Barbados is moving to open up a new economic sector: a cultural industry that would take its place alongside tourism, financial services, manufacturing, agriculture and construction.
And when Parliament reconvenes next month after its summer recess, a Cultural Industry Bill, now in the final drafting stage in the Attorney General’s chambers, would be among the first legislative measures laid before the House of Assembly, according to Minister of Culture and Community Development Steve Blackett.
“The Cultural Industry Bill will be among the first draft of legislation that will be introduced in Parliament on its resumption,” Blackett told the DAILY NATION.
“It is really to create a new economic sector. The cultural industry is really the next frontier as far as we are concerned in the Government. We are going to provide opportunities for people who operate within the environment to practise their craft and hone their skills in an environment that’s supported by Government, and also with the enabling environment to give them the incentives to pursue their goals.”
The minister pinpointed duty-free concessions to artistes, designers and producers of arts and crafts as some of the incentives contained in the proposed legislation.
In addition, it would offer benefits to foreign movie and television producers. Just as important, Invest Barbados, the statutory arm of Government that seeks to attract foreign direct investment to the country, would link arms with the Ministry of Culture to make a direct appeal to foreign film-makers so they could use Barbados as a “shooting location” for major films.
“All of the inputs that would generate the kind of energy and infuse the kind of life into cultural industries are what we are talking about,” Blackett said.
Although the minister didn’t give an estimate of the number of jobs the industry would create, he said producers, directors, lighting specialists, technicians, sound and stage hands, “all the jobs you would see existing in North America and Europe, you would see those jobs coming to the fore with the development of a vibrant cultural industry”.
