By Joan Rampersad Friday, November 13 2009

SHOW PROMOTERS reacted with shock yesterday at Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s call for them to build their own facilities to host cultural events rather than use sporting facilities for fetes and shows.

Manning made the call to promoters while speaking to reporters on a walk about in his San Fernando East constituency on Wednesday. This comes as the Ministry of Sports has banned cultural shows from all sporting facilities including the Hasely Crawford Stadium and Jean Pierre Sports Complex.

Promoter Randy Glasgow yesterday said: “The PM’s statement shocked me because a couple years ago, William Munro, the Caribbean Prestige Foundation chairman and I, went to him with a plan for a 12,000 capacity facility and he told us there was no need to build because the government is building a facility already.”

Glasgow said all they wanted from the Government was land and they would have constructed the facility. “Culture and sports are the backbone of any country and it is counter productive to have sporting facilities non active for much of the year,” Glasgow said.

Another promoter Frank Martineau said Manning’s statement left him in a state of disbelief. Asked about his Divas in Concert show Martineau said: “I’m still of the view that an audience with the Prime Minister can convince him to reverse the sporting policy decision.”

Gregory Fernandez who quit as CPF executive president amidst the furor over the move to ban cultural events from sporting facilities, issued a 16-point release to the media yesterday accusing the PM and Sports Minister of attempting to pit sportsmen and artistes against each other.

“The issue of venues for culture is not about ‘fetes’ or ‘promoters’, it is about the culture and traditions of the people. The events held in these and other venues are part of an international brand of Trinidad and Tobago and part of the billions the country earns from Carnival and culture,” said Fernandez.

He also claimed that a National Cultural Policy was drafted by persons within the industry and then the Director of Culture more than a year and a half ago, to deal with this and a host of other culturally sensitive issues. “This draft policy was supposed to go for immediate national consultation. It has disappeared inside the ministry since then,” said Fernandez, adding that this policy would address solutions for culture problems and would address the needs for all the activities by stakeholders including large events. “We are calling on the government to release the draft national cultural policy for immediate public consultation so that we can solve some of the problems being faced by the artistes and cultural communities of TT,” Fernandez stated.

Munro, chairman of CPF, promoters of the International Soca Monarch competition stated that every year they hear of problems with venues but the government has always co-operated with and assisted them in the past.

Asked about the meeting with the PM which Glasgow referred to, Munro stated that he couldn’t remember it but admitted to having such talks with Glasgow. Asked where the Soca Monarch will be held next year, Munro said: “If they want it, they will allow it to go on. There are only two places that can accommodate the show. The Queen’s Park Oval and National Stadium. If neither is available, the event will not go on.”