The national musical instrument of T&T—the steelpan—has the potential to generate tremendous foreign exchange for T&T, yet the industry remains untapped, Arts and Multiculturalism Minister Dr Lincoln Douglas has said.
He said the oversight would be addressed by the Kamla Persad-Bissessar-led government, which recognised the importance of the steelband sector in terms of the sheer numbers of people involved, both directly and indirectly, in the sector, in terms of job creation and its contribution to income generation by the cultural and creative sector.
Speaking before a global audience at Tuesday’s launch of the International Conference on the Pan and Panorama at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s, Port-of-Spain, Douglas said having visited many panyards during his tenure as minister he was always pleased to experience the pride with which pan players conducted their business.
He added: “Each year, the Ministry of the Arts and Multiculturalism disburses millions of dollars in grants to support over 100 unsponsored steelbands.
“This is not done simply to support this local traditional artform, but also to encourage the micro-economy that exists in each panyard and, most importantly, to invest in the development of the burgeoning and lucrative steelpan industry,” he said.
“The steelpan is one of our most viable income generators for the sector. In 2008, the value of steelpan exports from T&T was estimated at $4 million.
“This figure increases annually. Pan instruments are therefore the largest merchandise export in the cultural and creative sector.
“There is currently a largely untapped market for the export of the national (musical) instrument and numerous opportunities for pan players, tuners, innovators, arrangers and manufactures.
“Established steelbands can now be found in almost every continent on the globe from Australia to South Africa to Denmark to Canada.”
In a deliberate effort to boost the creative sector locally, said the minister, and in particular the steelpan industry, the ministry instituted several projects that targeted several crucial areas.
Through its partnership with the DeVos Institute of the Arts Management at the Kennedy Centre of the United States of America key members of leading national arts and cultural organisations gained invaluable training that was specifically crafted and targeted outfits of this ilk, he said.
Turning his attention to the stability of the emerging sector, Douglas said panyard regularisation was a vital step in that direction.
He added: “Music skills and management training, while key to the development of the steelpan sector, are not only segments of the steelpan ecosystem that require attention. The panyard, this place of creative expression, the birthplace of the country’s most renowned innovation, has traditionally been the centre of our communities.
“In recognition of the advantages that society receives from the mere existence of the panyard, the Ministry of the Arts and Multiculturalism is pursuing the Panyard Regularisation Project.
“With the assistance of Pan Trinbago, we are working with the Ministry of Land and Marine Resources to facilitate the formalisation of the ownership of lands occupied by steelpan bands. The project is focused on more than 220 Pan Trinbago member bands.”