NCF says stakeholder consultations a success

BIGGER PRIZE PACKAGESfor calypso competitions, a new look Bridgetown Market, a reduction in the price of stall spaces, preferential stall spaces for long standing crafts persons and two folk concerts and a gospel concert for Crop Over 2011 were among new initiatives announced by Minister of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth, Hon. Stephen Lashley, when he met at the first ever meeting held between all stakeholders of the Festival and a Minister of Culture.

This was a follow up to the inaugural meetings which were held with the various stakeholder groups with members of the then newly constituted board of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) from January 31 to February 10 2011.

A recent release from the NCF described the meeting as unprecedented and the fulfillment of a promise the Minister had made, following those initial stakeholder meetings, that he would meet representatives from the groups to hear their views and chart a path for a successful and controversy free Crop-Over Festival.

Reports from the meeting, which was held at his Ministry’s Warrens Complex offices recently, were that it was a fruitful one and many of the stakeholder representatives expressed appreciation at the fact that the Minister took the time to listen to their issues and respond to many of the suggestions which came out of the initial meetings with the Board and staff of the NCF.

Those represented included calypsonians, promoters, technical service providers, tuk and folk groups, craft persons, vendors, background singers and tent managers among others.

Minister Lashley started the meeting by reminding stakeholders present of the initiatives they had suggested during the previous meetings and outlined which of those initiatives had been introduced into Crop Over 2011.

Citing the background of a cash strapped economy, the Minister outlined efforts to ease stakeholders in their efforts during the Crop Over season, specifically the vendors who were given reductions in stall prices.

In addition, the Minister revealed the success in efforts to increase prize packages for calypsonians. As a result, there will now be two cars valued at $95,500 each for the Sweet Soca and Party Monarch competitions in addition to the car for the Calypso Monarch.  Furthermore, as stakeholders had suggested that the Party Monarch competition be given a different ‘feel’ this year, Crop Over officials have decided that for the first time this year that competition, within the Soca Royale event, will take place at night. The venue will again be the Bushy Park Racing Circuit.

Minister Lashley further outlined that the Foundation had heeded the call of stakeholders to partner with them in the promotion of their events.  As a result, he explained that the NCF is already advertising events on their official website – barbadoscropoverfestival.com. Further to that point, he urged promoters to make use of this facility.

Another major initiative introduced was the reintroduction of the folk and gospel concerts. As a result, this year these two genres of music will be a feature on the Crop Over 2011 calendar.

Minister Lashley also confirmed that the workshops which had been urged by the Tent Managers and Calypsonians had been conducted. The Calypso judging panels’ workshop, as well as the ‘first’ workshop at which Judges and Calypsonians met in consultations to discuss Rules, Regulations and Criteria, were staged at the Queen’s Park Steel Shed.  Additionally, the first ever Emcees’ workshop had been presented by Mr. Mac Fingall.

Thankful that some of the initiatives put forward have been introduced into the Festival, stakeholders also thanked the Minister for the opportunity to have a voice during the planning stages of the Festival and further suggested that the same stakeholders should be part of the post-mortem process of the Festival going forward.

The release concluded that the Minister agreed that ongoing dialogue with stakeholders was crucial to the success of the Festival and he reportedly reminded stakeholders that the Ministry and the Government were committed to ensuring that stakeholder meetings would be a constant feature in future Festivals. (PR)

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