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More of the recent past is retrogressive

Jun 14, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
Ruel Johnson’s letter to me, June,6 [D-Day] 2015 brought home to me the reality of CARIFESTA X11. Since I had concluded the discourse on Paloma, realising that truth and reason would not prevail in that arena, my focus lay in his legitimate argument on ‘The transparency of Secret committees dictating Cultural participation’ my interpretation.
I proceeded to Investigate and  I decided to call some Cultural professionals, who I assumed should have been invited, as these committees most likely were leftovers from the Frank Anthony era,to which neither myself nor Ruel should expect to be called.
But none of those to whom I spoke, who are of the contemporary school, were in the know or had been engaged. This Included Paloma Mohamed and some talented younger folk in the Visual Arts,  our fledgling film makers, drama, and local Literature. The current post elections administration is new, and should recognise that more of the recent past is retrogressive. Culture is not about the familiarities of social gatherings.  Nor does cultural development have room for dabbling, postulating, to protecting some income earning turf. This has been the theme for the past ten years, and I’m positive these particular [to quote you Ruel] Gate Keepers are intact,  and are ready to slither into the present and infect the future. The current Minister of Education is a participant of the Arts, and knows what I’m saying is true. He needs to address the Arts community publicly and introduce the secret committee to us, let us judge their credentials, as I’m hearing some names that are baffling, to evolve the logic as to why there’re there. I do look forward for a public Invitation.
Sunday June 7, Stabroek News, carried an advertisement  Inviting Arts practitioners to come and uplift forms, if they’re interested in participating in CARIFESTA X11. This is ridiculous. Who came up with that Idea? It’s Infra dig for any artist to now compete, and why compete?  This is essentially the problem, and not an ordinary problem, that the Department of Culture cannot extract from the best of Visual Arts competitions and exhibitions, top Dramatic plays, best Publications, Fabric productions and photographic Prints over the past five years, engaging artists if no such records exist, to find out what’s in studios, that just need a nudge to complete to make Guyana shine. Advertisements  like that are done for In-house competitions, not for an Ambassadorial expo like CARIFESTA. IT’S TIME ! Begin the process of transparency for progress.
Barrington Braithwaite

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