Ncc Distributes $9.7 Million To 57 Regional Carnival Committees
Port of Spain, Trinidad: December 18, 2014: More than 100 members of Regional Carnival Committees throughout Trinidad attended a subvention distribution ceremony hosted by the NCC at its VIP Lounge in the Queen’s Park Savannah on Wednesday, December 17.
The NCC distributed $9.7 million to the 57 Committees as part of its ongoing commitment to preserve Carnival as a viable national, cultural, and commercial enterprise.
Minister of the Arts and Multiculturalism, Dr The Honourable Lincoln Douglas delivered the feature address in which he championed the call for a diversification within the way that Carnival has been promoted, not only locally and regionally, but internationally, as well.
“Moving from a festival to an industry is what we’re about. We’re putting all the processes in place. The production, the artistry, distribution, copyright and intellectual property rights, so that we can move from not only a festival but into an industry,” Douglas said.
Douglas also expressed his hope that there could be at least one regional event per month, so that Carnival in its various forms could be celebrated year-round.
NCC Chairman, Lorraine Pouchet also shared her vision of the direction in which the NCC wishes to move forward with the Regional Carnival Committees.
“The NCC will continue to work with the Regional Carnival Committees, as together, we strive to make Carnival more than simply a once-a-year festival. Carnival is one of our country’s most sustainable businesses,” Pouchet said. Speaking directly to the representatives of the 57 Regional Carnival Committees, Pouchet said not only was the NCC “proud to stand by you, we are likewise proud to present our support in the form of these subventions that we hope will go some distance toward offsetting the costs you incur in making regional Carnival a reality.”
The NCC Regional Carnival carries the baton of traditional aspects of the festival by ensuring that there exists continuity, sustainability, historical tradition, and the maintenance of cultural identity and tapestry.
Regional Carnival features many dimensions and competitive aspects, such as stick fighting competition, the Carnival village, traditional character festival, reenactment of the Camboulay riots, and the Dragon Festival.
