Repackaging Carnival

THE Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced the official cancellation of Carnival 2021 on September 28. The announcement has sent shock waves through the nation – many being torn between a want for a steady recovery from covid19 and the sadness of not being able to look forward to a season of events that embody the cultural wealth of TT.

Carnival stakeholders, the business community and the public are concerned about what cancelling Carnival may also mean for the economy which benefits greatly from the annual line up of events. What does the economy stand to lose by the government's decision to cancel Carnival?

The Carnival season was set to end with the annual street parades on February 15 and 16, 2021 – Carnival Monday and Tuesday respectively.

Entrepreneur and the brain behind Caesar's Army, creative director of Rogue, a band which falls under the Tribe group of bands, and a director of Carnicon (Carnival Conference) Jules Sobion said the Carnival industry brings in approximately $1 billion annually, according to a TT Promoters Association report.

"I don't believe we are maintaining immaculate data [so] it could be a little less or a little more – but that is generally said to be the ball-park figure. What it does indicate, however, is that this is a prosperous industry."

After the statement by Rowley, Sobion made a Twitter post stating, "It would still be most feasible to have a discussion about Carnival with all of its stakeholders on how we move forward with this decision that has been made. Do not discount the ideas that will come from the entities who are responsible for making this industry what it is...it is an entire ecosystem."

Sobion told Newsday the industry is supported by the creative industry and is confident those involved are more than talented and able to come up with creative ideas that could spare the nation complete loss of the season.

"The honourable prime minister said unless there is a wind of change, there will be no Carnival in February. But that does not mean we cannot strategise for the winds of change – putting things into place for a smooth transition if the wind of change becomes the reality."

Sobion said there should also be conversations regarding what can be done if the impact of covid19 decreases by February. "It is not a matter of just doing a virtual showcase of Carnival like what was done in Notting Hill and New York for Labour Day – we need a collection of people to drive progressive ideas. If we are the mecca of Carnival we have to set the tone."

He said Rowley, who made a good choice in his statement, has a responsibility to the people of TT by making the statement to cancel Carnival. "But it is now for the capable Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell to say people and stakeholders should come forward with ideas to see how we can still expand global awareness of TT Carnival and see how this can also financially benefit stakeholders."

A recommendation made by Sobion involved the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) building which is usually empty. He said NAPA would be a suitable space for packaging and showcasing elements of Carnival to be enjoyed by the people of TT while building foreign anticipation for Carnivals to come.

"We could explore the world of live streaming or pay per view. That way the economy is still bubbling. It is all about pivoting and transforming. It is about putting strategies in place to fill a void."

The pivoting and transformation, he said, comes from assessing the current situation then strategising scenarios. "If I sat down as a CEO waiting for the day that my events can come back again, I would have to give up [waiting]. Instead, I had to accept my current situation and start strategising."

Asked how much he already had in place for Carnival 2021 and how much he would have had to change given the current restrictions, he said, "I am in the business of creating experiences for patrons." This, he said, means sitting with his team to decide on how they can still create experiences while considering restrictions.

Sobion believes now is the time to build on the product, package it for the virtual world so in 2021, even if Carnival does not happen, TT will be able to showcase the cultural offerings for Carnival – gathering more interest from around the globe for 2022.

"In TT, we need to be more progressive than reactive."

Asked how he sees a total cancellation of Carnival 2021 affecting the industry and companies within the industry, Sobion said he has to be a voice of hope for many who are shaken by the uncertainty ahead.

Sobion was not able to state a specific time within which it would be most ideal for the government to give the creative industry a go-ahead in gathering ideas for an alternative Carnival approach. However, he said, "We do not know when this will be over. Everything in God's timing. But if we hit the ground running and we start exploring true possibilities, progressive thinking... TT could be ready for whenever the pandemic is over and ready to pivot and transform and best overcome what has transpired. The people in this industry are brilliant thinkers."

Asked what she hoped the government would have put into place to meet the population halfway for entertainment during what would generally be Carnival season, entertainment and sports lawyer, and founder of The Business of Carnival series Carla Parris said an opportunity may have been missed.

"Earlier this year a 22-member diversity committee was formed. It comprised specialists and business leaders from several industries." The committee was created to analyse the needs of specific sectors within TT's economy. "No one was appointed to specifically address the quirks and particulars of the creative and entertainment sector to which Carnival belongs."

Parris thinks feasible ideas could have begun taking shape, if during the early months of 2020, needs analyses were performed by highly-skilled entrepreneurs who own and manage Carnival businesses got the opportunity to sit together and draft a way of reimagining Carnival.

"This needs analysis would have allowed for the planning of a framework way in advance for the re-orientation of festivals like Carnival whose capital injection has been and will continue as a result of this announcement to be severely hampered."

One mechanism Parris thinks would be beneficial in addressing the economic loss to Carnival and creative industry stakeholders is a specialised committee to address the impact of covid19.

"This committee should comprise not only technocrats and academics but business owners, event producers and experts in the field of intellectual property who are currently intimately involved in the operation of creative sector businesses."

Parris said the first item on the agenda would be, ideally, the implementation of intellectual property valuations within the banking sector. Since the income of professionals such as performing artists, filmmakers and photographers would be significantly impacted, intellectual property valuations allow for assets such as catalogues of music and film to be used as collateral for loans and other business transactions.

Asked her stance on the potential of staging a virtual Carnival and its impact on stakeholders she said, "To ensure our stakeholders generate revenue and that in the staging of these events we do not fall afoul of our international treaty obligations, intellectual property law has to be at the forefront of all event planning."

Apart from negotiating the payment structure for artists, producers she highlighted the importance of paying attention to intricacies such as, "clearing of music which will be embedded in online content, seeking licences for footage including archival footage, payment of licences for the use of photography and other video graphic material which belongs to copyright holders that must be addressed in advance."

Parris believes if the government gives Carnival stakeholders the go-ahead to come up with a different way of enjoying cultural experiences embedded in the fibre of the people, preparations must begin urgently.

"Can you imagine the impact if days before an event is set to go live, the country known for staging 'the greatest show on earth' is hit with a cease and desist letter from global agencies as a result of improper handling of such matters?"