In addition to the many changes to this year’s Crop Over Festival, Bridgetown Market will have a major change.
This was revealed by Minister of the Creative Economy John King during yesterday’s Brass Tacks Sunday radio programme on Starcom Network’s Voice of Barbados 92.9FM.
Moderator Sanka Price pointed out that he had noticed Bridgetown Market, scheduled for August 3 and 4, was taking place near the Flour Mill and not along The Mighty Grynner Highway as in previous years.
King responded, saying the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) had taken the decision to make subtle changes to the annual celebration.
“In the past, we used to have some live entertainment and things like that. We’re going back to that particular concept where there will be two or three different areas [with] live entertainment to keep people going.
“Basically – and I think the former minister mentioned it earlier – you can’t hit people with too much sweeping changes at one stage. Oftentimes human nature we tend to step back. We’re doing very subtle things to engage people more. We’ve moved over to the other side, where we have more space in the road where people can traverse and see a wider range of things. We put in those areas for entertainment and things like that and really and truly those are just the subtle things we’re doing,” he explained.
Earlier this month at the Republic Bank Grand Kadooment launch, NCF’s manager of administration Wayne Webster said the changes to Bridgetown Market would result in bands being able to revel the entire length of the newly renamed Mighty Grynner Highway.
Despite the changes, King said the onus was on the stakeholders to determine the creative standard of the product offered.
“You can provide the best space in the world for people [with] top-notch facilities, but there has to be willingness and an understanding that the engagement can’t only rest with the space that is provided for you, but there are other things the artistes have to do in collaboration with the NCF and the ministry,” he stated. (RA)
