Trim: Premature to shift Tobago carnival out of rainy season

TOBAGO Carnival Committee chairman Meisha Trim has acknowledged that bad weather affected patronage at some events, including last Thursday’s Tobago Music Arts and Culture concert, at the Plymouth Recreation Ground, which featured Nigerian Grammy-winning artiste Burna Boy.

But she said shifting the carnival from October to another month to minimise the likelihood of rainfall is not a consideration at this time.

“It is a bit premature. The pros and cons will come in and you have to weigh it,” Trim told Newsday on Tuesday.

“We literally have two sides of the coin and we have to draw the line and do that pros and cons analysis; see where the strengths of the festival lie and where the weaknesses were, and see if there is a middle point and if not, if it should be moved. But it is very premature to say.”

She added, “Some of the weather worked for some of us, not for all of us. So there are things that may have to be adjusted. We may have to look at some indoor-type gatherings for contingency purposes. There are a couple of things that can happen without literally moving the date. And we definitely have to sit and deliberate on that.”

Trim said she is very pleased with the outcome of the island’s inaugural carnival, given the time frame within which the committee had to prepare.

The Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation announced the members of the committee in a press release in May.

At that time, the division’s line secretary, Tashia Burris, said she was hopeful that the committee would work to ensure that the island is strategically positioned for the hosting of a vibrant, innovative carnival that will become a staple on the island’s event calendar.

Its terms of reference included conceptualising the format for the carnival, fostering collaboration and innovation amongst members of the creative and cultural sectors, and highlighting and celebrating Tobago’s unique heritage, history and ways of expression. The committee officially began its work on May 30.

Trim said, “I am pretty pleased with what we were able to accomplish, and literally the proof will be in the pudding as we gather the data, do the research and finalise in our post-mortem.”

She said the committee has up to the end of the month to present its report to the THA.

“Our terms of reference spoke to the end of November so we do have a month again to put together this report before we disassemble.”

Based on initial reports, Trim said, Tobagonians benefited economically from the carnival.

“From an economic standpoint, we gained. From a tourism standpoint, we marketed.”

But she said some areas will have be revisited before next year’s event.

“Basically, I am happy that we all came through this weekend happily and safely. That is one of the things that I really want to say thanks to all involved, including the TTPS for keeping us safe and the patrons and guests that came to the island in spite of and despite whatever was in the space. They were curious enough and they contributed toward a wonderful and successful weekend.”