Reconsider The $2million Dollar First Prize Money
Wednesday 12th January 2011
In light of the current
controversial $2 million first prize money for major festival competitions in
2011, The Recording Industry Association of T&T (RIATT) is compelled to
make the following statement.
While we believe creative participants should be rewarded for their endeavors in any competition, we are asking the government to reconsider this premature proposal and redirect these allocated funds into long term activities related to the development of Arts and Entertainment sectors. We suggest the following:
$2 million proposed for Soca Monarch would go into the establishment
of an Arts Council. The T&T Arts Council will overlook: sector subventions;
the international grant search unit; scholarships; HR, Incubation Unit, among
other activities.
$2 million proposed for Chutney Soca Monarch would go towards strengthening
our human resource capacity in programs such as training in artiste management,
publicists, intellectual property, arts (cultural) administration etc. it’s
important to have a cadre of trained professionals operating within the industry.
$ 2million proposed for Panorama finals would go into the establishment
of a Related Rights Agency for Producers and Performers . A performance rights
organization whose mandate would be the collection of royalties on behalf of
producers and performers in the public performance and broadcasts of their recordings.
The industry loses an average of 7 million annually due to the non exercising
of related rights.
$2 million proposed for Calypso Monarch would go into establishment
of the long awaited cultural policy (Multicultural Policy). Funds would be utilized
as payment for draftees, roll-out of consultation process, public education
and eventual adoption.
$ 2 million proposed for Road March can be divided into $100,000 x
Twenty which can assist in the preservation of 20 newly established artiste
representative organizations.
RIATT is not proposing this in a vacuum, all of the above was proposed to the
current administration as part of a “Master Plan for the Arts” agreed
upon by some 20 plus Arts Cultural and Entertainment groups in T&T. We still
await government by in.
In conclusion, we should not allow government to play shoddy politics with Arts,
Culture and Entertainment by way of a proposal that adds absolutely nothing
to long term development of these industries but only satisfies an election
campaign promise that expires in one year.
For further information contact:
Fabien Alfonso
Email: info@riatt.org
1-868-707-0400