Wednesday December 8, 2010

Arts and crafts in Dominica

Many years ago I came across a consultancy report prepared for the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - “Guidelines for the Development of Traditional Arts and Crafts” by Sylvia Moore - 1985 (a href="http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0006/000643/064356eo.pdf">See Report).

Albert Casimir, a wood carver in Dominica.

This in-depth and extremely informative paper was written at a time when the Creative Arts Society of Dominica (CASOD) seemed to be very active but I do not believe this organisation is still in existence.

In its assessment summary, the paper documented recommendations for nine significant priority problem areas in the sector, including a national policy definition, marketing, promotion, products and design research, environmental management and training.

Twenty five years after the report was written I do not know how many of the recommendations ever got implemented but it appears many of the issues raised are still issues today, and in some areas, the state of the sector seems to be worse.

The problems faced by the arts and crafts sector are not unique to Dominica. Since the start of the industrial revolution and mass consumerism, skilled craftsmanship has been rendered almost obsolete with the markets flooded by cheaper, machine-produced items.

Globally, craftspeople and support for arts and crafts in general have been on the decline and the current economic climate and lack of appreciation for original art and craft, has compounded the situation.

Here in Dominica I often hear artisans lament that they struggle to compete with cut-price, lower quality, mass produced imported items, and that these days it's almost impossible for them to make a living solely from their craft.

However, in recent times, there seems to be stirrings of a sector revival, and if so, Dominica is ahead of the game when it comes to authentic art and craft. It is inextricably rooted in our history and culture and all we have to do is sustain, improve and market what we have already been doing for many, many years.

Especially in view of the size of the island and its population, Dominica can boast a large percentage of diverse, versatile and talented artisans and a rich heritage of skilled craftspeople.

The natural environment is often cited as the major source of inspiration to both local and visiting artisans and the land too is a source of an impressive array of raw materials which can be utilised sustainably: all parts of the coconut tree, variety of wood (including driftwood), banana leaf, flowers, grass, larouma reed, fougére (tree fern), shells, sand, sea glass, calabash, seeds, river rocks, natural dyes and bamboo, to name a few.

Over the last two years I have seen increased interest and recognition of the potential of this sector; ministers’ talk of the importance of heritage and cultural tourism and promises of more help for arts and crafts producers have been made.

In August this year, the OECS/Export Development Unit announced a series of consultations and stakeholder visits. The aim was to determine the current status of the sector with a view to developing a technical assistance plan, a strategy to increase competitiveness and quality of their products and the identification of potential markets.

However, for some artisans with these discussions comes the feeling of déjà vu; of covering the same ground over again with little tangible forward progress being made. Let us hope that this time it really will be different and we can see some concrete help and support for this important but struggling industry.

This year, initiatives in this sector have included; the formation of Dominica Arts and Crafts Producers Association (DACPA), the Cultural Division Coconut Art & Craft Exhibition at the Old Mill Cultural Centre, held as part of the Independence Celebrations, the opening of Tiffany’s and Talipot art galleries and Alliance Française will be holding a Christmas Market on Friday 10th Dec, 2010 at Noon - 06:00pm and Saturday 11th Dec, 2010 at 10:00am - 6:00pm.

Credit must also go to Ross University who for several years have been hosting an annual arts and craft fair in November at their campus grounds in Picard, showcasing the work of local artisans.

Regionally, I am also excited to hear about the soon to launch Arc Magazine, a quarterly Caribbean Art and Culture Print and E-Magazine due to be published out of St. Vincent and the Grenadines by artists, Nadia Huggins and Holly Bynoe.

I personally believe that if we are serious about wanting to preserve, enhance and create a sustainable arts and crafts sector, more can be done by government. For instance the removal of all duties and taxes on the importation of already expensive arts and crafts material and tools will go a long way to helping producers compete on price and to show the government’s real commitment to the sector.

But regardless of what governments or the OECS do or don’t do, we can help remedy the situation by simply sharing information about local artisans, exhibitions, craft fairs, galleries etc or choosing a local craft item for ourselves or for our next gift purchase.

So if you are doing your Christmas shopping in Dominica this year, consider making that extra special effort to hunt down a locally made art or craft item and when you see something you like, tell a friend or two.

Born on the Nature Island of Dominica, Celia Sorhaindo lived many years in the UK and returned home in 2005. She is co-compiler of Home Again - Stories of Migration and Return, published by Papillote Press and former editor of the annual Dominica Food and Drink Guide magazine.

In her spare time she likes nothing better than to rediscover the island of her birth by hiking and to share her view of Dominica through photography and writing.