The Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture, Senator Arley Gill, led a two man delegation to Trinidad last weekend, December 12th, to explore opportunities for support for Grenada’s 2009 carnival. Senator Gill was joined by the newly appointed Chairman of the Grenada Carnival Committee (GCC), Mr. Colin Dowe. The discussions spanned both the public and private sectors as the team attempted to access resources and garner logistical support for Grenada’s carnival.
The two opened their trip by holding discussions with a delegation from the National Carnival Commission (NCC) headed by the Chairman, Mr. Howard Chin Lee, who is also the former Minister of Tourism of Trinidad and Tobago. The NCC is the governing body of carnival in the Twin Island Republic. Commenting on the reason for the mission, Gill stated “it is critical that as we work to develop our carnival product, we liaise with the mecca of carnival to seek training for our personnel and adopt best practices that can be implemented at home.”
In welcoming the visitors, Chairman Chin Lee pointed out that collaboration is the key for Grenada to become part of the carnival circuit and hence enjoy the benefits of the industries surrounding carnival. The three hour meeting was very cordial and resulted in the NCC agreeing to put together a team to conduct developmental workshops in Grenada beginning in March. Special attention will be given to the creation of traditional and fancy mas, especially for juniors. The NCC will also facilitate access for two persons from the GCC to join planning and execution activities for the 2009 Trinidad carnival. The GCC Chairman pointed out that while attending carnival allows one to enjoy the final product, it is critical for his Committee to get behind the scenes to be exposed to the nuts and bolts of delivery of a quality product.
The delegation also paid a courtesy call on Synergy television station, which is the highest rated entertainment television station in Trinidad & Tobago. The discussions with management surrounded the marketing of Grenada’s carnival in Trinidad and gaining access for Grenadian music videos to their airwaves. It was felt that this was crucial in assisting local artistes to penetrate the Trinidadian market. A platform for moving forward on both issues was established. It was agreed that these initiatives should be treated with the utmost urgency, especially in the face of Synergy being broadcast free to air from January and hence will significantly expand their viewing populations, including becoming available in Grenada.
In an effort to ensure that 2009 has an extended carnival season and not just a carnival weekend, discussions were also held with a number of promoters. Minister Gill pointed to the need for visitors to the Spice Isle to have a flurry of activities in which to participate, have fun and spend monies. He was unequivocal in stating that “the crux to a successful carnival is the build up and the more we can do to ensure there are quality events leading up to the second Monday and Tuesday of August the better for all stakeholders.” Both Senator Gill and Mr. Dowe were confident that this expedition will begin to bear fruit early in the New Year. .
