'Persevere with home for our calypsonians' (National Academy for the Performing Arts would be named after deceased calypsonian Lord Kitchener)

'Persevere with home for our calypsonians'
(National Academy for the Performing Arts would be named after deceased calypsonian Lord Kitchener)
By Rickie Ramdass rickie.ramdass@trinidadexpress.com, Trinidad Express, Story Created: Oct 29, 2010 at 10:42 PM ECT
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/_Persevere_with_home_for_our_calypsonians_-106356463.html

MINISTER of Arts and Multiculturalism Winston "Gypsy" Peters, says many members of the cultural fraternity live in poverty at the end of their careers.

As such, he is urging the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians' Organisation (Tuco), "in its role of seeking the welfare of calypsonians, to persevere with the proposed construction of the Tuco Convalescence Home for Calypsonians and develop financial literacy programmes for your members".

Peters also announced on the night that a hall at the National Academy for the Performing Arts would be named after deceased calypsonian Lord Kitchener. It will be called the Lord Kitchener Calypso Auditorium.

Peters made the statement in his feature address at the Calypso History Month Gala Event at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in Port of Spain on Thursday evening.

"This unfortunate trend cannot continue. If we are serious about developing the cultural sector in Trinidad and Tobago, we must ensure that persons directly involved in this sector cannot only generate a sustainable livelihood, but are able to enter their retirement phase on a financial footing which can sustain life," he said.

He said calypsonians also needed to develop their entrepreneurial and investment skills in order to live comfortably financially in their retirement years.

Peters also called on Tuco to create more initiatives for the involvement of young people in the calypso art form so the industry can make an even greater contribution to the development of creative entities.

"The Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism will continue to support the calypso fraternity because we are partners in culture.

"Together we will ensure that calypso continues to instill in each and every citizen a sense of national pride that is reflective of our unity in diversity," he said.