Culture policy development moves to next stage
Performers in the CNCF’s Young-at-Arts programme
(CNS): Following an online survey this summer to garner the public’s views on a proposed culture policy, the Ministry of Health and Culture and the steering committee for the policy say they are ready to take the next step forward, and roll out the public consultation phase for the historic draft document. While the results from the first survey have not been released, people are invited to fill out another survey, which can be accessed here, though they only have two weeks to do so.
The draft Cayman Islands’ first National Culture and Heritage Policy was approved to go out to public consultation by Cabinet on 13 December 2016, “with the aim to better preserve the heritage of the Cayman Islands, and comprehensively develop the country’s rich and diverse cultural sector”, a release stated.
Draft National Culture and Heritage Policy and Strategic Plan for the Cayman Islands, 2017-2026
The public consultation plan is designed to give the public an opportunity to review the document and provide feedback on its vision, values and strategic objectives. The seven policy directions are built around: access, governance, legislation, knowledge, development, status of the artist and enterprise.
In addition to the survey, a policy awareness campaign will consist of in-depth interviews explaining all aspects of the policy, interviews with members of the public to hear their views, and various public service announcements. Organisers said there would also be open house sessions in Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, the details of which will be announced through local media.
“This policy and strategic plan is an expression of this government’s belief that we need to adopt and implement a set of coherent principles and objectives to foster, nurture and support the cultural expression of the people of the Cayman Islands, preserve our heritage and help grow our individual and collective knowledge of the arts and creative industries in supporting the sustainable development of our Islands,” said Premier Alden McLaughlin.
Feedback received during the public consultation period will be used to further strengthen the framework for the new policy, which is expected to be rolled out over a 10-year period from 2017 to 2026, the release said.
A Cabinet-appointed steering committee of public and private sector stakeholders has worked closely with the ministry over the past ten months to research and develop situational analyses for their respective sectors, in regards to all matters relating to the development of this new policy and plan.
A cross-section of representatives from various cultural entities including the Cayman Maritime Heritage Foundation/Cayman Catboat Club, the Cayman National Cultural Foundation, the National Trust, National Museum and National Gallery make up the committee, which convened in February 2016 to develop the document.
Ministerial Councillor for Culture, Roy McTaggart, added, “The ministry, steering committee, and members of the six subcommittees, totalling about 70 people, have worked diligently throughout much of 2016 on this draft document. We thank them for their work to-date and we are now ready to take this policy to the public to garner feedback, starting today, 3 January 2017.”
“This policy is for the people of Cayman Islands,” said Ministry of Culture Chief Officer, Jennifer Ahearn, who is the Culture and Heritage Steering Committee’s chairperson. “The goal of this policy is to generate freedom of cultural expression and creativity within the Cayman Islands, with the aim to safeguard the Islands’ heritage and ensure sustainable development for all aspects of culture and heritage in the future. We encourage and welcome everyone’s input.”
“At the end of the day this is a policy for the people and we want to make sure everyone has a voice and is heard,” Ministry of Culture Deputy Chief Officer Nancy Barnard explained.
In addition, a feedback form with specific questions about the policy and strategic plan and a frequently asked question form (FAQ) are available at the front desk of the Government Administration Building and online.
The new survey can be found here but will be closed after Friday, 20 January.
For more information and updates people are invited to “like” the Facebook page National Culture and Heritage Policy and Strategic Plan for the Cayman Islands, or to visit the ministry’s website.
Category: Art & Entertainment, Local News
“Historic document”? Whatever is produced will not be “historic” even in the inane watered down “American English” use of the word. It certainly will not be”historic” in the proper English usage.
Don’t make we Americans mad again fam.
Let’s make sure that Caymanians can truly represent themselves as a genuine culture by not letting them shop in Miami, purchase property in the US, use medical services in the US, or be able to apply for educational degrees in the US . No more anchor babies. Those babies must solely depend on Cayman as they would not be truly Cayman if their sustenance is based on the US. Any money from tax dodgers should only be applied to non-Caymanians as that money was earned by foreigners and no true Caymanian would want to spoil their pure 8th generation Caymanian heritage with tax money that was stolen from the US middle class. Our politicians are fully invested in Cayman and only deal with Caymanians and have all thier real estate and invested only in Cayman, so we need to follow their patriotic lead.
I see a bright future for Cayman with “Made in Cayman” on everything. Soon come that Cayman will only be Caribbean, which is what our 9th generation grandfathers wanted.
Eating endangered species.
Now that’s cultural.
I don’t even live here but that’s just plain rude and small minded.
You want to preserve the Heritage of the Cayman islands?
Then stop covering it in concrete and destroying what’s left, greed, avarice and stupidity appear to be Cayman’s only real culture!
and enforce the laws that require balance in our community and are designed and required to prevent domination by any one foreign culture.
We have laws that require balance in our community?
Well said.
And stop importing Jamaicans .
The only culture I see developing on this island is #BikeLife345
True, but odds say they will eventually be extinct, due to getting their unicycles run over
Is Minister Bodden OK with the lady he dismissed as “*&”+ing driftwood” being in charge of the vital policy to preserve and promote Caymanian culture?
He will be. By putting her in charge of cultural issues she will have nothing to do.
Hate the term but the lady Ozzie dismissed wasn’t the only ‘driftwood’, one of the men is from Eastern caribbean and the other government female rep is from Jamaica, remember not all are African descent, some have roots with the colonials masters who were in Jamaica and so where will the balance be or better where will the courage come to reflect toe true impact of allowing Jamaican culture to dominate?
Don’t know about him, but I’m not ok with it!
Is that you KT?
what does (K)urt (T)ibbetts have to do with this ?
I am looking forward to seeing the results of this. Right now our culture seems to be dominated by the Church, Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean countries which is not a desirable state of affairs.
And that differs how from the experience of the last 3 hundred years?
Did you get out much in 2010-2016? Cayman is now dominated by british/american/canadian foreign expats – the majority of which look down at Caymanians. Ask a Caymanian right now what it takes to run a business. They’ll tell you they need a brit/canadian/american expat as a business partner to be viable long term.
Sorry, bobo, but I hear only Jamaican and Eastern Caribbean music at our “heritage” events and blaring from car radios, Jamaican and EC accents in the storytelling events, Jamaican accents in all the new “clap hands/hallelujah” churches around the place and Jamaican accents at the supermarkets (along with a minority of others, including Caymanian). By contrast, the British, American and Canadians must be too busy running these businesses you refer to because, unless you are part of their yacht club/vista del mar lifestyle, they don’t force their culture on us the way those others do.
If it would help, happy to play opera very loudly at public beach to restore the balance?
Thanks Jotnar, old chap. That might go some ways to achieving balance. Pip pip!
The cultural policy review could be undertaken very quickly indeed.