Artists/performers calling for their money

IT has been just over two months since Carifesta was held in TT where 2,000 people from 20 countries were registered to take part to showcase their country's culture, food and art. However, to this day, some of the local artists and performers who helped make the event a success have not yet been paid.

Artist and creator of reusable sanitary napkins Lily Pads, Amy Li Baksh, is one such person who said she has been given the runaround when she contacted the Culture and Arts Ministry about payment.

On her Facebook page, Baksh did not hold back as she related her plight: "These are the people who made your Carifesta happen. These are the people that Carifesta was supposed to showcase and celebrate and uplift. Months later they have not been paid for their work. Every person I speak to from the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts has said that the funds have not even been put aside yet. I wonder if the minister has been paid for the last few months. I wonder if the PS had been paid. Of course, right? So then why aren’t the artists and performers being paid when this entire ministry is supposed to be for the ARTS AND CULTURE????"

Baksh said she worked with fellow artist Darren Cheewah who did a mural for the youth village for Carifesta.

"I was assisting him, and on top of the fact they didn't organise half of the stuff they were supposed to organise to prepare for him to do his stuff, he has not been paid. Everybody who is trying to contact the cheques department at the ministry is getting bounced around and transferred. They are saying because of the budget, funds haven't been allocated as yet so nobody is getting paid. I called about four or five different people and that is the same story I am being told," Baksh told Newsday, yesterday.

Cheewah said the amount of money ($4,600) was not large, but he worked for it and found it disheartening because the runaround was ridiculous.

He said he signed several contracts and documents to ensure things were forwarded as soon as the job was finished.

"Even on the day of the job they were sticking and couldn't supply ply board and other materials. I had to bring my own paint. I used my vehicle to transport ply and scaffolding from the Grand Stand to the venue with the assistance of others. It was disheartening to hear people talk about how successful Carifesta was. All the directors got paid, people are patting themselves on the back, giving themselves a thumbs-up, good job, and all the people who were actually contributing to make the event happen – it's failure."

Cheewah said the explanation of no money allocated because of the budget was a "down measure" placed before them.

"They are not confusing me because poor people are not stupid. They have to work hard. I am not only worried about myself, but the amount of dancers who came out to rehearsals and couldn't even get water, simple things. It was almost against human rights. No one is supposed to work under those kinds of conditions. You are paying for your own transport to reach there, reaching there two hours in advance, you go to all the rehearsals and then months later, nobody can get their money?"

Another performer, who did not want to be named, said he was owed $8,000. He said he has stopped calling the ministry because they have simply stopped answering his calls.

When contacted yesterday, Culture and Arts Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said payments will be made as soon as consent was given for all invoices sent in. She said all payments were cut out because of the budget. She could not say how much was owed at this time, only that it was a matter of applying for the payments.