be carried out abroad. 10. Costs of bringing to Barbados tour operators for briefing where the promotion of tourist services

is the sole objective.

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PART 5 IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND CONVENTIONS

ON CULTURAL INDUSTRIES Since 1948, when twenty-three (23) countries first signed the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the worldwide trade in goods has gradually been liberalised, markets have been opened and trade barriers have fallen. Under International trade agreements, countries agree to grant their trading partners “most favoured nation” (MFN) status and treat all of them equally. In addition, once trading partners’ goods or services have entered their market, members of the agreement must give those goods or services “national treatment” (that is, they must be treated the same as their own national goods and services) to the extent that the affected products are covered by the agreement in question. Countries all over the world are supposed to benefit from this liberal approach to trade and the trend has therefore been towards a freer trading system –one that is predictable and does not discriminate. During the Uruguay round of GATT negotiations (1986 to 1994), 123 countries were at the table and in 1995, the countries involved in those negotiations agreed to establish the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to integrate all the new agreements which had been negotiated and signed by most of the world’s trading nations. Any disagreements between trading partners would be resolved by member governments through a special dispute settlement process. Recognising the growing market in services, knowledge and information, the agreements moved beyond trade in goods to cover world wide trade in services as well as certain aspects of intellectual property. International trade agreements vary in the way in which they treat cultural products or respond to the view by some countries that culture is more than a commodity. In the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) some special arrangements are made for aspects of culture: one allows countries to limit the screen time given to foreign films; another provides a general exception for measures designed to protect national treasures of artistic, holistic or archaeological value. Any other cultural products that are considered “goods” are however subject to the GATT rules. With the creation of the WTO, the countries that are members of the GATT have negotiated additional agreements such as the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and the Agreement on Trade Related Investment Measures (TRIMs), which provide further elaboration on rules governing trade in goods. In the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) negotiated during the Uruguay Round of the multilateral trade talks (1986 to 1994), members did not agree to exempt culture from the

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agreement but they did allow countries to opt out of MFN obligations and to opt in to national treatment obligations.

Cultural goods generally refer to those consumer goods conveying ideas, symbols, and ways of life. They inform or entertain, contribute to build collective identity and influence cultural practices. The result of individual or collective creativity - thus copyright-based - cultural goods are reproduced and boosted by industrial processes and worldwide distribution. It is traditionally understood that cultural services are those activities aimed at satisfying cultural interests or needs. Such activities do not represent material goods in themselves: they typically consist of the overall set of measures and supporting facilities for cultural practices that government, private and semi-public institutions or companies make available to the community. Examples of such services include the promotion of performances and cultural events as well as cultural information and preservation (libraries, documentation centres and museums). While international trade in goods is relatively simple to grasp (a product is sent from one country to another and will, eventually, incur a tariff as it crosses the border), the idea of trade in services is more diverse and harder to figure out. Publishing houses and news agencies all provide services in quite different ways. That makes it complex to describe the nature of the services, or to establish common rules to govern their exchange. The Annexes of the General Agreement of Trade in Services [GATS] reflect some of this diversity. It can therefore be stated that cultural services include performing services (theatre, orchestras and circuses), publishing, publication, news, communication and architectural services. They also include audiovisual services (distribution of films, television/radio programmes, and home videos; all aspects of production such as dubbing and print duplication; exhibition of films; and ownership and operation of cable, satellite, and broadcast facilities or cinemas…), library services, archives, museums as well as other services. There are no common definitions, neither is there a single standardised system of descriptions for traded cultural services. Furthermore, different conceptions exist regarding the nature of certain products such as books or films, which can be made available on-line and also have their hard copy equivalent. Are they "virtual goods", as some countries maintain or rather services, as others advocate? Since current international trade agreement treats goods and services differently, the rules that will be devised for electronic commerce may influence the choice between physical and non-physical methods of trade.”

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It is therefore imperative that cognisance is taken by the Task Force of a number of recent initiatives which would have implications for the articulation of a clear national policy on the treatment of cultural goods and services within the context of WTO/FTAA trade negotiations. Barbados recently sent a delegation to participate in an “ Experts Seminar on a new International Instrument on Cultural Diversity ” in Halifax, Nova Scotia (March, 2003), which agenda appears to be relevant to the current negotiations. Similarly, Barbados’ delegation to the 32nd session of the General Conference of UNESCO in Paris, France (October, 2003) included expertise relevant to the debate on the preparation of a new draft convention on Cultural Diversity, and was the only CARICOM member state so positioned to make a substantial contribution to this debate. A new cultural instrument would seek to develop an international consensus on the responsibility to encourage indigenous cultural expression and on the need for regulatory and other measures to promote cultural and linguistic diversity. The instrument would not compel any country to take measures to promote culture but would give countries the right to determine the measures they would use (within the limits of the agreement) to safeguard their cultural diversity. The instrument would represent a blueprint for cultural diversity and the role of culture in a global world and would define what was covered and stress the importance of cultural sovereignty. The new instrument would identify the measures that would be covered and those that would not and indicate where trade disciplines would or would not apply. It would also state when domestic cultural measures would be permitted and would not be subject to trade retaliation. To be effective, the new instrument would have to:

Be as broad as possible and provide global coverage; Embrace cultural goods as well as cultural services; Include all financial and tax support measures, regulations and controls over foreign

investments; Make references to competition policy to address market dominance problems that could

adversely affect the vitality of indigenous cultural industry; and Include references to copyright policy, which are not inconsistent with Barbados’ other

intellectual property obligations.

Having reviewed the Compendium of Service Sectors in Barbados developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade for the purpose of guiding the Barbados Team during the WTO/FTAA negotiations (this was prepared in order to identify those areas where the Barbados Government should

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be advised as to “ those service sectors which they will commit to allow greater market access” with a view “ to making preliminary offers” when engaged in the current round of negotiations), it is recommended that consideration be given to the following points:

1. Review of Identified Services. 2. Identification of undefined areas. 3. Assessment of Sensitivity of Service Sectors 4. Evaluation of Specified Restrictions 5. Identification of Undefined Restrictions for Specified services 6. Other Considerations/Recommendations

To date, the Barbados team has been conservative and fairly cautious in committing to any free trade terms. However, once an item is on its negotiating agenda with the world bodies, it cannot remove it for to do so would be to lose credibility. What must be done therefore is for Barbados to have an extended term for negotiation and implementation, since it is now impossible, in the absence of a new cultural instrument, to exempt culture completely from the free trade negotiations. It is recommended that a thorough and detailed consideration be given to culture in order for the Trade Team to handle cultural industries in a possible free trade environment. It is therefore necessary for Barbados to:

be able to provide statistics on all areas of culture so that the economic value of its cultural products and services can be determined;

have a clearly defined Cultural Policy for Barbados so that the Trade Team can have parameters within which to work;

register either by copyright © or patent or trade mark or industrial design every cultural work, cultural creative process and service;

registration must include every traditional way, folklore, folk-music, folk-medicine, which can be registered by the Barbados Government on behalf of the nation.

Review of Services Already Identified It is to be noted that the following service sectors directly relate to Culture :

Division 91: Public Administration and Other Services to the Community as a Whole CPC 911 Administrative services-cultural CPC 912 Administrative - external affairs

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Division 96: Recreation, Cultural and Sporting Services CPC 961 Motion picture, radio and television and entertainment services CPC 962 News Agency Services CPC 963 Library, archives, museum and other cultural services CPC 964 Sporting and other Recreational Services

[Within this division, Barbados has made commitments in the categories of Theatre, Producer, Singer groups and Band and Orchestra entertainment services]. Division 89: Intangible Assets

CPC 892 Non Financial Intangible Assets However, it is recommended that the following sectors must also be considered since they have an indirect [but no less important] linkage to the Barbados’ Cultural Sector. These include but are not limited to: Division 52: Constructions

CPC 521 Buildings CPC 522 Civil Engineering works

Division 53: Land

CPC 531 Agricultural Land, forest and other wooded land CPC 532 Built up related Land CPC 533 Recreational and other land

Division 62: Commission Agents and Wholesale Trade services

CPC 621 Commission Agent Services CPC 622 Wholesale Trade Services

Division 63: Retail Trade Services

CPC 632 Non Food Retailing Services

Division 71: Land Transport Services CPC 712 Other Land Transportation

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Division 72: Water Transport Services CPC 721 Transport services of sea going services

Division 74: Supporting and Auxillary Transport Services

CPC 741 Cargo Handling Services CPC 747 Travel Agency, tour operator and tourist guide services

Division 75: Post and Telecommunication Services

CPC 751 Postal Services CPC 752 Telecommunications Services

Division 84: Computer and Related Services

CPC 842 Systems Design CPC 843 Data processing Services CPC 844 Database Services

Division 85: Research and Development Services

CPC 852 Research and development services on social sciences and humanities

Division 86: Business Services/Professional Services

CPC 867 Architectural and Engineering Services

Division 88: Agricultural, Mining and Manufacturing Services CPC 881 Services incidental to Agriculture CPC 882 Services incidental to Fishing CPC 884 Services incidental to Manufacturing CPC 887 Services incidental to Energy Distribution

Division 92: Education Services

CPC 921- Primary Education services CPC 922- Secondary Education Services CPC 923 – Higher Education Services

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Division 93: Health and Social Services CPC 931 – Human Health Services

Division 95: Services of Membership Organisations

CPC 959 – Services Furnished by Membership Organisations The Cultural Industries relate to four (4) main areas of activity:

Creation Production Distribution Marketing/promotion

It is recommended that each of the Cultural Industries be examined in relation to the four areas of activity stated above in order to specifically articulate which components are the most vulnerable or viable in terms of sustainability. The proposals outlined below should not be regarded as exhaustive, but rather as exemplars as to the types of activities to be taken into consideration in order to complete this process and as a platform for negotiation. Assessment of Sensitivity of Service Sectors: These included:

Highly Sensitive Sectors Moderately Sensitive Sectors Least Sensitive Sectors

It is submitted that in many instances the current designations of cultural and other sectors under these areas, were not of benefit to capacity building and sustainable development. It was felt that any such determination of importance to the social and economic development of Barbados, and thus its sensitivity to liberalization or access to markets, should be guided by the following principles:

Enhancement/development of cultural identity Fostering of fledging industries Protection of cultural heritage [from destruction, reproduction or loss through illicit traffic in

cultural patrimony] Preservation/promotion of traditional practices/ways of life and indigenous knowledge Sustainability of natural and human resources

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Specifically, it is recommended that the following sectors be re-evaluated in the light of these principles, regarding their designated level of sensitivity and reassigned to the specified levels: Highly Sensitive: CPC 7472 Tourist Guide Services

CPC 5310/5320/5330/5390 Land

CPC 852 Research and Development Services

CPC 8812 Services incidental to animal husbandry

CPC 8844 Manufacture of paper and paper product; publishing, printing

CPC 8848 Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products

CPC 8870 Services incidental to energy distribution

CPC 892 Non-financial Intangible Assets

CPC 923 Higher Education services

Moderately Sensitive: CPC 842/843/844 Computer systems design, programming, data procession and database services CPC 8675 Engineering related scientific and technical consulting services CPC 8811 Services incidental to Agriculture CPC 8820 – Services related to Fishing CPC 8843 Manufacture of wood and wood products…articles of straw CPC 8849 Manufacture of furniture; re-cycling CPC 961 Motion picture and videotape production and distribution services CPC 962 News Agency Services CPC 963 Library, archive, museum and other cultural services CPC 964 Sporting services Evaluation of Specified Restrictions: It should be noted that Barbados has recently become signatory to the following international cultural conventions which will have a direct bearing on any trade in Antiquities. These include:

The Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, 1954 (UNESCO)

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The Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, 1970 (UNESCO)

The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, 1972, (UNESCO).

It should be further noted that Barbados is also in the process of becoming signatory to:

The Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, 2001 (UNESCO). The Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, 1995 (UNIDROIT).

Barbados should also give consideration to signing the newly completed:

The Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2003 (UNESCO).

Government should also take note of the work beginning on the crafting of: A new standard setting instrument on Cultural Diversity

These legal instruments all provide very specific conditions on the conduct of business in relation to an integral part of the Cultural Industries and it is therefore recommended that these and Barbados’ commitments thereunder be taken into account in any negotiations. Identification of Undefined Restrictions for Specified Services: The Task Force recognises that a fundamental characteristic of cultural goods and services is that they are the constituents upon which national identity is based. As culture [and by extension, the cultural industries] is being transformed from an internal domestic concern into an external security/sustainability issue involving national identity, sovereignty and survival, it is critical at this point to recognize that Barbados (as a country with limited natural resources) must recognize and nurture human creativity and expression (cultural capital), as one of its most valuable assets/resources worthy of significant and long term investment. It is therefore the recommendation of the Task Force that the entire environment within which the Cultural Industries subsist be closely examined within the scope of the National Strategic Plan 2000-2010, as this document comprehensively articulates Barbados’ policy with respect to the development, promotion and exploitation of the cultural industries.

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Beyond global commercial markets, there are other significant issues involving co-production agreements, international property rights and theft, specifically illegal export of movable cultural property. Copyright and other forms of intellectual property provide the legal foundation for the industrial organization of cultural activities. Until the Uruguay round of GATT, intellectual property rights were not the subject of international trade negotiations. Rather, trade in intellectual properties was the subject of international conventions such as the Berne and Rome Conventions concerning copyright [Barbados is signatory to both of these]. Interpol, World Customs Organisation, and the International Council of Museums (ICOM), all of which have branches in Barbados, have developed cooperative agreements to help identify, document, and develop national databases to facilitate the recovery of stolen cultural property or its restitution in the event of illicit import or export. The operations of Antique Dealers and Shipping agents, have so far in Barbados remained largely unrestricted [the rather tenuous exception being the Customs Regulation governing antique furniture] and should be more closely monitored and regulated. Additionally, the development of museums or heritage sites, has been largely an unregulated exercise as anyone can collect materials, open their doors, and call their enterprise a museum. Government must be encouraged to endorse the ICOM definition of museums, requiring any entity called a museum to subscribe to it and to adhere to the ICOM International Code of Ethics. Finally, to prevent theft of a country’s cultural product and services it is imperative that there be registration of the products and services as intellectual property. In any free trade discussions, it should be suggested that a period of fifteen (15) years must be allowed before outsiders register any other country’s cultural products. Recent initiatives by Government to establish the National Oral History Programme managed by the heritage community [Archives, National Library Service, Barbados Museum and Historical Society], under the coordination of the National Cultural Foundation, provide the first coherent national structure for the research, recording and eventual exploitation of traditional practices and indigenous knowledge. This programme, combined with critical development of a new international convention for the protection of intangible cultural heritage and another for cultural diversity (both initiatives of UNESCO), in conjunction with the work of WIPO’s Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore, provides a workable structure for the management of this cultural resource. Culture is the past and future of a people; it is their heart and soul expressed through their talent. Therefore, Culture is the most highly sensitive sector in any free

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trade world. Given the above, it is the recommendation of the Task Force that the Government should lobby at the international level to have culture exempted from ‘free trade’ agreements. Other Considerations/Recommendations: The following recommendations are made in respect of the Government’s WTO/FTAA Trade negotiations in relation to the Cultural Industries and their related service sectors:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade should revisit its proposals for the Preparation of Initial Offers in Services and revise these in accordance with the recommendations made by the National Cultural Foundation, specifically:

The restrictions on the service sectors/sub-sectors should be identified; The rationales offered should take into account the indicated policies and

systems; The designation of sensitivity should be revised for the various service

sectors. Foreign Trade should include on its negotiating team a cultural specialist, fully cognisant of

both national legislation and policy, and knowledge about international instruments for the protection of cultural property.

Proposals for quotas for culture should form part of the Government’s strategy for the development of the cultural industries.

The monitoring and evaluation of the cultural industries through the establishment of a regional institute/observatory of cultural policy to be sited at the University of the West Indies.

Advocacy of the development of official statistical analysis on the status of the cultural industries, through the development of cultural indices as part the national statistical data.

Initiation of the National Oral History Programme, as the basis for the comprehensive documentation of traditional folkways and indigenous knowledge coupled with the establishment of a concentrated programme of copyright/patent registration [CARI ) before January 2005.

Establishment of a public education programme on the cultural industries, particularly in the schools.

Examination of the proposals for an international convention on the protection/promotion of cultural diversity and development recommendations for Barbados’ position on these proposals.

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Review of the strategies outlined in UNESCO’s Global Alliance on Cultural Diversity so as to determine their applicability to the Barbadian environment.

The establishment of a Cultural Archive and Registry Institute (CARI) in Barbados to do two things: Registry: Raise awareness of registering creative works for copyright protection.

The Registration provides legal status for piracy pursuit, for ownership protection and for worldwide royalty collection.

Cultural Archive: The archive will be a place where ONE COPY of every creative work must be lodged and will be preserved for future generations. That is, one copy of every CD, every novel, every poetry book, every film script, every video, etc.

Legal Frameworks Relevant to Culture Industries Barbados is signatory to a number of international conventions which must be fully assessed for their value as they can underscore the development of cultural industries. The three major conventions include:

Convention Concerning Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (Paris, 16 November 1972);

Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (Paris, 14 November 1970);

Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (The Hague, 14 May 1954).

With regard to international conventions and protocols, for Barbados to access benefits in terms of funding/grants, for example, funding towards the development of heritage sites as part of the tourism product, and for the general protection of cultural heritage, major international conventions will have to be ratified. Additionally particular attention must be paid to such as the Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity, which provide opportunities for enhancing the development of cultural industries.

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PART 6 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY WITH RESPECT TO CULTURAL INDUSTRIES

The Task Force notes that the intellectual property regime, both domestic and international, has a critical role to play with respect to the development of cultural industries. By providing a means of remuneration for the exploitation of ‘cultural products and services’, intellectual property rights can provide a welcome incentive for further innovation and creation as well as generate wealth for the economy. When speaking of intellectual property and culture one is speaking essentially of artistic and literary works and thus the relevant rules to be applied are those relating to copyright (which also covers computer programmes etc.), and sui generis systems for databases and the industrial design protocol which protect a category of innovation broad enough to include products of handicraft. The Task Force however would wish to point out that the existence of effective intellectual property legislation alone is not a sufficient condition for the development of a viable industry. The local infrastructure to support such an industry must also be in place. Moreover, care must be taken to ensure that the national intellectual property policy is a coherent one and one which adequately reflects and balances the diverse and conflicting interests within the Barbadian society. It is therefore important that any specific policies to be developed with respect to intellectual property and cultural industries be addressed within the wider context of the overall national policy on intellectual property and be reconciled therewith. Above all, any policies arrived at must be tailored to meet the particular needs, circumstances and level of development of the country. The Multilateral Framework – Standard Setting The principal international copyright agreements are: World Trade Organisation

The Agreement on the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (“the TRIPS Agreement”)

World Intellectual Property Organisation (“WIPO”) Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works 1886 Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and

Broadcasting Organisations 19616 Geneva Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms against Unauthorised

Duplication of their Phonograms 19717

6 Barbados is a party to this Convention.

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Brussels Convention Relating to the Distribution of Programme-Carrying Signals Transmitted by Satellite 19748

WIPO Copyright Treaty 1996 (“WCT”) WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty 1996 (“WPPT”) 9

These Agreements will form key parts of any strategy regarding development of cultural industries since they set out the basic rights enjoyed in the area of copyright at a global level. The discussion below will demonstrate that, for the most part, the international intellectual property system is a fairly robust one in terms of the range and extent of rights granted.10 However, in recent years, the system has been confronted by serious challenges in the form of advances in communication and information technology, which facilitate piracy. In assessing the value of international copyright agreements within a domestic context, one must bear in mind that any special rights and privileges extended to nationals will also have to be extended to foreign right holders within the jurisdiction. In addition, before acceding to new international agreements, Government must ensure that the provisions of the agreement are appropriate to Barbados’ needs and level of development, as well as being sufficiently flexible to adapt to future technological changes. It will also be important to undertake sensitization programmes for the general public in order to increase their awareness of any changes to be made to levels of protection and the rationale for such proposals. The TRIPS Agreement Although the Berne and other Conventions remain in effect and relevant in relation to international copyright protection, they have been somewhat overtaken by the TRIPS Agreement which has a wider membership and thus has a wider scope of application. The TRIPS Agreement is also particularly important since it sets out minimum standards of protection to be met globally in the area of intellectual property i.e. no WTO member can provide intellectual property protection that is lower than that prescribed under the TRIPS Agreement.11 7 Barbados is a party to this Convention. 8 Barbados is not a party to this Convention. 9 The WCT and WPPT both came into force in 2002. Barbados is not a party to either of these treaties. 10 Notably, however, there is currently no international agreement offering protection against unauthorised use of performances in audio-visual media.

11 Barbados recently revised its intellectual property laws to implement the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement: see for example, the Copyright Act 1998 – 4.

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The TRIPS Agreement incorporates Articles 1 – 21 of the Berne Convention and its Appendix dealing with substantive matters such as the subject matter to be protected, national treatment, minimum term of protection, the rights to be conferred, and protection of pre-existing works. It also provides for computer programmes to be protected as literary works under the Berne Convention and for the protection of databases or other compilations that are intellectual creations. Authors of computer programmes and films are given the right to authorise or prohibit commercial rental of their copyright works (for films, the right needs to be made available only if rental has led to widespread copying). As with general copyright, limitations or exceptions to exclusive rights are to be restricted to special cases that do not conflict with normal exploitation of the works concerned or unreasonably prejudice the right-holder’s legitimate rights. The TRIPS Agreement also covers “related rights” or “neighbouring rights”. These are the rights of performers, producers of sound recordings (“phonograms”) and broadcasters, when not covered by copyright. Performers are given the right to prevent unauthorised sound recording or broadcasting of their performances, and of copying of such recordings. Producers of sound recordings have exclusive rights over reproduction of these recordings, as well as exclusive rental rights for them. Broadcasters have the right to prohibit unauthorised recording, copying of recordings and re-broadcasting of their broadcasts. Alternatively, authors have such rights over the subject matter of broadcasts. The term of copyright protection under the TRIPS Agreement is at least 50 years for authors, performers and producers and at least 20 years for broadcasters.12 Articles 25 and 26 of the TRIPS Agreement also require member countries to provide a minimum standard of protection for industrial designs, either through independent protocols or by copyright, with a minimum term of protection for such products being 10 years. In Barbados, the Industrial Designs Act provides protection for any (novel) composition of lines or colours or any (novel) three-dimensional form whether or not associated with lines or colours that gives a special appearance products of industry or handicraft or that serves as a pattern for a product of industry or handicraft for an initial period of five years, with an option to renew the registration for two further five (5) year terms. This broad definition provides adequate cover and protection for categories of items such as textiles, basketry & weaving, pottery and cobbling.

12 Articles 12 & 14 respectively.

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As with other WTO Agreements, the principles of national treatment and most-favoured nation treatment apply to the TRIPS Agreement.13 The WIPO “Internet Treaties”: WCT AND WPPT The so-called “Internet Treaties” contain basic rules updating the international protection of copyright and related rights to take account of developments regarding the Internet. WIPO Copyright Treaty 1996 (WCT) The WCT deals with protection by copyright of computer programmes, whatever their mode or form of expression and protection of databases that constitute intellectual creations. The treaty gives owners an exclusive right of distribution,14 right of rental15 and right of communication to the public.16 These rights are all subject to certain limitations and exceptions. The WCT obliges Contracting Parties to provide legal remedies against circumvention of technological measures used by authors in connection with the exercise of their rights and against the removal or altering of information.17 Contracting Parties must also ensure that enforcement procedures are available locally. WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty 1996 (WPPT) The WPPT deals with intellectual property rights of performers (actors, singers, musicians etc.), and producers of phonograms. The WPPT grants performers four kinds of exclusive economic rights in their performances fixed in phonograms viz., the right of reproduction;18 the right of distribution;19 the right of rental;20 the right of making available.21 Each of these is subject to certain limitations and exceptions. The WPPT also grants three kinds of economic rights to performers in respect of their unfixed (live) performances viz., the right of broadcasting (except in the case of re-broadcasting), the right of communication to the public (except where the performance is a broadcast performance), 22 and the right of fixation.23 The treaty also grants performers moral rights i.e. the right to claim to be identified as

13 Articles 3 & 4 respectively. 14 Article 6 15 Article 7 16 Article 8 17 Article 14 18 Article 7 19 Article 8 20 Article 9 21 Article 10 22 Article 6 23 Article 6

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the performer and the right to object to any distortion, mutilation or other modification that would be prejudicial to the performer’s reputation.24 The WPPT grants producers of phonograms four exclusive economic rights in their phonograms i.e. the right of reproduction;25 the right of distribution;26 the right of rental;27 and the right of making available.28 Each of them is subject to certain limitations. The term of protection is at least fifty years.29 As with the WCT, the WPPT obliges Contracting Parties to provide legal remedies against the circumvention of technological measures used by performers or phonogram producers in connection with the exercise of their rights and against the removal or altering of information.30 Contracting Parties must also ensure that enforcement procedures are available under their law. World Intellectual Property Organisation: Other Relevant Activities Development of International Intellectual Property : International Policy Formulation WIPO plays a key role in relation to the progressive development and application of international norms and standards. Through its various Standing Committees and Advisory Groups, WIPO helps to guide and generate international intellectual property policy in response to technological change and new areas of interest and concern. These discussions may either lead to the creation of new international agreements or to recording of best-practices or recommendations. For example, as a complement to the ‘Internet treaties’, work is continuing in WIPO on adoption of a treaty protecting performers against the unauthorised use of their performances in audio-visual media. The discussions being conducted under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (“the IGCTKF”) are of particular interest from the point of view of cultural industries. The IGCTKF was established in 2000 and mandated to discuss: intellectual property issues in the context of access to genetic resources and benefit sharing; intellectual property issues in the context of protection of traditional knowledge, whether or not associated with those resources; and intellectual property issues in the context of protection of expressions of folklore. The final session of the IGCTKF was scheduled for June 2003 but the mandate

24 Article 5 25 Article11 26 Article 12 27 Article 13 28 Article 14 29 Article 17 30 Article 18

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has been extended since Member States have been unable to reach consensus on many of the matters under discussion or to recommend concrete action to be taken. In terms of traditional knowledge, work within the IGCTKF has dealt with compilation, comparison and assessment of information on the availability and scope of intellectual property protection for traditional knowledge; consideration of the effective integration of traditional knowledge documentation into searchable prior art; and, preparation of a document with elements for a possible sui generis system for the protection of traditional knowledge. In terms of folklore, work has been done on collection and analysis of national experiences in the legal protection of folklore. Work in the IGCTKF also takes into account work undertaken by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. The area of traditional knowledge and folklore is a clear instance where the international intellectual property regime has failed to provide adequate protection to right holders. It is also an area that is intimately connected to the field of culture. The results of the deliberations within the IGCTKF could potentially provide further support to cultural industries by helping to ensure effective protection of folklore and traditional knowledge. The IGCTKF is thus an important forum for Barbados to participate in and seek to influence. WIPO has also expressed support for and contributed to the development of the new International Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, as it provided for the types of documentation systems, registers and management structures which would make it possible to accord/initiate legal protection of intangible heritage as recognized or registered by each Member State. Small and Medium Size Enterprises (“SMEs”) Division In recognition of the significant role played by SMEs in national economies, WIPO has launched a new programme that reinforces co-operation with governments in developing policies and strategies that meet the intellectual property needs of SMEs. The programme seeks to help SMEs take full advantage of the intellectual property system so that they can fully exploit their innovative and creative capacity. This programme could be utilised to help develop and promote the necessary business environment needed to support a thriving cultural industry. The process, however, is a demand-driven one i.e. Barbados needs to make a specific request or proposal to the WIPO Secretariat on the matter.

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E-commerce Division WIPO has devised a comprehensive work programme, known as ‘the Digital Agenda’, which seeks to respond to the integration of the Internet, digital technologies and the intellectual property system. WIPO’s Digital Agenda also focuses on adjusting the application of intellectual property law in Internet transactions and the emergence of new norms in this respect. Dispute resolution and the need for effective online systems to resolve disputes is a key element of this process.31 Through its various international discussions and negotiations, WIPO hopes to formulate appropriate policies that will encourage dissemination and use of intellectual property such as music, films, trade identifiers and knowledge on the Internet, as well as ensure protection of the rights of their creators and owners. For example, the WIPO Secretariat was recently exploring with Jamaican radio stations the possibility of exploiting existing markets within the Americas for Jamaican radio over the Internet. A very interesting initiative currently under active consideration within WIPO is the so-called ‘Museum Project’. The basic purpose behind the project is to help developing countries exploit their cultural heritage through digital technology.32 The project is still in the beginning stages and the WIPO Secretariat is looking to Member States to drive the process in terms of articulating their specific national interests so that programmes can be tailor-made to suit these needs. It is also worth noting that the WIPO Director General, Dr. Kamil Idris, identified the Museum Project as one of the issues for action at the upcoming WIPO CARICOM Intellectual Property Ministerial Meeting to be held in Antigua & Barbuda in November this year.33 This is yet another WIPO initiative that Barbados could usefully exploit in seeking to establish a cultural industry and lend support to stakeholders within the culture sector. Required Action: In light of the above discussions, there are a number of areas where concrete action is necessary both at the national and international levels:

31 In recent years, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre has become the leading dispute resolution service provider in relation to “cybersquatting”. 32 For example, through the display of museum works on the Internet for world-wide display, subject to payment of a fee. 33 Discussion between Director General Idris and CARICOM Trade Ministers Delegation (led by the Honourable Billie Miller, MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade) on September 30, 2002. Director General Idris also identified the issue of SMEs as yet another issue to be dealt with.

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Research, Analysis and Needs Identification The intellectual property agenda is constantly expanding and changing in response to changes within the international community, particularly information technology and telecommunications. It is important that Barbados analyzes existing and future trends and use this work to identify future needs, priorities and areas for action. An intimate understanding of the nature of Barbados’ culture and cultural products and services is an important first step in this regard. This can also assist with national policy formulation and Barbados’ interactions with international organisations. Policy Formulation and Co-ordination Since intellectual property is itself a cross-cutting issue, intellectual property policy formulation demands an integrated approach. At the outset, the importance of the intellectual property regimes to the exploitation of cultural products and services as an industry of commerce must be understood to be indispensable. Society’s grant of the limited right to monopoly in indigenous innovative creations is the only way to provide adequate incentive to the creators of cultural works to make their inventions the engine of an entrepreneurial spirit. As mentioned previously, work on culture needs to be integrated within the wider national policy on intellectual property. However, even when speaking of culture alone, it is critical that there be wide-spread and intensive consultation with all stake-holders, traditional and non-traditional (e.g. artists, broadcasters, businesses dealing with cultural products and services, information and communication technology companies and members of the public). This will no doubt call for adaptation of existing consultative processes to make them as broad based as possible in order to capitalize on Barbados’ limited human resources and ensure that its positions are fully informed. There is also a need for greater inter-Ministry co-ordination, bearing in mind that intellectual property matters are dealt with under the auspices of the Ministry of Economic Development, but other Ministries will still have significant inputs to make in their respective areas of specialization. This co-ordination must be followed through from the local to the international level in order to ensure that Barbados’ policies and positions in the various multilateral fora are consistent and mutually supportive. Public education Increased public involvement and understanding of the importance of intellectual property protection and the role intellectual property can play in national development, including culture, is critical. However, it is also important that the main stake-holders viz., the artists and other performers

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demonstrate sensitivity towards the public interest in access to information at an affordable cost. Artists and performers can also benefit from education regarding new opportunities and developments within the area of intellectual property and information technology. Marketing An essential corollary to the education drive will be the provision of an adequate infrastructure for the exploitation of cultural products/services through implementation of aggressive marketing strategies. Both the domestic and international markets must be sensitized to the availability of the product/services for consumption. It will therefore be necessary for government to enter effective partnerships with the stakeholders in the private sector and civil society so that a broad coalition of partners can formulate an effective marketing strategy aimed at optimizing the market potential of each sub-category of goods/services. There are a number of existing marketing strategies that Barbados can use as a model for its comprehensive cultural product. A pertinent example will be to examine how Washington DC is marketing itself as a cultural hub within the USA. The Barbadian cultural product can be given a single name and then marketed via the following:

a. The Internet b. Cable TV c. Print media d. Radio e. International magazines f. CD-ROMS g. DVDs

It will be important to market the cultural product as single comprehensive product with all its components. Enhanced Participation in Geneva Having established informed policies and identified national needs and interests, this information must be communicated to Missions in a timely manner. This will lead to enhanced and more effective participation within international organizations such as WIPO, as Missions are better placed to articulate Barbados’ specific perspectives on issues under consideration and contribute to the generation of an international consensus that reflects these interests.

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Other than participation in international discussions and negotiations, Barbados must play a much more active role in taking advantage of the many opportunities within WIPO for technical assistance and project development. The Museum Project and the SME’s programme are just two examples where greater engagement of the WIPO Secretariat could have real benefits for the country generally, and the development of cultural industries in particular. Unless Barbados articulates its needs and make requests of the Secretariat, WIPO cannot provide the assistance desired.

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PART 7 APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

The Task Force agreed upon utilisation of the UNESCO definition of “Cultural Industries” for the purpose of its examinations and report. It also reviewed an extensive collection of information from other countries on models and best practices in relation to the development of cultural industries. These models included a review of information from the following countries; Jamaica, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Task Force also developed a work plan aimed at ensuring a timely and effective completion of its mandate and the final submission of its report. To accomplish this, the Task Force solicited from its members, position papers on the several areas of the cultural industries and obtained from other persons and institutions within the Culture Sector reports on their respective area of expertise. The decision was taken by the Task Force not to conduct Town Hall Meetings as it was felt that the contributions made by the several entities listed below at the Forum on Culture were representative of a significant section of the artistic community and would be integrated within the body of any cultural industries policy. In any event, it was noted that the wider public would be given the opportunity to comment on and participate in the work of the Task Force at the time of conducting the survey and the presentation of the findings of the Survey Company. The Task Force also conducted a series of focus group discussions with the purpose of gathering information on the industry, its prospects, capital structure, interactions with other social and economic sectors, the strengths and weaknesses of the industry and views and recommendations for value enhancement and promotion of the industry. The Task Force was also represented at the Congaline Music Symposium held in April 2003 and at the Consultation of the Visual Artists convened by the National Art Gallery Committee in July 2003. The following are the results of an informal survey conducted by the National Cultural Foundation earlier this year.

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Informal Survey of $ Value of Cultural Industries in Barbados (This survey relates to Arts & Entertainment and all the ancillary entities associated with each cultural discipline) Headings: Per Year Number of People Involved Discipline Turnover Fulltime Part-time Hobbyists Literary Arts $6,330,000 50 180 200 Dance $3,500,000 50 125 ` 100 Visual Arts $9,000,000 70 200 250 Theatre Arts $3,000,000 30 100 100 Music $11,000,000 100 250 500 Video/Commercials $ 6,000,000 60 50 20 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUB-TOTAL $37,000,000 270 905 1270 FESTIVALS: Economic Impact $60,000,000 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL TURNOVER $97,000,000 PER ANNUM EMPLOYMENT: 2445 persons full-time and part-time. These Informal Survey figures above are an estimate of ALL turnover $ involved in a particular artistic discipline. For example, the estimated turnover in the Visual Arts will cover not only the sales of original paintings by the artists, but sales of prints, the cost of framing and the fees of people who do the framing, the costs of mounting board, the galleries, the sale of canvas and paints. Visual Arts also includes photography. These figures come from interviews with those who coordinate some of these activities and who have the experience and expertise to provide a ‘bird’s eye’ view of all the activities in their discipline. Preparation of the Questionnaire Members of the Task Force as well as other industry practitioners were requested and agreed to prepare papers on the areas of their specific expertise as an initial step towards an assessment and understanding of the industry. In this manner, the Task Force sought to draw on the respective expertise for the purposes of carrying out the cultural mapping of the sector. The Task Force also held several discussions with certain interest groups within the cultural sector in order to ascertain not only what was the present status of cultural industries but also to determine what action was needed for

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cultural industries to develop as a viable and sustaining sector. These discussions included discussions with officials of UNESCO, the National Cultural Foundation, the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, the University of the West Indies, the National Art Gallery Committee, Theatre Producers, Dancers, Musicians, Artists, members of the Private Sector, Government Officers and other individuals involved in the arena of culture and the arts. These discussions together with the several policy papers prepared by the contributors, constituted the major sources of information for the Task Force, and represent the basis of its Report and the constituents of the questionnaire devised and constructed by the Task Force. This questionnaire, which is set out in the attached Appendices, will hopefully inform the survey instrument to be created by the survey company. It seeks to gather the following information:

an overview of the industry and the economic trends that affect the industry; the prospect of the industry and its development; its capital structure and access to finance; its interactions as an industry with other social, economic and cultural sectors; its strengths and weaknesses, with a comparison of the industry to that of its regional

competitors; the interaction between the industry and the overall regulatory framework in Barbados, which

may include the legal environment, existing public policies, the role of academic or educational institutions, and social and cultural infrastructure;

the views and recommendations of those interviewed with a view to determining any value enhancement and promotion of the industry.

It is anticipated that the findings arrived at from the conducting of the survey will assist Government in carrying out its cultural mapping of the cultural industries so as to substantiate any recommendations made by the Task Force in this Report. Further Action to be Taken The Task Force recommends that the survey be carried out as a matter of urgency in order that supporting data can be collected so as to complete the investigations and recommendations of the Task Force. The Task Force has identified a possible time frame of sixty (60) days from the date of submission of the final report as the time within which the survey should be commenced. To date, the Task Force has invited a number of survey companies to participate in the process and has received from and interviewed five (5) such companies. The respective proposals have been reviewed by the

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Task Force and a recommendation has been submitted to the Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. The Task Force also recommends that a public relations programme outlining Government’s intention to conduct the survey and requesting the participation of all entities and individuals within the cultural sector in the process be instituted making use of the following methods:

- the posting of information on the GIS the website - the use of television informercials utilising the characters “Giggard and Boo”. - The mailing of information directly to the artists utilising the National Cultural

Foundation (NCF) mailing lists - The mailing of the information directly to targeted agencies - The utilization of governmental offices, including the NCF and the Prime Minister’s

Office, as drop-off points for the survey - The use of radio and newspaper advertisements

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PART 8

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT Introduction The development of commercial viable software is an attractive industry for small island states such as Barbados, since its major investment is one of human as opposed to financial resources. Barbados maintains a First-World standard literacy rate, based on a consistent legislative policy of providing full and free access to education from primary through to tertiary level to all Barbadians. The widespread availability of technical education at such institutions as the Barbados Community College, The Samuel Jackman Polytechnic and a large number of private colleges has produced a significant number of young persons trained in a variety of software development tools such as HTML, Visual Basic and other tools. Indeed, the strong stance taken by Government in the form of EDUTECH has propelled the introduction of computer technology throughout the school system. This in turn has fuelled an upsurge in the interest of computer technology and its use in building sustainable careers in this field. Technology Software development requires a strong technological base in order to produce persons with the technical expertise to construct and maintain competitive, commercial software products. Modern applications use a variety of software development tools to produce viable products. These tools include:

Hyper Markup Text Language (HTML) editors such as Frontpage for use in the development of websites;

Relational Databases such as Structured Query Language (SQL) used for producing commercial database applications;

Programming languages such as Visual Basic, C++ and Operating systems such as Windows 2000.

These tools are all widely available in Barbados. And what is more, training in the use of these tools is also widely available. The falling prices of powerful computers have made the critical hardware development platform very accessible to most Barbadians. The availability of computers at hire purchase retail stores has significantly increased their mass appeal and opened “at home software development” to a broad mass of Barbadian households. Relatively inexpensive access to the Internet has provided another avenue to purchase cheap hardware but just as important, it has provided easy access to many of the

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development tools mentioned above. These software tools, coupled with access to powerful hardware and an abundance of technically trained young persons form an ideal environment from which a viable software industry can be developed. What is required is a framework in which these complementary elements can be combined, nurtured and directed in an entrepreneurial manner. These trained young persons must be encouraged to use their skills and the easily accessible tools, to fill the need in the market for, in the first instance, Caribbean-specific software and ultimately broad-based, internationally attractive software products. Policy Framework In order to drive this process forward, a number of policies should be in place. 1. We must promote the entrepreneurial use of skills starting in the school system. This will

require a re-look at the traditional methods of teaching and evaluation. Business and entrepreneurship must be re-positioned as core subjects in the school curriculum to encourage those students with the appropriate aptitude to use their technical skills as a sustainable career.

2. There must be a fiscal policy adopted which recognizes the need to nurture these businesses through the early developmental stage.

3. We must provide on-going education in marketing as well as technical training to sustain the

growth in the industry. Fiscal Framework While the financial resources required to produce high quality, competitive software are not very high, there still is a critical need to make funds available to those entrepreneurs who wish to make their products commercially available. In today’s marketplace, product visibility, packaging, documentation and other marketing tools require some level of initial financial investment. The cost of CDs for distribution, packaging costs to house the product, printing costs for documentation and promotional material, all add up to the need to put measures in place that allow software developers access to funding to start their businesses. It may take several months to produce a commercially viable piece of software (typically, even a “small” application such as a website may take man-months to develop). A small developer has to make at least the following investment:

A computer system including printer; The appropriate development tool; CDs for product distribution;

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Box design; Packaging materials; Printing materials.

These investments can take several months before they provide any return on the investment. Commercial loans must take this into account. Banks, Cooperatives and more particularly Venture Capital enterprises need to re-assess their support of these fledgling businesses. These financial institutions must provide sufficient incentives to attract and encourage talented young persons to get involved in this industry. These incentives include:

The availability of low interest loans from lending institutions; Innovative loan structure that provides grace periods before re-payment; Venture capital partnerships.

Technical Framework The demands of the market must drive the development of the software. There is a void of Caribbean focused software in many areas of business in the region. For example, in the areas of:

Human Resources management; Payroll processing; Tax processing; Social security; Games (huge market for regional sports like computer cricket)

Currently, most regional companies use international products that are poorly suited to our particular demands or have to be modified at great costs. Database skills are paramount in this area of development. The emergence of powerful PC-based database creation and manipulation tools such as Oracle, SQL and Visual Basic has made the production of robust, commercial software a reality for many “one-shop” programmers. Website creation and maintenance have emerged as the fastest growing area of development for small software developers. As more and more businesses (large and small) take advantage of the worldwide audience available on the Internet, the need for website developers has suddenly mushroomed. FrontPage and other HTML-editors have allowed rapid creation of sophisticated websites with all the bells and whistled of the very best available on the Internet.

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“Cottage-industry” computer technology also represents a growing segment of the market. This segment includes production of wedding, funeral and occasions printed materials, sign printing and PC/network maintenance. Marketing Strategies As competition intensifies and the number of good commercial products in the marketplace increases, the use of sound marketing strategies often makes the difference between success and failure. Products must first seek to fill a perceived niche in the market. As mentioned above, much of the commercial software (including gaming software) is aimed at an international audience and is not customized for the Caribbean region. For example within the Caribbean we have a unique taxing regime and payroll deductibles. Yet we often use international software products with widely varying applicability to our region. It would be interesting to gauge the appeal of a cricket software game with Sir Garfield Sobers, Brian Lara, Sir Vivian Richards and other West Indian cricket legends as the main characters. Once the niche is identified and the product directed to that niche, traditional and non-traditional marketing strategies must be employed to propel the product and its advantages into the mind of the prospective customers:

Attractive packaging; Display and demonstrations at trade shows; Availability of promotional materials such as flyers; Product demonstrations to individuals and businesses; Advertising.

Young entrepreneurs need to be exposed to these marketing concepts in order to produce a high quality product that can compete with the international brands. Training/Skills Acquisition Strategy On-going education and training in technical as well as soft skills must keep up with the rapidly changing face of the computer industry. Only five (5) years ago, DOS-based applications were quite common – now they are all but obsolete. We no longer programme using COBOL and Progress – now we use SQL and Visual Basic. Applications must now be open, client-server based and relational. To maintain competitive, there needs to be a mindset of continuous training.

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New skills must be learnt and exposure to emerging technologies must become a way of life for the software developer. A key source of information about new technology is the computer magazine. These magazines should be available at affordable prices across the country to promote exposure to new platforms and ideas. Barbados has the potential to create a vibrant software development industry through the harnessing of its inherent information technology infrastructure – technically trained people and widely available computer technology. We must however provide these persons with the necessary fiscal and legislative incentives to promote entrepreneurial growth in this sector. The general public must of course be made aware of these opportunities through a strong public awareness programme targeted at the young, enthusiastic computer users. Single-man programming shops are an integral part of the overall software development industry. Many small software products are simply not cost effective for large organizations to produce and custom written software for the Caribbean is rare. In both these cases, a single programmer can effectively and profitably produce a commercially competitive product that can be made into a sustainable foundation for a successful long-tem business.

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PERFORMING ARTS Music The music industry, in particular, has demonstrated that there is potential for export and the development of markets in the Caribbean and niche markets in North America and Europe. That development has in turn fueled the expansion of related facets of the music industry, such as continuing improvement of our recording studios, the establishment of a compact disc plant to serve the Caribbean, as well as the establishment of efficient distribution, retailing and marketing facilities. Because there are seldom enough funds for proper promotion of the product, the musician is, in many cases, left at the mercy of the disc jockeys who today control the airwaves in this region. The music industry in Barbados needs to recognise the importance of marketing, distribution and retailing, as well as the management of the intellectual property rights arising from the creation of its unique cultural products. Barbadian booking agents and tour managers must work towards the development of a well organized Caribbean circuit, moving groups from all the islands across the region in a coordinated manner that will allow them to increase their earning capacity, as well as extend the popularity and life of their products. There exists difficulty in obtaining adequate data about the music industry in that the statistical data made available by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the International Federation of Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and other organisations is not compiled using the same criteria. For example, the IFPI does not include data on video products in its information, while the RIAA reports on compact discs, cassettes, music videos and digital video discs. The Task Force is of the opinion that the available data can however be used to extrapolate relevant information about the music industry and its economic potential to inform any policy on cultural industries to be formulated by Government. On a global scale, as far back as 1992, the world retail sales of records was US$28,705 million (Report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission: The Supply of Recorded Music 1994). In 1998, UNESCO’s World Culture Report indicated that 1995 world sales of recorded music were US$39,689.4 million. The International Federation of Phonographic Industry reports indicate that the global music market was worth US$38.5 Billion in 1999. The RIAA reports that sales in Latin Music were valued at US$490,602 million in 1997, US$570,849 million in 1998, US$626,687 million in 1999 and US$608,522 million in 2000. The RIAA also reports that music industry sales in the United States based on manufacturers’ unit shipments were valued at US$12,533.8 billion in 1996, US$12,236.8 billion in 1997, US$13,723.5 billion in 1998, US$14,584.5 billion in 1999 and US$14,323.0 billion in 2000.

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It is this quantitative analysis, which has to be undertaken if Barbados is to attain the level of efficiency that will facilitate its entry into the global music market. Music, like other forms of capital, is affected by technological change in the means and process of production, distribution and consumption. It is notable that even within Barbados there are still problems with the classification of music that is created and produced in the Barbados, especially in those instances where although produced by Barbadian musicians, the records or compact discs are manufactured outside of the region. The problem relates to the reluctance to recognise the work as Barbadian despite the fact that the most significant input in these products, namely, the intellectual property component, is Barbadian in content. Although it is not to be expected that governments will finance the development of these areas, it is imperative that governmental policy does not frustrate this economic activity. Any governmental policy must recognise the need to provide the type of enabling environment that will facilitate entrepreneurial ventures that will serve to stimulate economic activities within the area of music. More importantly, Barbadian entrepreneurs must be aware of the opportunities for investment that are available for building a viable music industry in Barbados and by extension, the Caribbean. With the demise of West Indies Records limited (WIRL) in Barbados in 1992, the local record industry lost a key investor. It has since been plagued by an ongoing paucity of investment and management expertise. Unfortunately, the demise of the aforementioned company also saw the wholesale transfer of intellectual property rights to a company in Miami, and the loss of key contacts in the network of music business executives that should have been developed over many years of pressing and distributing records around the Caribbean for the major labels. It is ironic that this process of withdrawal took place at a time when Barbadian musicians were growing in competence, confidence and more importantly gaining acceptance locally and regionally. It is therefore within this context, that entrepreneurs must seek to play a pivotal role in the effective economic exploitation of the cultural resources of the region. The region and the area of the Americas will provide the critical mass to ensure appreciable levels of productivity and profit. The following are some of the incentives identified in the area of music, which must be implemented if cultural industries are to prove as productive an aspect of the economy as they have become in other countries:

1. There must be the removal of all duties and taxes (VAT) on all items used by bona fide musicians and other cultural practitioners. This means all musical instruments & related sound and production equipment, stage production equipment, lighting equipment, recording studios and equipment and rehearsal studios.

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2. Items that are classified as “local” that have to be manufactured overseas must also be included, e.g. CD’s. A classification of what constitutes “local” should be determined by an Advisory Committee which would be set up for that purpose.

3. All exports (temporary or permanent) should be classified as locally manufactured goods and receive the same exemptions from all Port Authority charges and levies. This should also apply to Service Providers.

4. Temporary exports, when being returned to the Island, should be exempted from any Port Charges or Customs Duties.

One of the obvious problems with the wide area of the above suggestions and categories is that they do not all have their own Customs’ Classification. Therefore, it may be difficult for these proposals to be implemented generally without opening the benefits to the general public. In order to facilitate the foregoing recommendations, it is imperative that the following be implemented:

1. An agency, manned by persons knowledgeable of the industry, should be set up to monitor and regulate this aspect of the recommendation. The agency should not be structured as a department of government but rather as an independent body aimed at realizing benefits from the implementation of cultural policy.

2. All practitioners and companies desiring to benefit from the incentives would be required to become registered with this agency. All requests for the items that have general classifications will have to be approved. This would be analogous to the concession granted to taxi operators.

3. The agency must be efficient. For example, although there is in existence at present a facility whereby a practitioner is eligible for an exemption in respect of recording studios, this exemption is not frequently accessed due to the time it takes to obtain approval.

Issues and Recommendations Issues

1. There is a need for a holistic approach to addressing music issues, including issues such as Copyright, Piracy and access to local airplay;

2. Lack of creativity, originality, novelty in musical products; 3. Over reliance on Government support and protection of the music industry; 4. Apathy by the radio stations about effective and systematic logging of music to enhance the

benefits that can redound to the local musicians; 5. Need to educate and empower the musicians about all aspects of the music industry and how it

can enhance their own development

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Recommendations 1. Address the duties imposed on music CD’s to bolster sales and capitalise on concessions. 2. Enhance National Cultural Foundation’s Business Development Department to nurture the

areas of Artists’ Development and Management. 3. Work with the owners of radio stations to ensure that more radio stations play more local

music. Dance Barbados has over the last fifty years witnessed a phenomenal growth in dance and dance related activities. The traditional ballet schools have given way to the establishment of many contemporary dance companies, street jazz dance groups, tap, Caribbean Folk and Afro-Caribbean dance groups and companies, community cultural groups and Ball Room groups and associations. There are schools dedicated to the teaching of all forms of dance throughout the island with articulated syllabuses and examinations in very much the same way that the secondary school system operates. In addition, there are several community-based dance programmes, which offer dance tuition and education as part of a wider need to educate young persons in the society as to the entrepreneurial skills and capabilities necessary to effectively cope in a diverse and complicated environment. These programmes are delivered both within and without the established school system and curriculum. Training In order to provide the environment required for this growth to continue, the Barbados Community College established the Associate Degree in Dance Performance, in anticipation of the Caribbean Examinations Council’s (CXC) implementation of its Dance Drama and Technical Theatre Arts Certificate, which was to be offered at the level of General Proficiency within the Caribbean area. Additionally, the University of the West Indies started discussions on the offering of a performing arts programme as a central plank of the cultural programming to be offered by the Creative Arts Centre, which is to be sited at the Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. Weaknesses Although there has been a greater awareness of dance as an employment opportunity by many of our young people, dance in Barbados continues to be plagued by a number of problems many of which have only served to contribute to the lack of further development of dance activity within the country. There has been an overall decline in the technical competence of many of the groups performing,

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perhaps the result of not being able to afford the cost of engaging trained and experienced dance instructors. In addition to the foregoing, there has been a failure by dance groups and organizations to provide the opportunities for young dancers to interact with and be exposed to accomplished Barbadian dancers from abroad who possess the professional international experience to move them from dancing as a pastime to dancing as a legitimate career choice. But what has contributed more than anything else to the inability of dancers in Barbados to develop beyond the parochial level is the availability of work in the hotel circuit for dancers irrespective of their level of dance training and technical competence. The result of these deficiencies is the proliferation of dance groups, the majority of which operate only at the community level. It is therefore important that an environment which encourages and sustains the commercial viability of dance as a part of the cultural industry be nurtured and a framework implemented to facilitate the movement forward of dance as a viable career choice for our young people. Methodology It is anticipated that the establishment of a national dance school will provide the mechanism by which dancers can achieve some degree of economic self-sufficiency as part of a viable cultural industry. The element of dance is a fundamental part of any tourism product offering, be it in the area of cultural or heritage tourism. There is therefore a need for research to be conducted into indigenous and traditional dance forms which can be choreographed, printed and disseminated as a creative and educational tool to enhance the tourist product and local cultural and artistic expressions within the region and abroad. Required Action In order for commercial exploitation of this discipline to occur a number of things have to be addressed by Government:

1. properly equipped dance studios and performance spaces where dance companies and groups can rehearse must be created;

2. choreographers must be trained and must be qualified to research and develop choreographic works to be mounted on groups not only in Barbados but throughout the region and internationally;

3. more training and tuition in all aspects of dance, its many styles and techniques must be invested in so that an idiosyncratically Barbadian dance vocabulary can be developed;

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4. proper documentation and archival records must be put in place to ensure consistent development, growth and retention of local and traditional dance forms;

5. more opportunities must be provided for dancers to perform and use their skills locally and internationally;

6. there must be more interaction with dancers from the region and internationally through the staging of dance festivals and workshops.

7. there must be the establishment of a National School of Dance as part of a National Performing Arts Company.

Work Plan In order for dance to move from the community level to the national and international levels the problem has to be addressed under the following heads:

Performance Choreography and intellectual property rights Training and Teaching Research and record keeping systems

Performance It is submitted that all dance performances contain some element of commerce. Indeed, any capacity in which dancers are utilized as performers provides a source for them to acquire income. Within Barbados, this opportunity is provided through cultural events within the hotel circuit at the many hotel and cabaret shows that are offered throughout the year as part of the tourism product. There are dance performances at the Plantation Garden Theatre, Sam Lord’s Castle, Glitter Bay Hotel, Royal Pavilion Hotel, Sandy Lane Hotel, Mango Bay Hotel and Beach Club, Crystal Cove Hotel, Escape Hotel, Divi South Winds Hotel and Beach Club, Colony Club Hotel, Southern Palms Beach Club Coconut Court Beach Apartments, Savannah Hotel, Casuarina Beach Club, Turtle Beach Resort. Choreography It is also necessary to consider the manner in which dance as a creative and artistic process can be utilized to ensure profitable enterprise. In addition to the actual opportunity to perform offered by the hotels, there is also income which can be derived from the protection afforded to dancers under the Copyright Act, No. 4 of 1998 of the Laws of Barbados in the form of performers’ rights. Copyright (property right) subsists in original literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works; sound recordings, films, broadcasts or cable programmes. This Act gives to artists amongst which dancers are numbered the

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exclusive right to prevent any person, from exploiting their performance without their consent. This right is independent of any copyright in any work used or performed and confers on the performer the right to a payment of royalty at the prescribed rate whenever the whole or any substantial part of a qualifying performance is recorded or alternatively, broadcast live. Additionally, when the choreographic work is reduced to a permanent form, it is eligible for copyright protection. By virtue and subject to the provision of the Act, the owner of the copyright in a work has the exclusive right to do or to authorize other persons to do any of the following acts in Barbados:

1. to copy the work; 2. to issue copies of the work to the public; 3. to perform the work in public or, in the case of a film, broadcast or cable programme, to

play or show the work in public; 4. to broadcast the work or include it in a cable programme service, or 5. to make an adaptation of the work and, in relation to such adaptation, to do any or all of the

foregoing acts. What this means is that the economic benefits to be derived from the protection afforded by Copyright legislation can be exploited by the owner exclusively and all royalties, sums and amounts received as a result of the commercial exploitation of the property by the owner accrues to the owner. This commercial exploitation may take the form of licences granted to persons to mount and reproduce choreographic works which are within s dance’s company’s repertoire; the commissioning of choreographic works for fees in much the same way that visual artists now function; the assignment of choreographic works as well as the revenue derived from the use of dance and movement in videos and films and performances in the area of dancercise, dance instruction and demonstration manuals and publications together with any dance examination material prepared in respect of any choreographic work. Training and Teaching In Barbados as of February 2003, there were in existence well over thirty-five (35) dance associations, community dance groups and dance schools registered with the National Cultural Foundation. In addition to the above, there were thirty-four (34) community centres throughout the island and approximately two hundred and sixty-seven (267) registered community groups. Informal investigations reveal that there are approximately three thousand (3000) students registered in dance schools in the island and based on student enrolment and average classes taken over a three (3) term period, it is

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possible for dance schools to realize from the teaching of dance gross revenue of $2,250,000.00 over a period of thirty (30) weeks. But in addition to the foregoing, there are substantial amounts of revenue which can be derived by dance schools from preparing students for examinations and from merchandising of locally made and branded dance gear in the form of leotards, tights, bandeaux, dance shoes, jazz shoes, tap shoes, ballet slippers, dance-underwear as well as dance bags. It is recommended that dance tutors be engaged to teach and train dancers within community and school groups. Our investigations have revealed that there are at present two hundred and sixty-seven (267) community groups registered with the Community Development Department with thirty- four (34) community centres in the island. It is therefore not impossible for a vibrant and viable national training programme to be created in this area of the Performing Arts. Ball Room and Latin dance today in Barbados the fastest growing form of dance expression. There are approximately twenty (20) such dance groups, which meet and perform at their respective schools’ functions and graduations. These groups operate as community groups, delivering their dance technique and training within a social setting and depending heavily on the interaction and competition amongst each other. These forms of dance present avenues for exposure and opportunity at an international level as within the United States of America, Latin America and Europe there are many opportunities for participation in competitions. Ballroom and Latin Dance schools are also very popular with children, adults and senior citizens. Research and Record Keeping Systems Income can also be earned from the carrying out of research and publication in dance forms, techniques and indigenous and traditional dance expressions. In the area of heritage studies and tourism, there is a real need for persons trained in dance to research and analyze the artistic expressions of the people of the region over the years of our residence in the New World. Cultural linkages to societies of Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas should be explored and a process of documenting and preserving these forms should be implemented. In addition, there is a need for persons trained in choreography and archival techniques to ensure that our dance works are studied, applied and preserved. Dancers can also derive income from the conducting of workshops, seminars and training courses for dancers, dance instructors, dance associations and cultural organisations at the national, regional and international levels. Income

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generated from choreographies commissioned and licence agreements executed for the use of choreographic work. are some of the areas where growth and development are possible within this area of the cultural industries. Policy Framework In order for development to be achieved in all aspects of dance as a performing art, Government has to commit itself to ensuring that the requisite environment exists which will allow the level of dance technique to be improved and create the opportunity available for dancers to make a living out of their craft. There is an urgent need for the establishment of a national performing arts company with dancers operating at the level of professionals. There is a need for scholarships to be granted to dancers and choreographers to study and research varying dance forms, styles as well as indigenous and traditional dances so that a repertoire of dances peculiar to Barbados and its people can be created. An Endowment Fund for the arts must be established as a priority in order to allow for the funding of choreographic work and research, the awarding of scholarships and the equipping of dance areas within the many schools and community centres. There must also be more community programmes for dance and the performing arts. There is a need for the establishment of a formal and sustained dance programme within the schools, beginning at the primary level and going as far as the University of the West Indies. More performing and rehearsal spaces are required and a greater degree of interaction between local and oversees dancers has to occur. Fiscal incentives must be given for persons operating dance schools and working in the area of dancercise and dance education. Issues:

1. Lack of properly equipped dance studios and performance spaces in schools and communities 2. Lack of Choreographers 3. Lack of varied dance vocabulary 4. Lack of comprehensive training in dance techniques 5. Lack of opportunities for locals to see professional dance companies producing culturally

significant work through the media (e.g.CBC TV) 6. Lack of regional exchanges among groups and companies 7. Lack of education on the various indigenous dances of Barbados and the Caribbean 8. Lack of documentation on Dance 9. Lack of collaboration among local dance groups/companies

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10. Lack of opportunities for dancers of excellence or dance professionals to use their skills locally for their professional development

Recommendations

1. Strengthen linkages between Dance and the other Performing Arts. 2. Research and Documentation (written and visual) on the history of authentic and indigenous

dances. 3. The establishment of the National School of Dance as a precursor to the establishment of the

National Performing Arts School. Theatre Arts Festivals and theatre groups have been the most significant contributors to the development of the theatre arts in Barbados over the last thirty (30) years. The following are some of the groups which have played a significant role in this regard:

Barbados Writers’ Workshop St. John’s Cultural Group Yoruba Yard The Esso Arts Festival Schools’ Drama Festival Green Room Players WWB Productions Stage One Theatre Productions Country Theatre Workshop

In recent years, there has been a dearth of serious local theatre within Barbados. The result has been a gradual decline in the quality of theatre which is offered to the public. It is the Task Force’s opinion that there is a need for those persons involved at the level of actor, director and producer to be properly trained and therefore, it is imperative that incentives, financial and otherwise, be made available to individuals and groups within this arena so that the current decline can be arrested. Too many cultural groups have ceased to operate principally as a result of a lack of funds and support. The following are some of the initiatives which the Task Force has identified must be implemented if this area of the arts is to thrive:

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There is a need for proper training within the schools, communities and theatre associations. This can be effected through the conducting of drama classes, workshops, drama festivals and readings.

Scholarships to deserving individuals must also be a priority of Government. Those persons qualified and capable of teaching informally within this area of the arts must be encouraged to give of their time to community groups and schools for the preparation of dramatic presentations throughout the entire society so that an educated and sophisticated audience can be developed..

Workshops must be ongoing and properly structured for the following: writers directors actors producing for theatre technical theatre (sound and lighting) stage make-up (which is very different from make-up for television news and beauty

shows) should be resurrected The following initiatives also need to be implemented:

The Empire Theatre must be brought back into use as a space for performances and rehearsal. The Frank Collymore Hall must be priced affordably to allow all theatre groups and individuals

access. The Daphne Joseph Hackett Theatre and the Steel Shed must be equipped for theatre (drama

and dance) purposes and storage so that the weekend productions can find storage for their equipment and props during the week, which would allow groups or individuals to utilize the space for other cultural activities such as dramaturgy and poetry readings.

Schools’ auditoria need to be upgraded for use as performing and rehearsal spaces. Warehouses must be utilised for storage as well as for use for technical workshops, rehearsal

spaces and performance spaces as well. The Green Room Theatre’s property at # 8, 13th Avenue Belleville, should be utilised as a

space for the creation of a small intimate theatre. In order to keep the performing arts alive it is suggested that:

The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) should be provided with a Development Grant for the Arts. Every year cultural groups and associations as well as individual cultural workers

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would present proposals seeking funding. The agency managing the grant would consider the proposals and in its wisdom and in accord with its budget give grants to those it considered deserving.

Reduction in or waiver of costs in respect of use of rehearsal or performance spaces. A present disincentive to groups in theatre is the tax situation. Theatre groups or companies should be exempted from the payment of VAT. A more nurturing official atmosphere would go a long way towards ensuring the continued life of these groups and making the persons involved believe that their contribution is appreciated. In such an environment theatre would blossom and be free to do its job of unmasking the society and providing the mirrors it needs to reflect itself. In lieu of VAT as it now applies – a 5% entertainment tax should be charged on tickets sold, this should be paid at the end of the show (deadline of maybe within one (1) week of the end of performance(s))

Equipment - groups and organizations should be assisted in purchasing equipment (sound and lighting)

Grants should be disbursed through the NCF to groups/organizations with proof of their need of financial assistance

Loans up to a particular amount should be made available to groups/individuals/organizations who submit proposals for cultural showcasing (for a one year period) – this should include pre and post production information.

The National Cultural Foundation should have stage sections/flats/sound and lighting equipment and personnel which could be made available to productions with a 5% or 10% payback from productions when money is collected

Scholarships in the area of Performing Arts should be given priority. The programme at the Barbados Community College should be extended (there are quite a

few qualified teachers of the art form in Barbados) to include an assignment to theatre organizations for apprenticeship.

There should be a monthly event where one or two full length plays/ skits are staged. These events would feature different writer/producer/director/actors together with professional technical crew. This would give the literary artistes an opportunity to showcase their offerings;

Radio and television programming featuring a weekly broadcast on the arts (30 minutes – 1 hour) should be implemented;

A directory of artistes should be created by the National Cultural Foundation;

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The hosting of a lunchtime cultural event for cruise ship tourists at the Frank Collymore Hall or Pelican Village. The performance should be pre-sold to the cruise line and the show would consist of a variety of presentations offered in Dance, Theatre, Music, Fashion, Visual Arts and displays in the culinary arts. The event could be combined with a buffet lunch on the patio of the Hall or at the restaurants in Pelican serving all Bajan cuisine.

Issues

1. Lack of employment opportunities for actors. 2. Lack of synthesis among educational institutions to provide opportunities for certification and

other qualifications. 3. Lack of collaboration among theatre artists to work together in writing scripts and producing

plays and other performances. 4. Need for further training opportunities in the Theatre Arts in the areas of makeup, playwriting,

stage management for community groups, set and costume design and construction. 5. Lack of appropriate performance, training and rehearsal venues. 6. Poor quality of drama and particularly the speech entries in NIFCA. 7. Lack of community-based drama productions.

Recommendations

1. Establish National Theatre School as a precursor to the creation of a National Performing Arts Company to facilitate the training of younger theatre artists by the more established practitioners; create new scripts to meet demand for local productions; develop original local productions leading to a repertoire of performances available for local, regional or international stages.

2. Encourage production of local materials by Barbadian playwrights, actors, set designers for utilization in the education enhancement programme (EduTech 2000).

3. NCF strengthen its linkages with the PEACE (Personal Empowerment in the Arts through Creative Education) programme in the Ministry of Education.

4. Develop comprehensive training in the Theatre Arts at Erdiston Teachers’ College in the concepts of the Theatre Arts and how they can be applied to teaching.

5. Ensure that the UCB redresses the deficiencies identified at Issue 2 above. 6. Develop a blueprint to assist in equipping schools and community centres to function as

performance, training and rehearsal facilities and thereby assist in encouraging more community drama productions.

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7. Effectively train schools, communities and individuals participating in NIFCA through a comprehensive one-year theatre production programme.

8. Develop specific training for Theatre Artists for film as well as stage. Cultural and Heritage Tourism There is a need for effective protective legislation to prevent the region’s cultural heritage from the depredations of modern day pirates. These depredations have been coupled with the disappearance of important study collections, specimens or artifacts and their placement into the control and storerooms of foreign universities and museums, as well as private collectors. There must be recognition that the degradation, disappearance and deterioration of cultural goods impoverish and damage the cultural heritage of all people as well as the fact that theft of cultural material can cause irreparable damage to a society. Status of Heritage and Heritage Institutions The omission of heritage education from regional curricula and the lack of educational material have hindered the study and appreciation of various aspects of heritage by the Barbadian population. This has had the effect of compounding a lack of awareness, appreciation and even basic knowledge of what constitutes cultural property in this country. Few export controls exist for the cultural heritage, but where they do, the ignorance of officials of what forms part of the heritage and their inability to identify material culture unique to the region, render this form of control ineffectual through deficient policing. In addition, antique dealers within Barbados have been permitted to trade largely unrestrained by policy, regulation or legislation. Dealers are not generally required to be qualified or indeed licensed to conduct business in this field, nor to document, declare or provide for independent assessment of the value of their sales or exports, except perhaps for tax or insurance purposes. Barbados dealers are not constrained by any code of ethics or compliance requirement for the integrity or authenticity of their stock, except where this might prove advantageous in relation to payment of the modest customs duties related to antique items over modern productions.

This environment has contributed to the vulnerability of cultural heritage in the region allowing for the uninhibited development of the trade in antiques and collectibles in the region that has not been to our advantage. This situation has been compounded by the exploitation of foreign dealers and collectors who have come to recognise the advantages of trading in this very open environment. Some areas of concern have arisen in association with these circumstances. Lack of constraint on the part of

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collectors, particularly those protected by diplomatic protocols, has meant that some antiquities, whether of local or foreign production, have been moved in and out of Barbados and the region without restraint. While most CARICOM countries are currently signatories to the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1972) and the World Heritage Convention (1970) very few have put in place the mechanisms or infrastructures necessary to implement them. The disappearance of archaeological materials and the lack of control over the excavation of known archaeological sites reflected in UNESCO expert John Whiting's report of 1983, demonstrate the critical vulnerability of Caribbean heritage resources experienced over several decades, which remain largely unchanged today. Additionally wrecks off the coasts of Caribbean islands have gained the attention of underwater salvers. Advice that such activities should take place under the direction of national professionals and that artifacts recovered, should remain in the country to enhance educational enlightenment, have more often than not been met with indifference. Barbados has yet to sign the International Convention for the Protection of the Underwater Heritage ,as approved by Cabinet in February, 2002, which would ensure some level of international protection of Barbados’ underwater assets. Decades after the excavation of archaeological materials, these finds remain at the core of issues of “ownership”, censorship and control of material culture removed from their country of origin during the course of research projects. Efforts to recover the material and to have it placed in appropriate conditions of collection management at the national level, have not been wholly successful particularly where a lack of legislation or effective control of excavated artifacts has been compounded with a disregard for the professional standards and ethics required of researchers in their own countries, regarding acknowledgement of ‘ownership’ by the country of origin, sharing of information on the findings and careful disposition of the documentary evidence in conjunction with the collections . The lack of trained specialists or heritage managers in the region, has led to a reliance on foreign specialists to achieve national research, excavation and interpretation programmes. However, without the controls of a functional national heritage management structure Barbados and the Caribbean have provided the opportunity and the climate for exploitation and opportunism, which would not be countenanced in these foreign specialists’ respective country of origin. The lack of technically qualified staff without access to appropriate museological training, minimal budgets, and the chronic need for technical equipment and facilities identified within the region twenty (20) years earlier, essentially

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remain Barbados’ greatest deficiency, and emphasize the vulnerability of the area's cultural heritage. Unfortunately, the position remains largely that of an extremely vulnerable regional resource, in which tourism, heritage and indeed academic organisations seeking to increase their own knowledge-base encounter and encourage unlimited access to archaeological sites and collections in exchange for the provision of skills so desperately lacking at the national level. The protection of copyright in intellectual property is also critical. However, while Barbados benefits from copyright legislation, there is little understanding as to how this may extend to protecting the heritage, its focus being largely on the products of current practitioners. Although much of the heritage now lies outside of the scope of copyright including museum collections, clarification is needed on the ways in which these assets may be protected from unregulated exploitation, whether falling within nationally recognized collections or not. Museums must also become aware of the economic potential of its resources and explore various mechanisms for use, which do not threaten the integrity of the object, the collection and indeed the ethical policies of the museum. Barbados is a rich plethora of heritage resources, which are appropriate for preservation and future development as heritage education resources and tourism attractions. Developing heritage resources for tourism use alone however, subjects them to considerable risks. Their uncontrolled exploitation by developers has often caused inappropriate wear and tear on the resources, leading to their erosion or eventual destruction. Such activity has also caused the irredeemable loss of artifacts and other heritage resources, through their removal or exportation from the region. The failure to integrate heritage institutions in the tourism development process indicates that strategic planning between heritage institutions and the tourism industry remains a crucial need. The special vulnerability of Barbados as a small state means that survival will be contingent on its ability to maximize and manage its assets.

Regional Initiatives by Caribbean Museums In 1992, the Caribbean Community [CARICOM] undertook the Caribbean Regional Development Project funded by the UNDP and executed by UNESCO. This exercise examined many of the issues outlined above in a study of the Status of Caribbean Museums (1993) and a Model Cultural Heritage Act (1993) for the guidance of the Caribbean Governments in the drafting of cultural legislation. Emerging from this research was “the necessity for the harmonization and rationalization of all existing institutions in order to establish clear lines of responsibilities for the management of the historical, cultural and national environment”. “The Caribbean Museum Survey” designed and implemented under

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the auspices of the Museums Association of the Caribbean (MAC), advocated several policy related recommendations for the protection of cultural heritage, particularly in respect of ensuring that new agencies calling themselves ‘museums’ were actually eligible and entitled to secure such status. These recommendations included:

The adoption of the ICOM definition of museums; The development of Minimum standards and policies for museums (for collection’s

management, documentation, conservation); The development and adoption of a regional policy on standards for museum personnel; The development of regional museum training programmes; The ratification of international conventions for the protection of cultural property; The development of written legal constitutions for those museums lacking them;

These provisions were subsequently endorsed by the Standing Committee of Ministers of Education (SCME) and incorporated into the Regional Cultural Policy adopted in 1996. This body later recognised the need for an examination of existing national legislations in the context of the Draft Model legislation, in order to determine appropriate mechanisms for the incorporation and harmonization of heritage legislation, and where necessary the encouragement of Caricom governments to enact national legislation. The Role of Museums The development and implementation of appropriate national legislation and policies where necessary are consistent with the above stated goals. In addition, the harmonization of such legislation and the reinforcement of the collaboration and co-ordination amongst the relevant agencies (at both the national and regional levels) are vital to their success. The situation requires an education process to replace the construct of inconvenience or hindrance that the preservation of such resources might cause where one recognizes the enhancement, support and authenticity that heritage resources might add in the sustainable development mix.

In Barbados the Barbadian Museum and Historical Society has consistently consulted, advised, lobbied for, documented and researched the development of heritage legislation over the last fifteen (15) years through public programming, publication of articles, and the sharing of information. The role of heritage institutions in this battle needs to be recognized and coordinated with those of their counterparts in the legal, security and customs professions. A number of initiatives for ensuring greater dialogue and coordination amongst the sectors must include specialized training and public programming. In

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Barbados the museum has functioned as adviser to a variety of departments and agencies on many related heritage issues, as well as participated in a series of planning initiatives in tourism development, curriculum development, identification and evaluation of resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), museum development, coastal conservation, and land use planning. What these initiatives have revealed are the inconsistencies in the national planning process. Notwithstanding the above, the development and coordination of public policy recognizing and respecting the heritage in all sectors have already been accepted as a necessary part of the national development strategy.

In addition, growing demand for the authentic experience of Barbados’ heritage has made this sector of tourism imperative for development. Plans have been articulated within the last ten years for the development of: National Art Gallery, National Heroes Gallery, Museum of Parliament, Maritime Museum, Slavery Museum, Aviation Museum, Cricket Museum and Hall of Fame, Three W’s Museum, Military Museum, Geology Interpretive Centre, Museum of Music as well as community museums throughout Barbados. The process of museum development nationally is much desired but should be managed appropriately to harmonize concepts, attain and maintain standards of practice, and ensure complementarity of marketing and promotion. Museum development within the national landscape should be both demand –driven and policy led to meet the conservation, education and identity creating requirements of the nation. For this reason national museum and conservation standards should be put in place and incentives provided to ensure compliance with these policies.

Additionally, since there is no credible knowledge available among the regional customs and police forces, neither dealers nor collectors are seriously challenged or confronted about their activities, including those from countries which are currently signatories to the UNESCO Illicit Traffic Convention. What this means is that in most instances, any traffic in antiques in CARICOM countries, if not technically illicit, is most certainly immoral. International activities to develop an International Code of Ethics for antique dealers are certainly welcome but these need to be coupled with aggressive lobbying of governments for adoption of such a code and comprehensive training for compliance enforcement officials. The heritage community will have a role to play in highlighting the need to make provision for change through significant public investment in both institutional strengthening and training and development of heritage management capacities.

This is vital if Barbados and Caribbean countries are to effectively collaborate with international agencies such as ICOM and Interpol, in the retrieval of stolen or looted cultural property. Such activities will also be crucial in enabling regional governments to accede to and actively utilize the provisions of

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international heritage preservation conventions. Harmonization of legislations at both the local and regional level, as well as closer collaboration amongst local agencies are essential components in the successful establishment of such programmes. Caribbean museums must work with governments to encourage reciprocal arrangements between countries regarding illicit export of cultural materials and the repatriation of cultural property, especially human remains and sacred objects. UNESCO has also organised a series of regional technical workshops to enable CARICOM countries to examine the provisions of the World Heritage Convention and become familiar with the mechanisms required for its implementation on illicit traffic.

Conservation programmes and strategies devised to provide access to skills and resources at a regional level have achieved only limited success, and have not been developed in a sustainable and progressive fashion. Responses to regional calls for urgent attention to be paid to the provision of conservation services for a wide range of objects, noting the fact that individual countries could not meet the prohibitive costs of providing their own conservation laboratories, have been met largely with the provision of uncoordinated short-term, basic training programmes to a wide range of individuals of varying education, capacity and responsibility, delivered by conservation experts relatively naïve in the realities of the regional institutions. The Barbados Museum has therefore formulated briefs advocating the development of a comprehensive national heritage conservation strategy to form part of the national development process.

The Heritage community has a role to play, both in lobbying for and advising on effective, ecologically sound, community -oriented tourism models, to be taken into consideration in the development planning process. Given the priority placed on tourism as the most important economic activity in Barbados and the Caribbean, tourism, which is sensitively poised to capitalize on the demand for tourism in a secure and peaceful environment, should seek to combine this experience with its rich tapestry of human history. Another recent initiative introduced by the Government of Barbados was the Heritage Assets [tax] incentive scheme where the Barbados Museum was asked to identify the criteria of heritage assets necessary for the implementation of such a scheme.

These institutions have the ability to lobby, inform and advise governments on relevant issues, if not through their own resources then through recourse to regional and international associations to which they subscribe, while at the same time educating the public and implementing activities at the grassroots level. Effective distribution of available information has been a key problem in this area. However, the ability of these institutions to define and articulate major concepts provide museums with

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the potential for effective input at the level of stakeholder involvement in heritage protection. Caribbean museums can also be effective facilitators to the process of building consensus on sustainability, based on a commitment to transparency and inclusiveness. Regional institutions can also provide knowledge, and deliver expertise so as to engender a participatory approach to managing the heritage.

Challenges and Limitations There are a number of “heritage industries”, which can be developed into thriving niche industries provided a policy framework is put into place. For example within the Heritage sector in Barbados, there are the following skills, which can be developed and marketed:

Research Interpretation Education Training Curatorship

These have all been developed over the last twenty (20) years as a result of Government determining that the Barbados Museum should play the role of a national museum whilst identifying the resources required to achieve this, the principal one being trained human resources, qualified in the profession. There are other relevant heritage areas, which remain deficient but are essential as services to the maintenance and marketing of the island’s heritage: Conservation and Exhibit design The staff of the Barbados Museum has been in demand to service the following needs on both the national and international levels which give some glimpse of the potential markets:

Research – providing access to both collections and knowledge – leading to new publications, films, videos, websites, cd roms and exhibits, all related to Barbadian or Caribbean, history, culture, natural history or visual arts;

The Genealogy of Barbados families is a highly critical niche market; Archaeological field research ( both underwater and terrestrial) has been in growing demand as

both government and developers have become more sensitized to the potentials for heritage education and tourism arising from the discovery of new aspects of heritage through excavation and interpretation of sites. This will of course be even further developed once the new Preservation of Antiquities bill is enacted;

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Interpretation- linked with research- this has helped with the creation of site interpretation (slave route signage), development of games based on traditional forms (warri), heritage tours, special interest groups (university, historic preservation, political);

Education- linked with research and gallery development- this sector is engaged with the development of curricula-complementary materials (publications, work books, education packs) and programming to meet the needs of schools, community groups, foreign language schools/groups, university tours;

Training – linked with research and interpretation – this programme has been developed largely in response to the needs of the community. Internships have been undertaken to support both students from the BCC, UWI as well as from institutions from the USA, UK, Canada, Germany and Japan. The Barbados Museum also plays host to interns and attachments from sister institutions within the region. (St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Antigua, and Anguilla). Staff from the Museum has been engaged by the UWI (both Mona and Cave Hill) since 1995 in the delivery of lectures on Heritage/Museum studies. Teacher Training has also been supplied annually to students from BCC and Erdiston Teachers Training College, as well as to staff at various primary and secondary institutions ;

Curatorship – (tied in with research and interpretation services) this methodology allows for the creation of new exhibits (whether real or virtual), which can excite new audiences and develop educational resources. Curatorial skills at the Museum are continuously being sought after beyond the confines of the Museum for the development of both public and private sector initiatives. Included in these activities are the National Art Gallery Project, National Heroes Gallery, Parliament Museum, Community Museums (Government);

The Private sector has sought Museum services for the development of both small temporary exhibits and larger scale permanent exhibits, amongst the latter being Cricket Museum, Mount Gay display, Jolly Roger exhibits on Piracy. Previously museum staff have been recruited to design and install temporary exhibits in Montserrat, St. Kitts, Anguilla and elsewhere. There is a clearly great potential in developing and marketing these skills locally and abroad.

Apart from the potentials offered through the development and exploitation of the skills and knowledge outlined above, another potential area for the development of the heritage industries comes with the recognition that the collections housed by museums, archival and other heritage institutions are the core of major heritage resources (including oral histories and photo archives) which with careful and creative development (i.e. reproduction, representation) and marketing can be transformed into revenue generating industries provided that the hallmark of authenticity and accuracy of research and

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interpretation is present. These relate specifically to the interest both local and foreign for reproductions in the form of postcards, prints of illustrative material, maps and other memorabilia, including books, videos, and CDROM or DVD formatted information on the history, natural history, culture, and genealogies of Barbados. The limitations and challenges in marketing Barbados’ heritage to global audiences would be the following:

Lack of vision amongst the tourism sector Lack of financial resources

Recommendations

Inclusion of Museum in Barbados Tourism packages to Cruise Ship passengers; Development of Heritage tours on island; Investment by Tourism sector in development of special exhibits; Development of national standards for museums; Enactment of Preservation of Antiquities Bill; Accession to International Convention for the Protection of the Underwater Cultural heritage; Inclusion of Museum in /and in the development of marketing/promotion strategies; Inclusion of Museum Brochures in Barbados Tourism Packages; Development of/and Inclusion of Museum products for International Travel markets; Implementation of Heritage Tourism Development Plan ( IDB); Inclusion of Heritage sector people on Board/Membership of Tourism bodies (BHTA, BTA); Compliance with Museum policy for Reproduction of Museum Specimens; Appropriate access to heritage sites through compliance with licensing, monitoring,

documentation and other requirements. (i.e. underwater wrecks should be scientifically researched and artifiacts recovered by professional marine archaeologists and not by salvers; archaeological sites similarly should be researched and excavated by qualified researchers and amateur metal detectors).

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BUSINESS STRATEGY FOR CULTURAL AND HERITAGE TOURISM IN BARBADOS

Barbados is an established, successful, mature and popular tourist destination. However, if Barbados is to retain its position it must continue to develop its tourism product by creating and making accessible interesting and unique things to see and to do. One of the key areas where Barbados could do more to be competitive is in the line of cultural and heritage tourism. A major motivator of tourism is learning what is special about a place’s culture and heritage. Cultural tourism is growing around the world and the trends point to increasing demand for these types of experiences. For the culture and heritage sector, tourism offers an opportunity to:

increase audience size and revenues; increase profile (hence more support and sponsorship); communicate Barbados’ culture and heritage to the world; partner with others to reduce costs.

Cultural tourism is not new. Specific attention to this phenomenon has been growing consistently since the mid-eighties with the hosting of conferences, seminars, and campaigns around the area of cultural tourism. Due to these efforts, there has been an increase in cultural and heritage tourism in Barbados. Cultural and heritage tourism occur when participation in a cultural or heritage activity is a factor for travelling and involve a quality visitor encounter with a cultural or historic experience that is authentic and which is not created solely for the purpose of attracting tourists. Cultural and heritage tourism must be sustainable and must ensure that the quality and integrity of the cultural or heritage resource/experience are conserved. Cultural and heritage tourism are based on a mutually beneficial partnership between the culture/heritage and tourism sectors and should be a revenue-generator for both sectors. The nomination of a site as a World Heritage site, having achieved recognized standards of planning, interpretation and management, affords tremendous opportunities in terms of international ‘branding’ to a global discerning market. However, the process of achieving and maintaining that status, requirements close cooperation , planning and monitoring by both heritage, environmental and planning sectors. The overall strategies and approaches are appropriate to all sectors that contribute to Barbados’ cultural richness and diversity but for the purposes of this report the Task Force was specifically concerned with those aspects of culture and heritage that create tourist products, namely:

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Performing Arts (Theatre, Dance, Music); Visual Arts and Crafts; Museums and Cultural Centres; Historic Sites, Villages and Interpretive Centres; Festivals

Cultural tourism is growing around the world. The World Tourism Organization reported that 37% of all international trips include a cultural component and this market has been growing at the rate of 15% annually. The market is expected to increase with aging populations of highly educated, well-travelled baby boomers. Learning travel is an important niche market among this audience. Barbadian cultural products have significant potential as a travel motivator. The reasons for this may be attributable to the fact that Barbados is seen as a safe place to travel. There is reason to believe that Barbados’ cultural and heritage offerings compare equally to those offered elsewhere in the world for travellers interested in learning about another place. Barbados has a tremendous wealth of quality cultural and heritage experiences. Since the tourism industry is a mature and established one, it is submitted that the cultural /heritage aspect can be easily overlaid on the existing product. In terms of existing global cultural tourism, Barbados is however at a disadvantage. Few Barbadians are aware of Barbados’ cultural and heritage offerings and Barbados has, for the most part, traditionally marketed itself as a sun, sea destination. The following are the barriers to the development of cultural and heritage tourism in Barbados which have been identified:

Mutual lack of knowledge between the cultural/heritage and tourism sectors and about the opportunities of cultural and heritage tourism ;

Lack of formal linkages between culture and tourism at government and working levels; Cultural and Heritage ambivalence about tourism given concerns about sustainability

and commercialism; Lack of knowledge about the economic impact of Cultural and Heritage Tourism; Lack of resources to develop and market cultural and heritage products; Lack of education and training related to cultural and heritage tourism; Lack of market-ready, packaged product; Minimal marketing of culture and heritage.

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Lack of compliance with World Heritage requirements for the ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the country’s unique heritage in the interest of rapid commercial development e.g. Bridgetown development plan will need to be significantly reviewed if we are to achieve Bridgetown’s designation as a World Heritage site.

Minimal engagement in the process towards World Heritage nomination and designation. There are many players who must work together to develop cultural tourism in Barbados. These include public and private sector players from both the tourist industry and the cultural and heritage sector. The target market for Barbadian culture and heritage is ultimately the world. However, it is recommended that Barbados begin with its established major markets. Culture and heritage should be included in key overseas markets (UK and the US) as part of a long -term effort. The most likely people to be travelling to cultural sites are seen as retirees and aging babyboomers who have the time, money and increasing interest in the past. Within this broad profile of travellers motivated by the desire to be exposed to and understand different cultural experiences are distinct sub-segments, which cannot be ignored. These include ‘learning travellers” who may have a very focused agenda. A recurring theme in strengthening cultural tourism is the lack of appreciation of the success and potential of cultural tourism. One of the best ways to both promote and develop cultural tourism is to illustrate how it can become a success for both sectors. Documenting and promoting best practices is an obvious method of doing this. Those persons working in the area of tourism and culture need to become aware of and act upon examples of best practices as appropriate to their respective organization. These include such things as the successes of the history of the Island (galleries, museums, buildings), of festivals and distinct micro-products for niche segments. Based on the promise of success that these examples demonstrate and the lessons learned, cultural organizations can be assisted in providing effective offerings and travel operators can be stimulated to add the cultural dimension to their packages. Cultural and Heritage tourism should be a key product line for Barbados as demonstrated by:

a 10% increase in the number of packages offering cultural and heritage experiences; a 10% increase in revenues and attendance for both sectors as measured by a selected set of

pilot projects and indicators; 10% of Barbadian tourism marketing will feature culture and heritage products, sites and

experiences;

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Barbados should: establish the importance, nationally and internationally, of cultural and heritage tourism as a

key Barbadian product line in the minds of consumers, the tourism industry, cultural organizations, the media and all levels of government;

Strengthen direct marketing of existing heritage sites and products as part of a coordinated campaign to highlight Barbados’ heritage;

Immediately review all current and planned development projects which fall within identified potential World Heritage Sites to ensure complementarity of vision and achievement;

Take steps to ensure and secure the integrity of Sam Lord’s Castle and St.Nicholas Abbey as major heritage sites currently under threat of sale and/or development and develop unique strategies for government /private sector investment in Barbados’ heritage;

develop more quality cultural and heritage products to the point where they are nationally and internationally market-ready;

integrate culture and heritage into the day-to-day planning, marketing and operations of the tourism industry.

The strategic directions and actions proposed are based on the following premises:

that it is important that actions of the Strategy be implemented within a relatively short time frame in order to create confidence that something is being accomplished so that the momentum created will inspire stakeholders to take action;

that the plan must be focused in terms of results and should focus on a small number of initiatives.

Action needs to be taken simultaneously at three levels:

At all cultural and heritage organizations and the tourism industry as a whole (Communications & Linkages, Research, Training);

At organizations in both sectors that are already interested in cultural and heritage tourism (Product Development);

At making products and packages that are currently nationally and internationally in the market export-ready (Marketing).

To achieve these goals and objectives, this plan outlines actions in 5 areas:

Communications and Linkages Research

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Education and Training Product Development Marketing

Strategy 1 – Communications and Linkages Objective There should be effective communication mechanisms and business linkages in place within and between the cultural/heritage and tourism sectors and an increased amount of ongoing information flow between the sectors. 1.1 Strategies and actions

Develop information materials on cultural and heritage tourism and distribute these through existing industry channels and the Internet;

Produce a series of fact sheets and articles about cultural and heritage tourism highlighting economic impacts, best practices and how-to-do’s and distribute these through existing cultural/heritage and tourism industry professional associations and publications (e.g. museums associations, arts councils);

Use technology as a way to easily communicate materials to all parts of the country; Set up a cultural and heritage tourism section on other industry web-sites with

information on ‘how-to-do’s”, packages, offerings, economic impacts and ensure that it is hot-linked with the sites of relevant organizations;

Launch a regular column on cultural and heritage tourism in local newspapers to highlight and support this product line. Make these columns available for inclusion in other organizations’ newsletters;

Make available existing documents on cultural/heritage tourism. 1.2 Create formal linkages between sectors

Enhance linkages at the Government level between the hotel association and all interested parties in the cultural industry;

Hold an annual meeting(s) of key players in cultural and heritage tourism timed in conjunction with industry events and conferences;

Enhance cultural and heritage expertise in the tourism marketing committees (e.g. nominate culture sector experts to marketing committees; brief marketing committees on culture/heritage success stories and upcoming events);

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Enhance tourism expertise in cultural and heritage organizations (e.g., appoint tourism experts to cultural boards and solicit BTA staff advice on cultural projects when appropriate);

Establish a network of cultural and heritage tourism stakeholders and professionals on the Internet to share information and news;

Encourage the creation of cultural and heritage tourism special interest groups within existing professional associations.

1.3 Foster connections through Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs)

Encourage cultural and heritage organizations to join DMOs (for example: by highlighting the importance of DMOs in communications materials) as a way to be part of the tourism industry;

Encourage DMOs to host events around the cultural and heritage tourism theme, highlighting cultural and heritage tourism offerings in their regions and reporting on local successes and opportunities;

Communicate to DMOs across the country examples of what DMOs can do to promote cultural and heritage tourism.

1.4 Communicate to Government the importance of cultural and heritage tourism

Convince government to continue investing in cultural and heritage assets not only for cultural development but also as an aspect of tourism investment and as an investment in employment and skills;

Use economic impact studies and other data to communicate to government how fiscally relevant it is for government to keep investing in cultural and heritage assets, given the tax revenues generated by cultural and heritage tourism.

1.5 Facilitate meetings between the two sectors

Support organizations or businesses (e.g. cultural tourism packagers) that hold conferences, meetings, seminars or events on cultural and heritage tourism;

Organize one major cultural and heritage tourism colloquium within 5 years; Stage specialized cultural and heritage tourism marketplaces.

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Strategy 2- Tragedy –Trade Reach There should be accurate sets of data relating to cultural and heritage tourism available to be used by the industry. 2.1 Strategies and actions 2.2 Develop benchmarks and performance indicators

Develop an evaluation framework of performance indicators for cultural and heritage tourism.

2.3 Carry out economic impact studies for a number of pilot projects

Set up a research programme on a small number of case studies representative of different aspects of the industry (e.g. selection should cover large/small projects; various aspects such as performing arts, festivals, galleries, museums, historic sites, cultural corridors, etc.) and track these over a three-year period as powerful illustrations of the business case for cultural and heritage tourism.

2.4 Analyze, synthesize and communicate data

Collect data from and analyze existing surveys and studies on: - cultural tourism market segments, characteristics and trends;

- economic impact of cultural tourism; - best practices; - competition from other destinations; - the size and characteristics of the labour market and detailed training needs; Produce and disseminate credible, informed highlights of this research on the web and

in a user-friendly print or video format with quotes, graphs, pictures etc., that can be used for business planning, marketing, advocacy, sponsorship and training, as well as for media relations;

Develop new sources of data.

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Strategy 3 –Tragedy Strategy 3-Education and Training An effective and coordinated system should be in place to deliver required training and related programmes to both sectors. 3.1 Strategies and actions 3.2 Develop pilot programmes on cultural and heritage tourism.

Continue to offer a limited number of pilot workshops on topics such as market-readiness and packaging to develop training and partnership building between the two sectors;

Identify international training best practices in cultural and heritage tourism (e.g. Israel); Identify organizations (e.g. DMOs, Human Resource Councils, professional

associations) which can develop and deliver programmes on an ongoing basis. 3.3 Barbados Tourism Human Resources Council to develop, adapt and deliver

programmes to train workers in both sectors about cultural and heritage tourism. The following topic areas are recommended: Tourism distribution system (including pricing/commissions); Cultural and heritage programme planning and development for a tourism market

(market-readiness/packaging/animation); Business planning for cultural and heritage tourism products; Hospitality/service excellence; Enhanced product knowledge (cultural heritage organizations and their

role/contribution to product offering; Conservation, preservation and sustainable use of cultural resources in light of cultural

and heritage tourism. 3.4 Work with the human resource councils to develop technology-based delivery mechanisms for

training programmes that promote self-study and workplace-based learning;

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3.5 Promote the bridging of tourism and culture/heritage programmes at the post-secondary level Approach two institutions, one offering a cultural programme and one offering a

tourism programme (e.g The University of the West Indies and The BTA) to test an integrated programme;

Assess the current teaching of cultural and heritage tourism within existing cultural and tourism education programmes.

Strategy 4 – Production Strategy- Product Development The criteria for market-readiness should be widely understood in the cultural sector and 20% more market-ready cultural products will be available for the local, national and international markets. 4.1 Strategies and actions 4.2 Develop and distribute market-readiness tools

Draw on work already done in cultural and heritage tourism and market-readiness seminars to develop criteria for market-readiness;

Develop this into a “tool kit” and make it available to the BTA offices. 4.3 Evaluate feasibility of an accreditation system

Study effectiveness and applicability of different types of rating or accreditation systems. These will inform tourists and the tourism industry about facilities and level of readiness of cultural and heritage sites.

4.4 Focus on packaging and enhancement of existing products

Foster the packaging of existing market-ready or near-ready products into cultural corridors, themed packages and mixed packages (e.g., nature-culture) which have greater tourism appeal than stand-alone products;

Promote the ‘animation’ of cultural and heritage sites to provide more meaningful experiences for tourists;

Foster the development of quality themed retail services (e.g., boutiques, food services, and promotional items) that enhance the overall cultural experience;

Select a small number of existing products as case studies that will receive support for development and packaging as part of this plan.

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4.5 Produce tools to facilitate partnerships and packaging Produce a catalogue of cultural and heritage offerings deemed to be market-ready. It is

recommended that this be done on a regional basis using a format developed in conjunction with the travel trade. Make this available on the Internet and other means;

Establish and provide on the Web a list of tour operators, travel agents, cultural packagers who are interested in this sector.

Identify a mechanism to regularly update lists of market-ready products and interested tourism partners.

4.6 To inspire by example

Develop partnering programmes between successful and emerging products; Promote coverage of success stories in travel media, industry publications and in

training programmes; Honour and publicize product development and packaging successes through existing

award programmes (for example: publicize winners in the media or encourage creation of cultural and heritage tourism categories in existing award programmes).

4.7 Find financing solutions to fund product development

Work funding organizations to include cultural and heritage tourism projects within their criteria;

Encourage cultural and heritage products to develop more effective pricing structures and work with industry associations to develop more consistent and rational pricing structures;

Synthesize and communicate information on the economic impact of cultural and heritage tourism so that sites can develop their own business plans to finance product development.

Strategy 5-Marketing Cultural experiences should be fully integrated into the mix of products and experiences marketed in the international markets so that 20% of all marketing activities relate to culture and heritage.

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5.1 Strategies and actions 5.2 Develop national and international brand images for Barbados cultural and heritage

tourism

Integrate cultural and heritage tourism as a key product line into BTA marketing activities;

Set targets for cultural and heritage presence in promotional materials; Integrate cultural and heritage experiences into marketing campaigns for the other key

international markets. 5.3 Develop national and regional brand images for Barbadian cultural and heritage

experiences

Include cultural and heritage experts on marketing committees to promote effective branding of Barbados and of its regions for culture and heritage;

Exercise sensitivity in branding cultural experiences, by working with the groups and products concerned.

5.4 As a first priority, focus marketing efforts on quality, market-ready cultural/heritage

experiences that are ongoing rather than one-time events

Prepare a marketing strategy for a campaign which positions Barbados as a quality cultural and heritage tourism destination 365 days a year;

Launch campaign, focusing on marketing areas where there is a critical mass of easily-accessible, market-ready cultural and heritage products;

Market cultural corridors as a way to bring consumer awareness to smaller cultural and heritage products;

Target guide book producers as allies in promoting cultural and heritage tourism. 5.5 Take advantage of special events to enhance the profile of cultural and heritage tourism

Develop a 3-5 year schedule of major cultural and heritage opportunities and assess

whether these events can be effectively leveraged for cultural and heritage tourism marketing;

Scan popular culture for marketing hooks that can attract attention to Barbadian cultural and heritage experiences.

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5.6 Raise the profile of cultural tourism in tourism marketplaces Encourage key players to highlight cultural and heritage products to include cultural

performances as part of the programme of activities at these events; Organize a specialized marketplace for cultural and heritage tourism; Create annual regional and niche marketplaces for smaller, emerging and specialized

products.

5.7 Challenge DMOs to take the lead in cultural and heritage tourism marketing so that resources from cultural and heritage products are pooled more effectively

To reduce the amount of money invested by cultural groups in promotional tools

(individual site brochures, ads, marketplace displays etc.), call on DMOs to take the lead in marketing regions.

Cultural and heritage tourism present an enormous opportunity for the tourism industry and the cultural and heritage organizations. This Business Strategy is aimed at responding to identified issues in an incremental fashion and has the potential to make significant contributions to tourism, to cultural organizations and to the Barbadian public as well. The various components of this Business Strategy will require a concerted and coordinated effort on the part of the culture and heritage sector and on the part of government.

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FESTIVAL AND EVENTS BUREAU The Task Force notes that there is in place a proposal for the establishment of a Festival and Events Bureau as a subsidiary of the National Cultural Foundation to facilitate the planning, marketing and promotion of festivals and events within Barbados. Having reviewed the proposal, the Task Force recommends that this initiative be implemented as a fundamental aspect of any mechanism to assist in the development of cultural industries in Barbados. It is proposed that this Bureau utilise Barbadian Art and Music to establish Barbados as the premier cultural destination in the Caribbean. The Bureau would be a festival, arts and events management company incorporated in Barbados as a limited liability company but registered within the several countries of the region to permit it to extend its operations within the Caribbean. The objectives of the Bureau would be:

1. To maximize foreign exchange earnings from its market driven cultural festivals and events and from the sale of its services throughout the region;

2. To execute high quality festivals and events that maximize profit without sacrificing cultural integrity;

3. To maximize sponsorship revenue for overseas broadcasts of festivals and events; 4. To maximize revenue from sale of overseas broadcasts, video and internet rights

in respect of Barbadian festivals and events; 5. To maximize merchandising opportunities and achieve wide local, regional and

international distribution of cultural products; 6. To increase the number of visitors and amount of visitor expenditure at festivals

and events. As the Caribbean is rife with festivals, it will be necessary for the Bureau to distinguish its products and services from those already extant across the region, if only by the achievement of quality. The Bureau will have to package and brand its products and services so that distinctions between Barbados’ products and others are clearly made. The core products of the Bureau would be:

a. Festivals and events and the broadcasts, video and internet rights thereto; b. Merchandise; c. Event Management and Production services; d. Rental of Equipment; e. Development and provision of studio space for rental; f. Storage.

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The Bureau would also be required to: Foster closer links with local and regional tourism entities with a view to the

marketing of the cultural calendar of Barbados; Cultivate alliances with Barbadian and Caribbean organisations in major tourism

markets to develop relationships that will assist in the promotion of festivals and events as well as serve as conduits for the distribution of tickets in major tourism markets;

Develop relationships within the travel-trade distribution network to facilitate the attendance of stay-over and cruise ship visitors at festivals and events as part of the all-inclusive packages or as optional additions;

In order for the target markets to be reached, the Bureau should ensure that its promotional plan spans both the electronic and print media as well as the development of a web site. It should be made to conduct detailed post-event evaluations to identify strengths and weaknesses, document this analysis and use any findings made as effective planning tools to reduce costs, improve operations and revenues. It should also conduct market research to identify the types of souvenirs sought by visitors, produce or facilitate the manufacture of such products, market the products, monitor their sales and make any necessary product changes. In order to achieve these goals, it will also have to liaise with the Business Development Units of the NCF and the BIDC to identify how best to enlist the products and services of local artists in design and production of mementos and implement viable ideas generated for such merchandising. Finally, it should ensure that merchandise is easily accessible for sale at all events and at retail centres that cater to visitors. The Bureau would also provide technical services to all existing festivals and events ranging from rental and operation of equipment to the management of festivals and events. These events would include conferences, political rallies, official and state ceremonies and such like.

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VISUAL ARTS The promotion and the development of the Visual Arts in Barbados during the past twenty-five (25) years have been achieved primarily through the efforts and contributions of the owners of private galleries. Over the last three decades, Barbados has seen the rise and fall of several art galleries, many of which were privately owned. These galleries have greatly contributed to the exposure and advancement of the visual arts in this country. The Galleries The Pelican Art Gallery, a cooperative organisation of the Barbados Arts Council [BAC], has over the years of its existence catered to both trained and untrained artists, amateurs and professionals alike, without discrimination. Still in existence after more than three decades, the Barbados Arts Council is a registered charity and receives a modest subvention from the Government of Barbados. It is run by an administrative council, which is elected by members at an Annual General Meeting. The membership of the Council is made up of Honorary and Ordinary Members and its membership base totals between 250 to 300 artists. The BAC employs two part-time staff members who operate and manage the gallery. Its annual turnover, up to 2001, was around BDS$100,000. This figure represents the gross income from the sale of works of art. The BAC retains 25% commission and the remainder is paid directly to artists for works sold. Conversely, the Barbados Museum and Historical Society operates a small gallery and caters mainly to solo, historical or retrospective exhibitions, due primarily to its limited size and location. The Museum has its own policies in respect of exhibiting and a committee of the gallery reviews all application requests for exhibition to ensure that they meet the mandate and mission of the Barbados Museum. The National Cultural Foundation opened the Queen’s Park Gallery in December 1984 and in 2002 established the position of full-time curator. During its early years, the NCF Queen’s Park Gallery was able to obtain sufficient sponsorship through British American Tobacco to enable the regular publication of catalogues to its exhibitions. The Queen’s Park Gallery quickly established itself as the premier exhibition venue in Barbados and owes its longevity no doubt to the fact that it is fully subsidised by the Government. Its establishment provided one more space for artists to exhibit. Over the years there have been a several galleries whose operations were crucial in defining the history of the visual arts in Barbados. These included the Pelican Art Gallery, the Talma Mill Art Gallery, Dayrells Art Gallery, Bay Gallery, Letchworth Gallery, Fine Arts Framing, the Verandah Art Gallery, the Barbados Gallery of Art (formerly the Art Collection Foundation), the Art Foundry Gallery,

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the Art Foundry West along with Kirby Gallery, Coffee and Cream Gallery, Art Worx Gallery, the Black Renaissance Gallery, the Flower Shoppe & Galerie, the Great House Gallery, Origins, Mango Jam Gallery and the Potter’s House Gallery. Since 2000, the Zemicon Gallery, Whispers Gallery, Gallery of Caribbean Art, Verandah Gallery and the several artist studios have come into existence. Just like their predecessors they are privately owned and have as their objective the desire to contribute in their respective spheres to the overall progress and development of the Visual Arts. Art Education and Training Parallel to the movement in the art galleries, was the institution of formal training in Visual Arts in January 1974 through the Division of Fine Arts of the Barbados Community College [BCC]. Initially the Division provided training for the Advanced Level General Certificate of Education (GCE) Examinations in Fine Arts. In 1975 the In- Service Teachers Training Course however was implemented and in 1978 ceramics was added to the curriculum. By 1979 vocational courses were being offered in Ceramics and Batik and a full time teachers training programme was introduced.

After an intensive two (2) years of research and curriculum development, the Division of Fine Arts implemented in September 1987 the Associate Degree Programmes in Art Education, Graphic Design and Craft Media. It was also in that year that the Associate Degree in Fashion Design was instituted. In 1990, the Division submitted proposals to the Academic Committee of the BCC for the implementation of a three (3) year programme in place of the two (2) year programme.

The Undergraduate Degree programmes in Fine Arts and Graphic Design commenced in September 1994. That year also witnessed the introduction of courses in photography and videography. A Certificate in Interior Decoration was also introduced in that year. The first graduates of the Degree Programme in the Division of Fine Arts of the Barbados Community College were awarded the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 1998.

Other significant Activities The presentation of Barbadian Art on the international scene has also contributed significantly to Barbados’ standing internationally. In addition to the initiative from the London Embassy in collaboration with BIDC to present Art Exhibitions on a regular basis, the overseas exhibitions “Barbadiana 1999” in Paris, “the 5th Triennale Mondiale of Small Print” 2000 in Chamalieres France, “Barbadiana 2001” in Paris, “Barbados in 2 Dimensions” 2001 in Miami and the “6th Triennale” in 2003, have added other dimensions to our Visual Arts Landscape.

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Recommendations The historical development of the Visual Arts in Barbados provides the prescription for what is needed to stimulate the discipline towards a viable art industry. All forms of visual arts must be included in any proposed recommendations to be made to Government and to clarify the various modes of expression in the Visual Arts a system of codification should be adopted. This system would be as follows:

1. Airport Art 2. Decorative Art 3. Fine Art

Airport Art Airport Art consists of indigenous objects, usually inexpensive and easily transportable by all persons as a memento of Barbados, which can be given as gifts to family and friends. It is important to concentrate on the choice, the designing, and the packaging of these objects. There are many “craft persons” who are working in this environment but because of lack of training, they are not reaping the profits that could be derived from their works. Many of the products are unattractive, the fabrication is frequently unsatisfactory and the prices often prohibitive. If treated properly the fabrication of genuine quality objects can create an industry without limits.

Barbados has a lot of raw indigenous material such as bamboo barks, coconut fibre, calabash, sea-island cotton and sugar, which can be used to produce simple objects such as key rings, amulets, necklaces, rings, fans, pareos etc. These products appeal to customers because of their quality and genuineness and in the process, can help to create jobs and stimulate creativity within the population. It is submitted that Barbados needs a factory setting with a strong CREATIVE CENTRE with a trained innovative team with vision and enthusiasm to address the issue of product design and production. The Creative Centre should be manned by a capable Artistic Director who would work with trained designers/researchers, trainers and technicians to achieve the desired production level and quality control as a step towards the Centre’s own viability.

Decorative Art Decorative Art, although very similar to Fine Art, tends to offer a product with a utilitarian and commercial aspect that is often nonexistent in Fine Arts. The Decorative Art, which is also called “fine craft”, is in most cases applied arts. Ceramics, Fabric Design, Surface Design, Basketry, industrial prints are some of the disciplines in this category. Barbados has had some measure of success in the

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area of ceramics and fabric design. It is therefore possible that with the amount of hotels, households and tourists wishing to purchase mementos, that the talented craft person should be able to generate a decent level of income from this aspect of the visual arts. Fine Arts The term “Fine art” is reserved to describe categories of artwork traditionally judged to be most prominent in terms of aesthetic qualities, substantial content, originality and inventiveness. Painting, sculpture, architecture, graphic arts, and in recent times, photography and film-making, are all included in this category. The provision of the right environment can stimulate creativity and by extension benefit Barbados nationally and internationally.

One of the basic recommendations is for the Government to provide a building in which 25-30 studios can be accommodated. These studios can be of various sizes, very simple with adequate lighting. This building should be situated in a very accessible location such as the Garrison (the compound next to the CXC building would be ideal) to allow studio visits and at the same time serve as an outlet to stimulate sales. The studios can be rented to the artists subject to conditions governing the rental and operation of the studio. Legislation granting tax rebates on the purchase of artwork should also be considered by the Government. It is submitted that this is the only way in which to ensure the survival of Art Galleries and stimulate the sales that will in the final analysis provide artists with a means of making a reasonable income. Legislation allocating 1% of the total cost of new governmental buildings for art works should be implemented. Different models of legislation from a number of countries can be accessed for reference to determine the most suitable model for us.

Under the aegis of the NCF Art appreciation lectures have been given to the various communities. It is important that we liberalise and de-mystify art if we want the population to respond to it. Simple Art Appreciation lectures, with slides, showing people how to read a work of art would contribute to their understanding and appreciation of art and make them into the sophisticated consumer that Barbados needs. The Ministry responsible for Culture should also strengthen national participation in regional and international organizations. It is recommended that the curating of overseas exhibitions should continue and be expanded since Barbados’ visibility on a regional and international basis is imperative for recognition of the artists and

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by extension, Barbados’ cultural products. To gain even more exposure from these exhibitions consideration should be given to joining forces with the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. With additional contributions from these partners, the overseas exhibitions could be taken to many more countries thus providing Barbados and its visual artists with greater exposure. It is also recommended that all invitations to participate in national, regional and international exhibitions initiated by any government agency should be properly advertised.

Queens Park Gallery should be made commercially viable and in order to achieve this, it may be necessary to review the policy of staging one exhibition per month. Adequate training in marketing and business administration should be provided to artists and the importance of the provisions of the Copyright legislation in respect of reproduction of Works of Art should be drawn to their attention. This approach not only takes into consideration the intrinsic value of each of the visual arts options (Airport Art, Decorative Art, and Visual Art) but also seeks to incorporate a wider sectoral collaboration with Government Ministries and Departments as well as non-governmental organizations, all of which have overlapping interests in the field of the Visual Arts. This comprehensive approach to the different modes of visual expression and the training of arts professionals should go a long way with the help of the Government in the establishment of a flourishing visual art industry as a fundamental aspect of the cultural industries as a sector of the economy.

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NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART

For over fifty (50) years visual artists have been calling for the establishment of a national gallery of art and so, the establishment of the National Art Gallery Committee (NAGC) in 1998 was viewed by many artists as a step in the right direction. Three (3) potential models for the legal structure of the gallery were examined by the Committee: these were a non-profit company, a charity and a statutory entity. The proposed national gallery legislation was reviewed against legislation from Canada, Australia, Bahamas, Jamaica and Bermuda. The National Art Gallery Committee has developed a strategic plan for the years 2001 to 2006 to ensure that the proposed National Art Gallery becomes a reality. The Committee in this strategic plan, recommended the development and implementation of the infrastructure required to preserve and celebrate the unique visual culture of Barbados, build and strengthen alliances, develop a high degree of public awareness and stimulate artistic production in Barbados.

The new national entity will be a proactive response to a globalised world, in that it will be regarded as an inspirational environment in which Barbadians find a ‘mirror’ of themselves. The Committee is sensitive to the fact and has therefore embarked on a public education programme aimed at ensuring that future generations of Barbadians are aware and appreciative of the history of the visual arts of their country and the region, and become confident participants in the production of such works as part of the development of the cultural industries.

The National Gallery, is envisioned not simply as a singular building housing a permanent collection of artworks, but rather, as a satellite system of sister institutions which share a number of common resources and programmes. In this way the National Gallery can be integrated into community experiences in order to foster increased interaction between the visual arts and the Barbadian public. The role of the National Gallery will be not only to document and preserve the visual arts, but to promote and foster a healthy environment for their continued growth and development. This involves various stages of artistic production, public exposure and education, interpretive dialogue and marketing. All of these are mutually dependent. The success of the National Gallery will ultimately depend on the vibrancy of the artistic community (and vice versa). It therefore must take an active role in contributing to and stimulating this development.

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Education and Training Schools In order for the cultural capital of Barbados to be realised, developed and sustained as a major determinant in the development of a national consciousness there will be a need for a radical change in the curriculum and teaching methodologies employed at the primary and secondary school level. The development of cultural capital should be at the heart of any curriculum and so it is therefore vital that music, drama, dance, visual art and creative writing should become part of the core curriculum in all schools. Caribbean Examinations Council [CXC] should be mandated to create an examination which will allow students to choose two or three of these areas from which to develop their ideas and skills. Educational institutions and the business community need to be encouraged to find resources, physical, human and financial, to initiate Artist in Residence Programmes. In many countries residence programmes are the norm in schools, hospitals, businesses, cultural institutions, community centres etc. The Barbados Community College should be mandated to examine the needs of practising artists and run short and long term courses either on their own or in partnership with other cultural agencies to meet the flexible and varied needs of the visual arts community. The BCC and other cultural agencies need to examine the need for the provision of artists studios and specialist studios which artists can use as required e.g. Print Studio, Three Dimensional Studios, Flexible Exhibition Studios etc. Management of the visual arts The National Cultural Foundation is currently responsible for the development, training, promotion, and marketing of the visual arts in Barbados, regionally and internationally. The development of the visual arts in Barbados has suffered from a perceived lack of transparency in the allocation of what limited resources and opportunities have been available. One of the significant problems facing the management of the visual arts in Barbados is the lack and/or publication of any strategic development plan. With limited resources, the Government of Barbados, through its various cultural agencies needs to examine and set priorities on how it will meet these demands. With the establishment of the National Art Gallery Committee a dialogue has been established between government and cultural NGOs. It is hoped that such a dialogue will develop a model which will ensure the involvement of all stakeholders in the allocation of resources and opportunities to visual artists in Barbados. Such a management structure would be expected to:

Actively source regional and international opportunities - residences, training, exchanges, exhibitions, grants and awards, biennials etc

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Source funding for the production of catalogues and the commissioning of critical writing on Barbadian and Caribbean art.

Initiate local, regional and international marketing strategies - The NAGC, NCF and AICA SC are currently working on the first CD-ROM Contemporary Visual Arts Database.

Recommend initiatives to encourage the commissioning and acquisitions of works of art. Encourage and support artist-led initiatives. Facilitate duty free entry for equipment and materials for artistic production. Negotiate the reduction of VAT on equipment and materials for artistic production. Resolve the issue of VAT payable on works of art. Make recommendations to streamline the import / export procedure for works of art created in

the region. Negotiate with TV and Radio for the profiling of artists. Establish with other cultural agencies artist studios and specialist studios. Facilitate with other cultural agencies a wide range of artist in residence programmes. Facilitate the use of New Media for artistic production. Encourage the use of new technology for the promotion and marketing of works of art - web-

sites, on-line catalogues, CD-ROM presentations etc. Coordinate community based art appreciation programmes which address contemporary

Barbadian art. Make recommendations for the establishment of a registry of visual artists to agitate for a

reduction in Income Tax and National Insurance contributions, deductibles for equipment, materials and studio space, the provision of medical insurance, loans etc.

Issues:

1. Difficulty in gaining access to local raw materials in the absence of national policy to reserve them;

2. Prohibitive cost of imported raw materials (affecting masqueraders, fine artists, craftspersons);

3. Need for specialized institutions to build capacity (e.g. National Art Gallery, Conservation Centre);

4. Need to build capacity in Arts Management, Conservation, Curatorship and Art criticism; 5. Need to make art more accessible to the wider Barbadian public; 6. Need to educate artists and the wider public on the costing of art;

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7. Need to educate children in schools, the public and Corporate Barbados on the value of investing in art and art appreciation;

8. Need for development of community infrastructures to display art (i.e. lighting); 9. Lack of art for public consumption; 10. Need for greater documentation of artwork in public places; 11. Lack of authenticity in the design of costume bands; 12. Lack of design techniques; 13. Lack of local motifs in design of art and craft; 14. Lack of comprehensive formal training in photography.

Recommendations

1. National Policy designed to encourage the propagation of indigenous raw materials; 2. Reduce import duties on imported raw materials, fixtures and fittings; 3. Encourage import substitutions; 4. Establish a Conservation Centre; 5. Establish partnership with retailers to encourage displays and sales of local art; 6. Develop hire purchase systems in department stores to assist in facilitating the wider public

to buy local art; 7. Create a National Policy incentive that stipulates that 1% of cost of new public buildings

should be allocated for local art and benefit from a tax rebate; 8. Barbados Overseas Missions should be encouraged to mount annual art exhibitions

profiling Barbados’ art; 9. Each Mission should ensure that their offices and official residences are decorated with

local art; 10. Develop linkages between the agencies (BIDC, BCC, Barbados Arts Council, NCF,

National Art Gallery etc.) for more sustainable activity of visual arts at all levels; 11. Develop more community exhibition spaces; 12. Encourage artists to utilize the opportunities for their development through the BIDC, YES,

SBA; 13. Barbados should facilitate the hosting of international art exchanges locally to expose

artists to the diversity of media currently used in the visual arts; 14. Systematically document all public art until such time as the National Art Gallery is fully

established; 15. Expansion of photography training at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

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CRAFT & DESIGN IN THE CULTURAL INDUSTRIES The Barbadian Craft sector has seen some changes over the years. Originally, the production of crafts was the response to local needs for implements primarily practical but also decorative within the plantation society. Craft was produced often as a part-time income earning activity that complemented work in an agricultural setting. However, changes to the economy towards a tourism-based economy, coupled with access to cheaper imported products, have made the greatest impact on this sector. Initially the expansion of the tourist market created opportunities for the development of the souvenir products in various price ranges. This type of production created much employment within the craft sector. The improvement in Barbados’ educational services over the last four decades has however seen a greater number of graduates in Art & Craft, and armed with a high level of design skill, all choosing to enter the industry as a full-time career. Training in design, both locally and abroad, has provided these practitioners with opportunities to profile their crafts as decorative home furnishings, for the ready market that a growing middle-class provides. The current sector has a diverse group of practitioners that range from hobbyists to full-time career artisans. Skills range from highly amateur to highly trained persons. All groups have in common a heavy reliance on the tourist industry as their primary source of income. Opportunities and Challenges In spite of the ready market that the tourist trade provides for this sector, very little use is made of indigenous decorative items by the hotel sector in Barbados. With the notable exception of a few hotels, little effort is made by the majority of hotels to ensure that Barbadian craft products are well represented within their décor and their shops. The same criticism can be levelled at Government offices, at home and abroad, in particular, those of the Barbados’ Consulates and Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA). Few locals choose Barbadian made craft items as part of their general shopping for a number of reasons:

Few stores stock them as a matter of course, often only displaying them within souvenir departments;

There is ignorance by the general public to the diversity and high quality of local decorative items available on the island;

There is a lack of confidence in Barbadian goods;

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There is inadequate packaging and labeling of local products; The higher price often required due to costly inputs.

There is also a need to preserve traditional skills that are in danger of being lost. The Fine Arts Division at Barbados Community College has introduced a regular programme for sculptors that has resulted in resurgence in the use of coral stone. Its programme encourages creativity and develops designs skills among students. However, there is no formal programme that trains persons in the traditional crafts of Barbados. The following is therefore recommended:

An established apprenticeship programme that assigns students to top artisans/master craftsmen for a fixed period during which both trainer and trainee are remunerated for their efforts;

The facility for persons to practise and market their craft; The requirement of apprentices to practise their craft for a fixed length of time before becoming

eligible for the title ‘master crafts-men’; The establishment of this scheme along UNESCO guidelines for a “Living Human Treasures

System”, which would facilitate accessing of the requisite funding from this entity; It has been discovered that most artisans do not manage their business to the level required to experience real growth in their respective market share. Although most of the practitioners bring to their area of competence a passion for the art form that sustains their interest, they often have little patience for acquiring the type of skills that will assist in the growth of their business. In this regard, the largest and most successful craft businesses are those that have been able to combine the creative production and business skills. There is a need therefore for an entity that will offer management and marketing resources to artists in order to facilitate the growth of small craft businesses. The entity could be similar to the American based “Aid to Artisans”, which organisation facilitates the overseas marketing of craft products from various indigenous groups. It advises on design changes as needed by the different markets and facilitates large orders being shared by various small producers. The Barbados Industrial Development Corporation (BIDC) currently offers some assistance in this regard but its reach and impact appears limited. The Barbados Crafts Council, as the entity that promotes this aspect of the creative industries, is still circumscribed by under-funding and needs to be equipped with a suitable secretariat to fully represent the needs of its membership. Unlike the Barbados Arts Council, the Barbados Crafts Council does not receive a subvention from Government, even though it has received some support from the BIDC towards its establishment.

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The Barbados Manufacturing Association has also made initiatives to attract crafts persons into their fold with mixed success. Special rates for this group at the annual BMEX show and the encouragement of a lobbying group have been their contribution in recent years. The National Cultural Foundation has coordinated community-based training in crafts since its inception. These have taken the form of workshops and have benefited persons from all walks of life with no requirements for participation other than an interest in the specific area of training. Persons from these workshops who show promise, and range from age 16 to 30 have been recently channelled into an extended programme called Youth Achieving Results (YAR), which refines technical skills while introducing participants to principles of entrepreneurship. This collaborative programme with the Division of Youth Affairs of the Ministry of Education, offers further traditional support to graduates wishing to make a living from their respective discipline. It should be noted that as a community-based programme, the most critical issue facing it is access to central spaces for the conducting of classes. The closure of the Queen’s Park Gallery for renovations has further exacerbated an already challenging situation. The NCF also offers assistance in marketing of craft via its management of the island’s largest annual craft market held during the Crop Over season. The access of many crafts persons to design skills is also limited. Indeed, many practising artisans have never benefited from formal design training and too frequently produce the same item in the same style year after year, regardless of changing trends. The BIDC’S Design Centre in its early days initiated design projects that saw professional designers assessing established craft items and designing new products that would utilize similar processes for the artisans to produce. It is submitted that this type of design service needs to be established as a regular feature of the support offered to the craft sector, along with the design of packaging and marketing tools for the group (currently offered to some extent by BIDC). The provision of this service would also address the need for several trained designers to find regular design employment as opposed to working in another sector, such as education. There is a general need for structured links between the various institutions that offer some form of crafts/arts/design training in the island. Much of the work done at the community level is duplicated with no clear path to connect informal activity with formal activity, or to link this training to the job market. Furthermore, severe shortage of raw materials at certain times of the year often prevents several artisans from completing orders on time. It is therefore recommended that a policy of propagating certain species of plant material be adopted. Additionally, access to technology needs to be urgently

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addressed if the sector is to survive in a more competitive global environment. Heightened training and access to training opportunities overseas (as facilitated by the BIDC) will be critical to the survival and adaptation of the sector.

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ARCHITECTURE IN BARBADOS The profession of Architecture in Barbados is governed by the Barbados Institute of Architects whose objects are to advance and encourage the profession of architecture by promoting public interest in the art and profession of architecture. The practice of architecture includes the profession of technicians and draftspersons who assist and carry out many of the tasks of the architect, such as drafting and on site inspection. The Architects Registration Act passed on April 17, 2003 regulates the construction industry to protect the public and establishes an Architects Registration Board to regulate the practice of architecture by articulating acceptable standards for the industry. Architecture is an art, science and business. It has been called the mother of all arts as it embraces and includes painting, sculpture, music, poetry, dance and drama. The multi-faceted nature of the discipline makes it difficult to define. It is crucial however for good design as a means of enhancing the environment and improving the quality of life within societies like ours. It is recommended that architects conceptualise and develop creative towns to serve as development models for a vibrant and culturally rich community. The creative town initiative should have the following objects:

Unleash the creativity in all persons involved in the scheme; Integrate arts, culture, design, business and technology into community planning; Enhance the idea-generating capacity and entrepreneurial qualities of the community through

training programmes, physical and virtual infrastructure schemes; Promote community bonding, local pride and participation through arts and cultural evens and

festivals and the employment of media technologies. An example of how this concept can be developed is the utilization of design and architecture as a basis for the celebration of the 375th Anniversary of Bridgetown. It is recommended that architecture should be used to give effect to the cultural and heritage characteristics of the towns of Barbados as part of heritage tourism initiatives. Buildings and the environment should be complementary and give appropriate recognition to the mores and cultural heritage of the country.

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN CULTURAL INDUSTRIES

It is recommended that for cultural industries to develop within Barbados there will be a need to utilize project management as a tool in the process. The main challenges will be:

1. To develop a proper framework and put a workable and scalable infrastructure in place. 2. That framework should determine the best segmented approach and create a model that

maximizes and /or interfaces, centralization and decentralization. In other words, there should be a centralized body responsible for policy, even if the management of the subsets is decentralized.

3. Getting the private sector and the public sector to trust each other and better coordinate their efforts will also be a challenge.

4. Much too often, the artist is his or her own manager, and though the artist may not be totally unskilled in management, a lot of the time that can be better spent on the creative process, now has to be diverted to daily routine general management and administrative tasks.

Financing the Industries It should be noted that donor countries throughout the world are exploring and exploiting their own cultural and creative industries. It is submitted that there are five points that must be considered if Barbados is to develop its own cultural industries.

1. Enablers must be put in place that will allow the creative process a space to organically develop.

2. More schemes of cooperation between all the sectors must be explored, the ultimate objective being to reduce cost and duplication of effort.

3. It is clear that Barbados cannot afford to build a new cultural infrastructure. Therefore it becomes imperative that existing institutions and agencies be utilised.

4. There is evidence that those societies that better manage their time and their information better manage their projects. Barbados needs to become more serious about time and treat it as a resource and start to build a society that respects information and converts that into knowledge.

5. The other dimension to the solution is the need to work on the variables we are capable of controlling.

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Building the infrastructure Figure 1 The above model has two main drivers: these are community development and participation and education. The educational system must play a role in sensitizing our young people to the viable option of careers in the cultural and creative industries. Once this is achieved, the existing small business development infrastructure can be used to support business in these industries in order to generate employment and exports. However, the model must be guided by political will, leadership and vision out of which the collective pool of technocrats and artists will create strategies and plans to take us forward. This must then be supported at the base by sound policy and/or legislation, partnerships in the private and public sectors and properly managed projects from the national to the communitarian right down to the level of the sole proprietor and artist.

• If we are to start to break the dependency cycle mentioned above, it is important that our policies do not overlook the role that technology has to play. Any model created must incorporate e-commerce, the Internet and technology at every step of the process.

• Multidisciplinary programmes, at the college level must be created to empower artists and give aspiring ones the hope for the future and a chance at receiving a quality education. There is a definite need for more degree programmes in the cultural and creative industries. It is also time to amend the curricula across the island to extend the existing Arts programmes, destigmatize involvement in the Arts in schools and reward students with grades and certification if this is their chosen path life.

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• There may not be a need to build new facilities. With just over twenty secondary schools, government should lobby the private sector to transform existing school halls into multi-purpose facilities to promote art and culture within the system.

• Existing festivals need to be transformed into international competitions which can lead to the following:

o Increased exposure for our local artists at a globally competitive level. o Improved standards and quality o Increased tourism o More international visibility for local artists o An enhanced reputation for Barbados as a cultural centre o Improved project management skills.

However, there is a need for a bridge between the grant seeker and the donor; the business artist and the market; support needed and service rendered; and ultimately there is a need for more dialogue and coordination between the private and public sectors. It is submitted that the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) is best poised to act as enabler and intermediary between the demand and the supply. The role of the NCF therefore should be that of coordination, central planning for the development of cultural industries, lending and selling project management services to the artists, policy development and locating project financing by acting as a conduit between the funding agencies and the business. Figure 2

Grant seekers

Services offered

NCF asNCF asIntermediaryIntermediary

CoordinationCentral Planning

Project Mgmt Policy Dev.

Locating GrantsFacilitator

National HostEnabler

Business Artists

Private sector

Support needs

Donors

Markets

Public sector

Demand Enabler Supply

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In addition to the NCF’s role as enabler, the NCF should also be so structured in a way to ensure that it becomes the region’s leading intellectual think tank in the cultural and creative industries, providing consultancy and advisory services to the region and with officers posted abroad at foreign missions with the aim of attracting foreign direct investment into Barbados for the development of these industries. This should be the role the NCF for the 21st Century. However, as the model in figure 1 suggests, for such an undertaking to occur, government’s role must be critical. The following are some of the recommendations that can be built into existing infrastructures:

1. Tax write offs should be given to businesses who make a five (5) year commitment to support

the cultural and creative industries 2. Duty free imports for inputs into the cultural industries to help reduce the high cost of

technological inputs 3. VAT exemption for all cultural events 4. A special bond issue to support the music industry 5. Invite international studios to set up in Barbados with the same tax incentives given to

manufacturers 6. Create incentives for international companies who provide scholarship funds towards the

development of the arts The Project Management Solution

• Any national strategy and/or programme should follow the guidelines of project management using the Logical Framework Approach. The considerable expertise which was developed with the Edutech experience should be utilised to develop a similar all-embracing programme for the advancement of the Cultural and Creative Industries in Barbados.

• There is a need for the standardization of methodologies and approach for grants and financing in all the donor agencies and financiers in Barbados.

• Project Management should be applied to all the sectors in these industries and the example should be set by the NCF as they manage major national events.

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• Coming out of this, the NCF should be developed to become a hub and create a Cultural Project Management Office that will eventually provide these services to the entire gamut of the cultural and creative industries in Barbados.

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FILM POLICY Analysis of Audio Visual (AV) Production Industry in Barbados Background The video industry in Barbados encompasses production formats such as television commercials (TVCs), long format television programmes, event videos such as weddings and promotional, training, and music videos. For the purposes of this analysis, clarification needs to be made between film and video. With the advent of technologies such as High Definition TV, the lines between film and video quality have become significantly blurred. For example, the most recent “Star Wars” movie was filmed with High Definition cameras, and even though classified as a “film” for movie goers, was technically a video. It should be noted that there is currently within Barbados almost no local film production. Consequently, for the purposes of this section, the term video will be used to include instances where film is actually contemplated. Unlike many of the other cultural industries in Barbados, a number of business-oriented production companies are already established in this area. What is required therefore from government is not so much investment in plant and equipment which would essentially compete with the industry government is seeking to develop, but rather financial and regulatory assistance to allow private sector entities to undertake investment in order to profitably satisfy demand for facilities and equipment. The industry as a whole may be divided into three main categories: 1. Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation [CBC]

CBC recently celebrated its 40th anniversary of broadcasting, serving its aims to educate, inform and entertain the Barbadian public. CBC is the sole television broadcast station in Barbados and has to balance the sometimes conflicting demands of providing entertainment and news for viewer, community and industry, with the need to maintain financial accountability and cost-effective programming for advertisers. Airtime costs and their impact on independent programming are discussed later in this section. CBC also provides television production for Barbados. Programming includes game shows, talk shows, children’s programmes, cultural programmes and news and sport. Government provides informational programming and advertisements to CBC through the production department of the Government Information Service (GIS). While it is sometimes felt within the industry that the quality of CBC’s productions may at times fall below the acceptable standard of independent production

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companies, CBC must be recognized for its producing of a sizeable volume of programming and continues to be a dynamic organization. It is suggested that one of the major changes to the industry recently has been CBC’s willingness to outsource production.

2. Production Companies

The majority of broadcast work produced by the independent AV production houses in Barbados is television commercials (TVCs) for advertising agencies rather than programming content for local broadcast since this latter option is deemed by the independent production houses to be not financially viable. One or two independent producers have looked outside of the Barbadian market for broadcast production, but this has been more the exception than the rule. Although TVCs provide short term guaranteed payment, they do not necessarily aid the development of the audiovisual industry in Barbados. Longer format, developmental or prospective projects, which could yield to both company and the industry a greater financial return in the long run, are generally foregone due to this opportunity cost. An audiovisual production company needs to be of sufficient size and stability in order to take on such projects. Financial and regulatory action on behalf of Government could assist is this matter.

The industrial video market is defined by projects not intended for broadcast and paid for directly by the client. These include corporate training videos, recording and duplication of conferences and religious events, higher quality wedding videos and sports. The demands of industrial video clients are for the most part provided for by freelance camera operators and small production companies, and the demand for these types of services is on the increase. This is a viable market and serves as a good incubator for future broadcast talent. 3. Freelance Camera Operators

This sector of the industry is more informal. There are a multitude of freelance videographers and editors, ranging from hobbyists through to professional cameramen, and these technicians are used regularly by the main production houses and CBC. It is submitted however that there is a need for greater clarity and regulation of this part of the sector to effectively separate professional from amateur. Incentives for developing the industry for example, should benefit those who need it most, and such incentives would help to encourage sole-proprietors to establish more formal business structures so that government could realise proper registration and at the same time benefit from their compliance with taxation and national insurance laws.

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SWOT Analysis The following strengths have been identified in the Barbadian AV production industry:

• The video and film production industry is a growth industry

• It possesses a core group of skilled, committed, knowledgeable and professional staff

• There is a willingness on the part of companies to invest in equipment and up-skilling

• There is a willingness on the part of some companies to travel internationally to attend industry events and attract business to the island

• CBC’s increase in production outsourcing

• The recent interest in locally-produced films. The weaknesses affecting the development of the AV production industry are as follows:

• Limited local market size

• Economic viability and programming content

• Over reliance on Government to provide equipment and facilities

• Lack of sufficient equipment for foreign production companies’ use

• Prohibitive cost of importation of equipment compared to production pricing

• Duration of duty clearance: Companies have lost international contracts in the past due to delays.

• Improvement needed in quality and quantity of training

• Lack of locations for set and studio work

• Inconsistency within the industry regarding registration with Corporate Affairs, VAT, Inland Revenue and NIS.

The following opportunities have been identified:

• Barbados is attractive to foreign crews as a location destination due to its climate and scenery.

• Barbados’ proximity to the North and South America markets

• Barbados’ ability to produce high-quality content – the majority of CBU awards are won by Barbadian firms.

• Marketable pool of resource materials and technical expertise

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The following threats have been identified:

• Other Caribbean islands, notably Trinidad and to a lesser extent Jamaica, are well under way to developing a full scale video and film production industry. Barbados will have to compete directly with these and others for overseas productions.

• Cost of keeping up with expensive technological advances and competition that can afford to do so

• Inadequate financial support

• Inadequate Government regulation and policy Market Considerations Independent production companies have over the years tended to shy away from producing local programming because of economic viability and instead, have opted to produce television commercials (TVCs). Longer format programming and developmental projects are generally foregone for the opportunity cost of the short term guaranteed payment of producing a TVC, even though the former projects could yield a greater return in the long run. This is largely due to the industry’s preoccupation with recouping the entire cost of a production upfront, rather than looking at the production as having a residual value. Prohibitive airtime costs also play a major role in this issue. It should be mentioned however that CBC has been working tirelessly to improve this and other issues affecting local production. A recent policy decision by CBC to outsource some of its production provides an immediate solution to the issue of local programming, even though it has no official budgetary allocation. The move is welcomed by independent producers and creates a win-win situation for the industry, where the independent producer is encouraged to produce high quality programming at a competitive cost, which benefits the broadcaster. For example, high volume events such as Crop Over were outsourced in 2003, with the result that programme pricing was reduced significantly due to volume. It must be emphasized, however, that there are major differences in the cost of production for live-switch shows, where the programme is filmed and edited (“switched”) in real time, and post produced shows where scenes are shot across varying locations and dates and edited together at a later date. The majority of local programming falls into the former category, with the primary genre being talk shows. For other types of format to become prevalent, cost implications need to be understood and additional value demonstrated.

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CBC currently employs a commissioned model rather than an open-market one. Currently if a producer has difficulty selling a series he/she has produced, CBC will suggest that he/she purchases the air time and find sponsorship. However, due to prohibitive airtime costs, underwriting programmes is an unattractive option for corporate sponsors. Production companies are in the business of producing content and do not necessarily have the skills or contacts to solicit multiple advertisers, which is something CBC has the capacity to do. In addition, the price which is often demanded by many local production companies impacts significantly on CBC’s willingness to buy local content. Most producers are interested in a one-time payment for the programming and have not developed the understanding of residuals that have taken place in the local music industry. While admittedly, there are certain types of programmes which will have little or no residual value, such a focus would lead to the creation of programmes with a wider target market, not limited solely to the local one. If CBC wishes to continue applying a commissioned model, production could be outsourced to an independent producer, and paid for by CBC, which would then have responsibility for soliciting the advertising. In an open-market scenario, independent producers would sell CBC ideas and content. In any event, it is recommended that airtime costs should be reduced or even waived where the programming is for local content. Overseas experience could assist in an analysis of how to reduce airtime costs. Commercial airtime rates in one of our Caribbean neighbours for example are approximately 50-75% lower than Barbados and the number of TVCs produced is higher. Almost all advertising campaigns in that Island include a TVC, as compared to Barbados, where only the high-budget campaigns include television. However, that island’s television comprises three separate channels, two private and one government owned, and the competition fostered therein is the driving force behind this lower cost. This scenario can be retraced over and over in the Caribbean. Barbados however, has a strategic advantage due to the calibre of production houses that resulted from industry necessity to concentrate on quality rather than quantity. The move by CBC towards new channel space will certainly open up the availability of airtime, however, the increase may be too great in a single instant and will leave local production lagging as it shifts and expands to deal with volume production. Investment In order to combat the prohibitive cost of producing programming content for local broadcast and to aid industry development, there is a need for investment. This should be provided through non-competitive means. An approval committee for film/video projects needs to be created to evaluate bids of programming concepts through pre-specified criteria and to allocate such funding. As a consequence, funds would be used locally to produce content, enabling private sector companies to improve the

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quality of their equipment, increase employment within the sector allowing the industry to reach a critical, self-sustaining mass. Currently the cost of upgrading equipment to an international standard is prohibitive, yet in order for the industry to develop and become internationally competitive, companies must acquire such technology. Unfortunately, the Barbadian market is not sufficiently large or sophisticated to warrant charging the prices necessary to recoup such a cost. A United States company that has acquired a high end camera, for example, can charge a sufficient amount for a project so that the cost of the camera is recouped within a couple of projects. However, a Barbadian production house, which is charged the same amount for the equipment, needs a year’s worth of projects to recoup such a cost. The difference needs to be noted between investing in production, which will result in increased equipment for the company, and investing in equipment, which has no flow- on effect. While the initial capital for such investment may be government funded, private enterprise will be encouraged to provide funds through tax incentives. As such, the announcement of an endowment fund for cultural industries is greatly welcomed, because it will encourage private investment in not only the audiovisual production industry, but the cultural marketplace of Barbados as a whole. Few production companies look to a market wider than CBC. Regional and international marketing is needed, as certain programming content has value beyond Barbados, but companies have neither the contacts nor the know-how to tap into overseas markets for production or broadcast. Government’s role as facilitator could assist in this process. It is arguable that should Government provide equipment and facilities to its own governmental enterprises that this would most likely have a negative impact on the video industry. Government’s role should be to provide regulatory and policy support, and not to directly compete with the production houses which it is seeking to develop as an integral part of expanding the industry. However, such a position must be taken only where it is clear that the production companies will provide the necessary impetus required for development and expansion of the sector. It is felt by many of those persons within the industry that the consequence of Government investing in equipment and facilities when there are private sector companies willing to do so will be to create a competitive rather than supportive environment, with Government competing directly with private enterprise. The issue of financing equipment is one of the major challenges limiting the growth of the industry. Commercial banks will not allow any of the equipment owned by such companies to be used as

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collateral and as a result, capitalisation needs to exist in other forms, which severely limits both the size and rate of expansion for an audiovisual company. International production International productions, whereby overseas crews come to film in Barbados or overseas production companies hire local crews, are of enormous benefit and potential to Barbados. The rental of video and general equipment brings in revenue, and the experience gained by local crew involved is significant to the development of the industry. The lack of sufficient high-quality equipment in Barbados is one of the biggest concerns of foreign production companies. The cost of shipping equipment to the island for filming and labour costs, combine to make Barbados an expensive destination. Barbados competes directly with locations around the world of similar appearance such as South East Asia and the Mediterranean. Labour costs in Barbados are already higher than in such places, however, measures in terms of provision of equipment could still give the island the upper hand. Improving and increasing equipment available is paramount to developing our international competitiveness. In addition to providing equipment and becoming more competitive as a video destination for international production companies, the issue of VAT needs to be addressed with regard to foreign production. Currently local production companies are required to charge VAT on work provided for overseas crews. VAT is non-refundable for these crews so this policy has the immediate effect of making Barbados a more expensive destination for filming. The economic benefit resulting from foreign productions would more than offset any losses from VAT if this policy were to be altered. Currently there are no duty-free concessions for the importation of equipment, and duty charges render the acquisition of new equipment prohibitive. It is recommended that duty concessions be provided for the importation of equipment for video production companies. Many freelance producers and small production companies are not registered with the VAT department, Corporate Affairs, Inland Revenue or NIS. It is our recommendation that an incentive such as duty-free importation of equipment would encourage them to do so. The Customs Department has been extremely cooperative regarding bonds and temporary importation of equipment for foreign productions. However, the entire process of importation is a lengthy one and started from scratch each time. Duty clearance for the importation of equipment should have a blanket

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clearance and not be processed on a case-by-case basis. The ability to have floating bonds for companies who regularly handle overseas production and a precisely defined process applied consistently would greatly improve the situation. There is a need to police customs clearances to prevent misuse of concessions, and it is recommended that either the Recording Industry Association of Barbados (RIAB) or a similar body for video and film be established for the purpose pre-approving and subsequently spot-checking such concessions. An alternate route, not well known in the industry, is the Small Business Development Act, which provides many incentives for compliance. There is currently only one production company approved under this Act, and the duration to be approved (which is over 12 months) reduces the willingness of other companies to seek such assistance. Fast tracking approval would have a positive effect for cultural industries in general. Training In order to assist growth in the industry, there is a desperate need for improvement in the quality and quantity of training offered. Training needs to be both practical and vocational, and courses need to be specifically tailored, rather than included in a more general course. Currently there are two courses running at the Barbados Community College, the BA in Graphic Design and the Associate Degree in Mass Communication which last for four years and two years respectively and teach video production for only a small portion of this time. These courses are essentially duplicates of each other and should be merged and the existing equipment pooled. A ‘hands on’ approach to learning video is crucial, not only for understanding the complexity of audiovisual theory, but also in developing precision in manual skills to operate the equipment. Although high-end equipment is not necessary, a minimum amount of equipment is needed per student head to allow such a ‘hands on’ approach. Currently, the tutors of such courses must on many occasions bring in their own equipment with which to teach. Dedicated facilities need to be established, and it is recommended that the former AVA studios on Two Mile Hill would be an ideal location for training. Apprenticeship is an excellent way for students to gain invaluable experience in a live environment, and although there are production companies and advertising agencies already offering such opportunities, the volume could be increased. In many cases, the increase in skill sets for both those looking towards a career in this field and those already in the industry is closely linked to the availability of international standard equipment and facilities. The providing of correct tools is crucial for audiovisual companies, as it is impossible to have

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crews trained in the operation of certain equipment if they have never seen nor had the opportunity to work with it. It has been identified amongst practitioners that there is a knowledge gap with regard to Copyright. There are many companies which misunderstand copyright issues, and the current gentleman’s agreements that exist often do not comply with legal realities. Moreover, there is a lack of education geared towards a “bigger picture” approach, and so producers often favour short-term rewards over investment-initiatives, which have considerably higher potential for returns, but over a much longer time frame. There is a critical lack of locations for set and studio work. CBC has two studios, which are in constant use, and the AVA studios comprise of a large room with outmoded equipment and insufficient sound - proofing. Again, government support and private enterprise funding is crucial for the development of the industry as a whole. Film Policy Framework for attracting foreign films and location filming It is submitted that a Barbados Film Industry targeting the attracting of foreign film companies and projects can commence with minimum investment on the part of the Government into a film business operation designed to repay the investment, provide employment and make profits from overseas sales of films. This is separate and distinct from the Barbados Location Film Commission, which is a service facility not designed to make profits. The film industry as proposed also does not take into account the work currently carried out by local producers within Barbados, which the Task Force believes should be treated separately. The following is an outline of an Action Plan for the establishment of a national Film Policy. The Film Policy Framework and proposed Action Plan encompass the following:

The establishment of Film Entities; The creation of a governing Fiscal Policy; The implementation of legislative measures; Funding: Sources and Uses.

I. Establishment of Film Entities:

It is anticipated that the recommended Film Entities to be established would be part of a proposed company to be called “Cultural Industries of Barbados (CIBI). Within the proposed structure, CIBI

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would be affiliated to the National Cultural Foundation. The shares in the Film entities would be held by the company Film Industries of Barbados Inc (FIBI) which would be in turn a subsidiary of CIBI and would be incorporated for the sole purpose of producing income from film-making. FIBI ould operate under two separate divisions:

Division 1: FILMTEL BARBADOS FILMTEL BARBADOS would be an investment-in-film-projects company and not an investment-in-film company and would arrange for the funding for various film projects and activities. Division 2: BARFILM PRODUCTION This would be a Film Production company that makes and produces films for sale overseas and distribution locally. It is anticipated that with the growth of film within the country, there will eventually be local film and TV production companies involved in the production of films as well. The structure of the industry would allow for these projects to be funded from FILMTEL BARBADOS provided that the projects have some income generating prospect. The Film and Media Commission would offer a valuable service in that although it would not make money for itself, it would be capable of bringing foreign exchange into Barbados. Governments generally provide such a service in order to induce film producers to come to their country to do their filming. It is recommended that the Film and Media Commission be staffed by experienced persons, and in the event that there should be a need for additional manpower, tha such manpower be obtained through out-sourcing to independent providers until the industry develops to such an extent that there are requests from film and TV companies from overseas for location filming. II. Fiscal Policy:

All donors to an Endowment Fund would be eligible for tax benefits. In order to provide the income to encourage local film making, Government can institute levies on certain aspects of the industry: Income Source Issues: The imposition of a Levy on blank videotapes/audio tapes and cinema tickets such levies to be paid to FIBI.

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Other Issues: Lottery – A portion of funds derived from the Barbados Lottery Funds should be utilized to capitalize CIBI. III. Legislation:

International:

A film/TV co-production TREATY should be negotiated with Canada and the Canada TREATY template should be used to negotiate co-production treaties with other countries. It is felt that the more countries that Barbados is able to conclude treaties with the more likely will be the possibility for Barbados to attract co-producers from other countries for Barbados location shooting. Local:

Legislation allowing charitable donations to a Cultural Endowment Fund to obtain a tax break must be enacted. Although Barbados is a small country, it can create an enterprising niche for itself in the film-making world.

Sales Income: FIBI would make commercial films and TV series with the objective of generating sales income from overseas. Sales’ rights for different outlets would be exploited over time. (cinema, video, DVD, PPV, Pay TV, cable TV, broadcast TV and TV re-runs.) IV. Funding: Uses Of Funds FILMTEL BARBADOS A film has at least four key funding stages. It is important to have funds available for each specific stage. One film project may require funds for only stage 3; another may require funds for only stage 4. Each stage has its own criteria for selection and for payback. One set of rules does not fit all situations. This is the optimum way to protect investors’ funds and yet to allow films to move forward towards international success. The Four Funding Stages: Film Script and Project Development Funding Pre-production Bridge Loan Funding Production Investment Funding International Marketing Funding

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Each of these fund stages is detailed in Schedule 3. FILMTELBARBADOS – Script & Development Funding At this early stage, a writer is not normally paid for writing scripts. All scripts must be written ‘on spec’. But FilmTelBarbados should only provide funds for further work, and only if the script has commercial potential. Pre-production Bridge Loan Funding: At a certain stage in the process, the film is moving toward a shoot date but all the paperwork has not been completed to release the funds (no money is released for production until all the money is committed and contracted). Yet, the film must start on a set date, and so a bridging loan is required to continue to do budgeting and costume making until the production money is released. This bridging loan will attract very high interest rates at the time of repayment of up to 35% when the film’s funds are

released.

Production Investment Funding: This Funding provides a small portion of the film’s production budget, (up to 25%), provided the film has commercial potential and the producer has brought in other sources of finance in the form of co-producers. This investment will be the last to be repaid but makes the largest profit if the film is a success. International Marketing Funding: Almost every independent producer thinks only of making the film and forgets about marketing it and the money required to do the promotion and marketing. Every film which receives funding should have marketing materials costs included in the Film’s Budget. If marketing costs are provided separately through funding, these will be repayable from first sales with a profit to FIBI of 15% to 30%. Indeed, FIBI may set up its own Marketing Materials Unit coordinated by an experienced person who will ensure that all the materials needed for marketing are prepared during the course of the production. The Unit’s time and costs will be included in the film budget. This Marketing Unit is needed since producers are often weak at marketing materials, despite the fact that this aspect of the film-making is so critical to recouping and making money in films internationally.

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V. Other Government Partners to Work with Film Industry The assistance each sector (film and tourism) can give each other is obvious. Education Facilities: BCC, Polytechnic and TYVET and UWI. CAIPO would provide the intellectual property protection, which is vital to protect film from piracy. Equally important, CAIPO would help to ensure registration is done so as to collect later royalties. There are eight (8) overseas collection agencies that collect royalties just for the music in films. It is therefore mandatory that Barbadian film makers register in order to participate in those funds for films. VI. Training and Apprenticeship

The film industry generally relies on apprenticeship to train its aspirants to the professional level. However, it is important that apprentices know:

- Vocabulary, - Basics of Equipment, and - Overview of the Total Process of making and distributing a film.

Training: The following courses should therefore be offered: 1. A Basic Film Introduction Course using ‘Show and Tell’ should be available to anyone at BCC,

the Polytechnic, TVET, UWI who is interested in film-making. No equipment is necessary at this first course.

2. A Practice Course should be available for those who want to get together as a crew in order to make short films. This would include everyone from cameraman, electrician, carpenter, set dresser, writer, director, editor, soundman, music composer, etc.

The equipment used could be a digital videocamera and a basic computer film editor. It is suggested that Barbados attempts to obtain from JVC or SONY headquarters a donation of cameras. At this stage the objective should be to have persons learn the basic fundamentals of storytelling on film in the cheapest way possible – that is, on tape, which can be used over and over again. Apprenticeship: Every film that accesses funding from the Film Industries of Barbados Inc must have at least 10 apprentices working with any professional crew. Furthermore, it is recommended that every film, every TV show, every advertisement accessing assistance from the Film and Media Commission be required to apprentice Barbadians who can then learn from practising professionals. This would obviate the need

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to have students having to pay high tuition fees overseas for this technical training. Most film people are willing to ‘help’ train new talent for no charge. The student for his part is expected to observe and to help his mentor, also for no charge. Television – CBC and PBC One of the best ways to develop film skills is to make small budget videos for showing on community cable TV or on local TV (CBC) at off peak times. A domestic video camera and computer digital editor ‘software’ are all that is needed. This keeps cost low while the talent (both above the line talent (creators) and below the line (crew)) is developing their respective skills. It also provides an outlet for the student’s work and gives the student delivery deadlines. Equipment and Facilities The basic ‘core’ equipment to make and edit a film using the latest technology is all that is needed at this time. A foreign film equipment expert is already preparing (gratis) the core items Equipment List and Costing for the NCF Business Development Department. This has been estimated at approximately $200,000 for one crew. A maintenance engineer will also have to be trained to do repairs to the equipment. Barbados does not need sound stages. It does not need Panavision cameras, lenses, processing laboratories, which are all incredibly costly. Location crews will rent, as always, from Sammies in UK or USA who also arrange repairs or replacements overnight for broken equipment. Barbados could never do this itself without a massive investment.

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CHARTS FOR FRAMEWORK FOR FILM POLICY Chart 1. Proposed Structure for Cultural Industries:

Cultural Industries of Barbados Inc. (CIBI)

Cultural Industries of Barbados Inc. (CIBI) [See Chart 6 for Funding Sources]

Film Industries of Barbados Inc. (FIBI)

Other Cultural Industries Example: Literary Publishing Company Culinary Arts Dance Music Stage Musical

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Chart 2. Proposed Structure for Film Industries

Film Industries of Barbados Inc. (FIBI)

Cultural Industries of Barbados Inc. (CIBI) [See Chart 6 for Funding Sources]

Film Industries of Barbados Inc. (FIBI)

Other Cultural Industries Film and Media Commission which provides a service for locations for film in Barbados

BarFilm Productions which makes films for profit and works with overseas co-producers

FILMTEL Barbados - investment funding for films for profit

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Chart 3. Framework of Film Policy

Cultural Industries of Barbados Inc. (CIBI) [See Chart 6 for Funding Sources]

Film Industries of Barbados Inc. (FIBI)

BarFilmProductions.

FilmTelBarbados. manages four (4) Funding Sources

Film Script and Project Development Funding 50% Return

Preproduction Bridge Loan Funding 35% Return

Production Investment Funding for Co-productions

International Marketing Funding to foreign buyers and distributors

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Chart 4. Proposed Structure for Film Industries

Film Industries of Barbados Inc. (FIBI)

Cultural Industries of Barbados Inc. (CIBI) [See Chart 6 for Funding Sources]

Film Industries of Barbados Inc. (FIBI)

BarFilmProductions A production company with:

1. seed money from government initially for operations and which

2. will co-produce by contract with an overseas entity

FILMTEL Barbados - investment funding for films for profit

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Chart 5. Film Funds of FILMTEL

FILMTEL Barbados -disburses (4) Film Funds at all stages to Barbadian films and co-productions

Film and Script Development Funding

International Marketing of Film Funding

Pre-Production Film Bridging Loan Funding

Film Production Investment Funding

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Chart 6. The Funding of CIBI: Sources of Funds

Cultural Industries of Barbados Inc. (CIBI)

Seed money from Government

“ACES” Investment Fund

Foreign Aid Organisations

Endowment for the Cultural Arts Entertainment

Lottery Share

Levy on blank tapes and rentals

Tax Incentive Credit

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PRINTED MATTER, PUBLISHING AND LITERATURE

Two of the biggest challenges facing our literary artists in Barbados are the absence of institutionalized incentives to write, and the lack of a qualified publishing entity. Serious writers, therefore, are forced to take on the role of the publisher themselves, or leave the island. The following points are instructive:

Absence of Incentives to Write Within Barbados there is a lack of emphasis placed on the importance of cultivating a healthy and productive body of literary artists. Today, most of our very good writers are forced to work outside of their art in order to make a living for themselves. There are few, if any, fellowships granted by our educational institutions to offer a financial bestowment upon a writer of worth so that they may write. There are no grants made available to those with obvious promise and literary talent to provide them with financial subsistence for them to work on Barbadian books. There is therefore a need to commission writers to document the traditions and folklore of Barbados, which are dying.

Absence of a Qualified Publisher

There are really only two qualified publishers in the English-Speaking Caribbean – Ian Randle Publishers Ltd in Jamaica, and the University of the West Indies Press. The following are some of the recommendations made to address this situation:

• Authors should be offered the facilities that international publishers offer – fully financed printing, the marketing of books once published and the distribution and follow-up.

• There should be a system set up whereby authors can submit their manuscripts for publication consideration. The decision body should be established by the NCF and should be totally independent, judging the worth of the manuscript based on its readiness for the marketplace (its marketability), its appeal to its target audience, and the quality of the work as a proposed publication.

• The National Cultural Foundation should establish this body as a profitable venture. It should be established to meet a definite need – writers need to have a body that will judge their work, accept it as a good investment, and finance it through to publication and then work diligently on its distribution and promotion.

• The Foundation Publishing should not be operated by just a printing staff and an accountant. There must be an editorial board of qualified editors, critics and writers (of relevant genres) to judge the manuscripts submitted; competent marketing personnel to get the books into stores and to promote their availability; and, of course, a production arm. The printing can be done by

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digital publishing companies – of which there are four (4) major ones in the world. The main things needed locally are the body that will accept manuscripts and consider their worth as a possible publication, the marketing/distribution arm that will get the books to the shelves and get the public interested in them, and a production department that will investigate layout options vis-à-vis costing and determine costing / number printed versus expenses incurred.

• Authors should be commissioned to write books – based on their book proposals or partial manuscripts, or based on needs of the education department of the island, other public or private sector agencies and national events.

• Foundation should establish a writers in residence programme, possibly in partnership with the UWI;

• Foundation should work in conjunction with the Central Bank to complement their Literary Arts Prize with a contract to publish award winners;

• The distribution arm of Foundation Publishing could also look to assist with the distribution of books produced by Barbadians but not printed by the Foundation. Stocking such books on the shelves of the Foundation Publishing’s bookstore could do this.

• Foundation Publishing should have its own bookstore

• Book stores island wide should be encouraged to maintain well-stocked, highly visible Barbadian Author shelves – maybe an incentive can be offered by government, or signage guaranteed at large festival events in exchange for such shelving.

• Foundation Publishing should be operated in partnership with a private entity to encourage profitability / economic accountability, and transparency in its operations.

• Foundation Publishing should also seek to have a web page or space on the NCF site. A list should also be maintained and sent to universities and public libraries worldwide, and the option to purchase from overseas and receive shipments of books should be made available to would-be customers.

Today, most printing jobs are done through digital technology, which allows for maximum economies of scale to be realized upon the printing of as few as 8 books. This is a tremendous leap forward for the publisher, who previously had to print about 1,700 copies to maximize the economies of scale. Once digital files have been created the printer no longer needs to maintain huge inventory numbers, and errors can be corrected very easily and cheaply. RL Donnelly is in fact one of our local companies that is affiliated with one of the major Digital printers in the world.

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Challenges and Limitations

Little institutionalized financial incentive to write seriously; Very expensive local printing options for writers who want to self publish; Absence of local publisher; Difficulty of marketing – many stores won’t even take a dozen copies on consignment as they

prefer to push the books in which they have already invested; Talented Literary Artists just cannot afford to dedicate the time to writing; The attraction of leaving (for a writer) to pursue opportunities overseas is very great; No educational posts available at UWI for Writer-in-residence programmes or writing

fellowships; No full-scale distribution arm of the NCF to encourage the sale of local books by local authors

Issues

1. Lack of publishing opportunities for local writers 2. Prohibitive cost of publishing materials 3. Lack of distribution channels and displays in local bookstores. 4. Lack of structured opportunities for creative writing in schools. 5. Minimal use of local material in the school curriculum. 6. Need for development in areas of prose, technical writing, playwriting, web content, radio

drama, commentaries, reviews and documentaries. 7. Minimum media support and coverage for literary arts events. 8. Lack of published critical analysis of literature. 9. Lack of accurate chronicling of our folklore. 10. Lack of acquisition of local and Caribbbean literature in local libraries and bookstores. 11. Absence of directory of Barbadian writers both local and overseas. 12. Need for artist management and development as well as resource persons in the areas of

editing and publication layout. 13. Low participation by young people in the literary arts

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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Education

Enhancement of existing arts education programmes and schemes at all levels to strengthen public awareness and local market demand;

Utilisation of arts, design and media within the school curriculum as learning tools for all levels of education;

Expansion of technical and artistic education at the level of the University of the West Indies, Barbados Community College, TVET, Erdiston Teachers’ Training College and Polytechnic to train more persons within the area of cultural industries;

Creation of National Performing Arts School as a precursor to the establishment of a National Performing Arts Company (the school will function as a part of the Barbados Community College and the University College of Barbados to attract students from Barbados and the OECS);

Establishment of Creative and Craft Centres to develop and formulate product design and quality control of artwork and craft;

Award of Fellowships and Scholarships at the University of the West Indies for persons working within the arts, design and media;

Implementation of literary arts programmes within the school system (primary, secondary and tertiary);

Enhancement of and increase in specialty training courses for persons practising in any aspect of the arts, arts criticism, design and media;

Tax/Fiscal Incentives

Increase the range of tax incentives offered to practitioners and investors in the area of cultural industries to encourage greater participation by the private sector and to develop a strong tradition of cultural philanthropy;

Grant tax incentives for individuals and corporations purchasing artwork made and produced in Barbados;

Grant tax rebates and exemptions to persons investing in projects within Cultural Industries or contributing to an Endowment Fund for the Arts;

Exclude from VAT revenues of non-profit companies;

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Funding Establishment of a Fund to promote the development and distribution of public art in Barbados.

(The fund would be used to commission or procure artworks in common areas like parks, recreational areas and public buildings);

Allocation of 1% of the total cost of new government buildings to the acquisition of local artwork;

Establishment of an Endowment Fund for the Arts to fund the development and promotion of the arts;

Harmonization of all existing funding mechanisms and eligibility requirements to permit access to reasonable levels of financing by practitioners within cultural industries;

Establishment of a fund to finance software development and design; Provision of venture capital for new enterprises in the area of cultural industries;

Institutions and Structures

Establishment of the National Gallery of Art; Establishment of a Cultural Project Management Office at the National Cultural Foundation to

provide project management services to the cultural industries in Barbados; Establishment of a National Cultural Resource and Documentation Centre housed at the

National Cultural Foundation to facilitate access to cultural information; Establishment of a Public Broadcasting Service for the Arts and Arts Education; Establishment of a Film Production Unit; Establishment of a Cultural Archive and Registry Institute (CARI) for lodgment of all creative

works produced in Barbados for posterity; Establishment of Heritage Research Centre within Barbados Museum to facilitate management

, conservation and interpretation of heritage resources; Establishment of a Festival and Events Bureau; Establishment of a Cultural Industries Marketing Unit to market Cultural Products and services

regionally and internationally; Establishment of statistical unit for measurement of cultural products and services; Establishment of a Publishing House at the National Cultural Foundation (Foundation

Publishing); Incorporation of Private/Public Sector company to promote, market and distribute cultural

goods and services in the area of film, dance and theatre arts, cuisine, visual arts and craft;

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Development and Expansion Expansion of overseas art exhibitions and participation in overseas biennials, triennials and

other exhibitions or competitive submissions; Enactment of the Antiquities Bill; Become signatory to the following international instruments: Convention on the Protection of

the Underwater Cultural Heritage, 2001 (UNESCO).; the Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, 1995 (UNIDROIT).;the Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2003 (UNESCO).; the new standard setting instrument on Cultural Diversity ( draft under preparation)

Development of information materials on cultural and heritage tourism for distribution; Development of heritage Tours and access to heritage sites throughout Barbados, particularly

in conjunction with World Heritage initiatives; Provision of performing arts spaces; Establishment of a Living Human Treasures Programme recognizing and giving support to

mastery in the arts; Establishment of an Apprenticeship Programme for students for persons in the area of

traditional crafts; Consolidation of all legislation impacting on the cultural industries in a single volume; Implementation of a regulatory policy within Customs Department and Barbados Port Authority

on the issue of importation of raw materials and cultural goods; Institution of international festivals and competitions in the area of dance, visual arts, drama

and literary arts; Provision and Enhancement of technical, production, distribution and marketing support by

governmental agencies to persons working within cultural industries; Establish writers in residence programme; Implement a comprehensive Writers in Schools Education [WISE]Programme to develop wider

youth participation in literary arts at the primary and secondary schools. Research and documentation of all Barbadian literary artists and publications. Produce documentaries on Barbadian writers. Develop national policy to encourage all school curricula to increase local literature to replace

some extra regional material available in schools and the National Library Service. Provide training in the rudiments of publishing for all writers. Provide sustained training at the secondary and tertiary level in areas of prose, technical

writing, playwriting and web content

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Expand the scope of published Barbadian works to include: colouring books, crossword puzzles, word and mind games, alphabet books and children’s anthologies.

Establish a Resource and Documentation Centre housed at the NCF to facilitate access to cultural information of all sorts.

Strengthen the Business Development Department in the NCF to cater exclusively to artist marketing and management issues.

Develop avenues or mechanisms to channel qualified arts professionals into areas of employment or entrepreneurial activity.

Develop avenues for the artist to practice their craft as a career, bearing in mind that all practitioners are not teachers.

Develop ongoing training for media personnel to help them to provide informed critical analysis of the arts.

Create a public broadcasting radio and TV station with the exclusive mandate of local and Caribbean educational and entertaining programming.

Document and disseminate an inventory of authentic aspects of Barbadian Heritage in order to ensure the integrity of its usage.

Strengthen the NCF’s resources to meet the expanded needs of the community it serves. Increase awareness of the parameters of copyright as they affect the arts (i.e. design,

intellectual property, choreographies, publication rights, electronically generated rights) Establish articulated plan and programme in intellectual property management.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Dr. Ikael Tafari Mrs. Lorna Garner Ian Douglas Merle Niles Nicole Clarke Carol Nicholls P.Antonio Rudder Katy J. Gash Andrea Wells Alissandra Cummins Adrian Cummins Gilbert Rowe Norman Barrow Gordon Ashby Denyse Menard-Greenidge National Art Gallery Committee Nick Whittle Francis DePeiza John Kidd McArthur Barrow Ian Walcott Allyson Leacock Ronnie Yearwood Mrs. Cynthia Wilson Chris Cooke-Johnson The National Cultural Foundation

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REFERENCES

Regional Cultural Policy of the Caribbean Community Member States, August 1994. The World Cultures and Globalization Project by Helmut K. Anheier. Cultural Policies and Cultural Diversity-Seminar moderated by Alissandra H. Cummins,

Barbados National Commission for UNESCO, Barbados. Creative Industries Development Strategy (Report of the ERC Services Subcommittee

Workgroup on Creative Industries. Discussion Notes for the National Task Force on Cultural Industries by Ronnie R.F. Yearwood,

October 2002. Baseline Study On Hong Kong’s Creative Industries- Centre for Cultural Policy Research, the

University of Hong Kong, July 13, 2002. Framework, Guiding Principles and Statement for a Cultural Policy, Summary of the Report of

the Advisory Group, June 2, 2003 (Ville de Montréal). Report on the Prime Minister’s Forum on the Cultural Industries. Agouda Report, 2002. Cropover Report, 1995. Global Alliance on Cultural Diversity. National Cultural Foundation National Consultation on Culture, April 2002. Proposal for the establishment of a National Dance School and National Dance Theatre

Company. The Cultural Industries in Wales: setting the economic development agenda-Cultural Enterprise

. Tax Incentives A major boost for cultural sector-http://www.dcita.gov.au/Article/0,,0_1-2_15-

3_359-4_13692,00.html. Preparing for the Digital Age: A Strategy for the Cultural Industries in the Caribbean- Keith

Nurse. Recommendations on the Preparation of Initial Offers in Services under WTO/FTAA

Negotiations- Report of the Cultural Policy Committee of the National Cultural Foundation. Central Bank of Barbados Balance of Payments of Barbados Report 2002. 2000 Population and Housing Census Volume 1. Towards Cultural Citizenship: Tools for Cultural Policy and Development-Colin Mercer. Culture, Security and Sustainable Social Development – Björn Hettne.

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Promoting Cultural Research for Human Development- Report from three seminars arranged by The Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation, Edited by Carl-Johan Kleberg.

Discussion Paper for National Consultation on Culture (Draft Plan of Action) Division of Culture, Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture Barbados, July 1996.

Cultural Policies in the Information Age the Library Perspective- Hellen Niegaard. Copyright Policy/ Rights & Reproductions Policy- The National Art Gallery: Institutional Policy

on Copyright and Rights & Reproduction Management prepared by Lesley Ellen Harris. The National Art Gallery of Barbados: Review of the Barbados Copyright Act, 1998 regarding

the Gallery’s Collection by Lesley Ellen Harris.