Consensus in the creative sector

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

SINCE the latter part of September, I have participated in a number of activities including the WIPO/JIPO National Workshop on "How to make a living from Music"; The Entertainment Advisory Board Retreat; and, The Ministry of Culture/PIOJ Sector Planning Workshop for Culture, Creative Industries, Entertainment and Youth.

Participants in WIPO/JIPO Symposium.

What is very clear is that there is a general consensus in this sector about the priority issues mitigating the growth and development of the creative industries and entertainment. Even more invigorating is the realization of a broad consensus on what are the priority actions over the medium term for the policy framework and actions that are required to re-position these sectors to increase their economic viability and contribution to the Gross National Product.

There is little doubt that many members of the fraternity remain skeptical that we will see these discussions bear fruit in a new alignment of public policy along the lines agreed. This is because some of the issues have been under consideration for more than two decades, yet, it seems, there has not been the political will to take the steps that are necessary, including appropriate legislation, to fully exploit the abundant creative talents of the Jamaican people and, more importantly, to convert that into successful enterprise and a burgeoning sector.

I honestly believe that the underlying reason for this is a deep-seated, social prejudice against the people who make up a majority of the sector. There is a national schizophrenia which produces revulsion of the predominantly black images that are portrayed in our creative endeavors from film and literary arts to theatre  dance, the visual arts and, especially, our music. The strong African retentions that are exhibited in our arts and which is appealing to people of diverse cultures all over the world, are deeply resented by the power brokers in Jamaica, who have held sway since independence. Along with tremendous expansion and international penetration of our arts, against all the odds, thankfully, I think that we are experiencing a generational shift in technocratic and political leadership and with that an enlightened change in the mindset of officialdom.

So despite my own skepticism  there is a gut feeling that this time around we may be able to influence and effect changes to how the sector is operated, regulated and governed. Some of the priority issues around which there is consensus are:

* The need for the enactment of an Entertainment Encouragement Act;

* The need for a marketing aggregator to promote and distribute our products worldwide;

* The need for a Creative Industries Policy;

* The establishment of a Cultural and Creative Industries Council;

* Establishment of a National Centre for the Performing Arts inclusive of a fully equipped Concert Hall, along with other suitable venues and public spaces across the

island for cultural expression and performance;

* The launching of a Cultural Industries Enhancement Fund; and,

* The need for government to sign the Madrid Protocol to give our intellectual property greater protection worldwide.

By the way, Sound Exchange is currently looking for over 50,000 artistes and labels including Jamaicans, who have not collected royalties owed to them for digital streams and Internet radio. Many of our artistes risk losing royalties collected three or more years ago.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Consensus-in-the-creative-sector_12805597#ixzz29xPEkU4U

Branding Jamaican Reggae

Groundins

By Charles H.E. Campbell

IN response to my commentary headlined Reggae at 50 and published in this newspaper on Sunday, August 26, 2012, Sam Clayton Jr stated: "Based on my personal involvement in the music business in Europe and North America, I have no doubt that Jamaica is still the headquarters of reggae music, because in spite of the fact that we don't have the biggest festivals, I don't know of any reggae festival that does not have Jamaican bands performing. I also don't know of any major reggae release in Europe that does not have a significant Jamaican connection; Jamaican studio, producer, musician(s) or feature artistes. Every major new innovation and advancement in reggae and its sub-genres comes out of Jamaica. Add to this the undisputed fact, the best reggae musicians and producers are Jamaicans."

Sam has lived and worked in the entertainment industry in Europe for over 10 years, so he should know.

This is the kind of response I was hoping to evoke from members of the music fraternity, because we need to focus on what remains our competitive advantage and how to maximise the potential income from this asset, through the protection of our intellectual property. The government needs to act swiftly, to legally protect reggae as an authentic Jamaican music/art form.

Jamaica's popular musical idioms such as ska, reggae and dancehall, must be formally protected as our intangible cultural heritage, similar to tango, whose origins have been officially assigned to Argentina and Uruguay and which has been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The formal recognition of reggae as Jamaica's National Heritage will enable us to maintain control over the definition, recognition, and identification of the musical form. This will guarantee that economic, moral, and trademark rights as well as geographical indication rights which flow from the use of the indication or designation 'reggae/ska/dancehall' would be retained in and with Jamaica. In pursuing this goal, we need to also develop a certification process which will determine and give a seal of approval to the authentic Jamaican reggae product.

Just like our Blue Mountain Coffee, Jamaican reggae is seen as the premium reggae product in the international market place. Therefore, the government of Jamaica needs to establish symbolic seal, for Jamaican ska, reggae and dancehall, which producers of music and promoters of festivals — if they so desire — would stamp on their products, for the obvious marketing advantage which this would automatically offer. The income earned from this, could be put in a fund, which would assist with the education and/or development of upcoming acts. Additionally, this would further boost our cultural tourism efforts through the promotion of our recording studios, musicianship and even historic locations such as Trench Town, Orange Street, and Warika Hill, which now have reputations of mythical proportions because collectively, they had a profound impact at the formative stage of our music's development.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Branding-Jamaican-Reggae_12708434#ixzz28doX5pWl