EDITOR’S DESK

DEREK WALCOTT:A LIVING LEGEND

C-TIPS;FROM IDEA TO PUBLICATION

XeBIT STYLE:KENEEA-LINTON GEORGE

RISING STAR:JAMAICAN DANCER RENEE MCDONALD ON MOVEMENT, PERFORMANCE & CHOREOGRAPHY

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contentsissue one | 2012

REVOLUTION OF THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY SECTOR IN THE ARAB SPRING

JIANGSU, CIRQUE DU SOLEIL SPOTLIGHT ON MEGA ENTERPRISES IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

Worldwide creative industries have exploded and represent a key feature in the development of modern economy. According to United Na-tions figures, the annual growth rate of ex-ports of creative industry goods and services has been trending upwards at an average annu-al rate of 14.4 per cent since 2002. In 2008, the creative industries generated close to US$600 billion. Almost all emerging economies, includ-ing the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) block have integrated development paradigms centered on capitalising on the creative indus-tries. Whether it is the Samba of Brazil, the Russian Ballets, Chinese food, Bollywood or Jamaican Reggae Music, the creative industries represent a relatively untapped resource for global revenue generation. The creative indus-tries combine business, technology, culture and add value to what exists today.

Across the globe, a new ‘experience’ based economy has taken center stage. It’s based on symbols, texts, sounds and images and har-nesses the value of intellectual property. The Cultural Voice team looks forward to giving voice to many dimensions of the emerging Creative Industries, highlighting questions of intellectual property rights, cultural entrepR-eneeurship, diversity, innovation and the evolu-tion of cultural paradigms.

Cheers,Stefanie

Editor’s Desk THE EVOLUTION OF A

MEGA INDUSTRY, ARE YOU ON BOARD?

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Jamaican Dancer Renee McDonald on Movement, Performance & Choreography

By Derefe Chevannes

‘RisingStar:

ene McDonald is a Jamaican contemporary dancer, who also choreographs and teaches dance. When asked what goes through her mind when she danc-

es, Renee notes “It’s almost as if I am on auto-pilot. My mind is in a completely di!erent place. There’s a thrill and an excitement. My emotions are expressed through my body movements. Also, when I am on stage I love to look my audience straight in the eye.”

A typical day for Renee is waking up and then going out to teach dance at the American International School. She runs errands during the day. At night, Renee dances professionally with ‘The Company Dance Theatre Ja-maica’.

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Photos by Tricia Bent

“They can take risks in terms of the music they select and the costumes they wear and the topics they approach. Being cliché adds nothing new.”

When asked what she would change about the Jamaican dance scene, Renee answered, “I would love to see choreographers and dancers take more risks. They should touch on topics that are controversial. They can take risks in terms of the music they select and the costumes they wear and the topics they approach. Being cliché adds noth-ing new.”

Renee has staged several successful choreograph-ic works, her most recent being a piece titled “Chem-Lab”. But, for Renee, her choreographed piece “Stillborn” is her most impactful work to date. “Stillborn” addresses the topic of a grieving mother who has lost her child. It touches on the dashed hopes and ambitions of a mother having a healthy child to parent. Renee distinguishes be-tween being stillborn and abortion. She believes that abortion is a deliberate decision of a mother whereas having a stillborn child dashes the deep expectancy of bringing the child to birth. “I tell stories that are dark and depressing. I tell stories that don’t get told. The stories are sad but im-mensely moving.”

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Photo by Brian Rosen

Travelling is also important to the dancer. “I believe that when you travel, you gain a lot of inspiration. You learn how people across the world use props and costumes di!erently than you do. She also notes that “travelling allows you the opportunity to use and infuse—enabling you to adapt what you see and learn”.

Idea music movement costumesWhen asked to chronicle the process from idea to execution, Ms. McDonald answered, “Usually, it’s music first then the formation of the concept, includ-ing the topic and then the costumes. Sometimes, though, the opposite is also true, where I start with a topic first then find the right music to fit.” Renee adds, “the completion of the whole process also entails dancers, costumes and sometimes funding.”

Renee’s favourite type of dancing is contemporary. “I love contemporary be-cause I feel as though there are no limits or rules as to what you can do. Your body is given this freedom to do whatever it wants.”

Renee dances to music composed by Kerry Mossy, Diana Washington, and many others. Her inspiration for choreography often originates from “You-tube.com”. Renee continues to inspire and leaves the following words of wis-dom, “If you don’t dream big, you’re going to live small.”

6Photo by Tricia Bent

Photo by Marc Evans

Revolution of the Creative Industry Sector in the

ѻ�ɑǸǾ�LɉɑȨȽȝѼ011’s news headlines were filled with the revolutionary politi-cal events happening in what has become known as the ‘Arab

Spring’. An outcry for social and economic changes and the op-portunity to forge a redesigned future has evolved alongside the political manifestations of the youth. The interplay between design and creativityhas been a key component in the development of societies, whether through architecture, clothing and accessories, or décor.

As the first Saudi female to be given the Saudi Ministry of Higher Education’s permission to study law, and having attained an MBA from the American University of Technology Sofana R. Dahlan has used her legal background and business prowess to put a new spin on the development of the creative industries in the Arab world.

“Development is a process, and process needs time”As CEO and founder of Tashkeil, a Multidisciplinary Center for Culture and Design, Sofana has carefully developed programmes that directly support the growth and development of the industry.

Sofana, an articulate, charming, straightforward young woman spoke with the Cultural Voice (CV) representative at the 4th United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Forum held in Doha, Qatar where she was a Creative Industry panelist and was a representative alongside H.H. SheikhaMozabint Nasser of Qatar and the High Representative of the Alliance of Civilization, Jorge Sampaio, in the closing session.

Sofana introduced the concept behind Tashkeil. Tashkeil aims to provide designers from the Middle East comprehensive access to international markets, by providing access to a forum for informa-tion exchange, media coverage, a commercial network and more.

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By: Editor’s Desk

Sofana explains that Tashkeil encourages designers to take a more progres-sive role in the development of the Arab region. Sofana believes that the UN-AOC’s vision and mission of promoting diversity and intercultural exchange aligns directly with the company’s corporate culture. Tashkeil has project partners in Canada, Lebanon and Kuwait and the Company focuses on us-ing creativity as a language that brings cultures together and bridges the gaps between civilizations and culture.

One of the innovative projects of Tashkeil is the “Design Museum” a social enterprise that promotes independent designers in the Middle East. It allows Independent designers to showcase designs in a high impact space. The “De-sign Museum” aims to revive the region’s heritage as an eclectic center for design, art, architecture and culture with the hope of reducing designers’ mi-gration to other locations.

Tashkeil literally means the act of creating and the Organisation was devel-oped from the principle of diacritics of Arabic script. These diacritics or ac-cents on words indicate variations in tone and meaning in text. Sofana ex-plains that the diacritics represent the  ‘fruit of innovation and creativity’ of ancestors when they were faced with the challenge of unifying the many dia-lects in their language system.

Sofana is committed to her vision for development of the Middle East and believes that development is a process and that process needs time. Regard-ing design she says that design is no longer a product of designers, it is the language used to express creativity and creativity is thinking outside the box.

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http://www.katalyxt.info

n an interview with Cultural Voice Derek Walcott made real the legend and the man. The

bond that holds man and sea is un-deniable in the verse of Nobel Lau-reate Derek Walcott. The sea rep-resents a fundamental physical and spiritual link for the peoples of the Caribbean. Its waters unify, and its treacherous waves spray salt that both burns and heals maladies.

“For what else is there but books, books, and the sea?” (Another Life)

Derek Walcott: A Living Legend

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By: Stefanie Thomas

Born in St. Lucia, Derek Walcott’s voice in poetry, drama and criti-cism is nuanced by Caribbean, British and American Culture, and echoes global truths. The language of Walcott’s verse embodies what Edward Baugh, in his book on Walcott refers to as a “sustained compassion for ‘the black, the despairing, and the poor’”. Walcott’s verse gives lofty purpose to the disenfranchised.

Walcott embodies an entirely Caribbean Identity, saying, “I am pri-marily, absolutely a Caribbean writer. The English language is no-body’s special property. It is the property of the imagination...”, re-linquishing the absoluteness of African descent or of a colonial past while quenching the thirst of critics who endlessly debate the role and relevance of adapted English for the Caribbean.

Walcott shares with Cultural Voice’s representative (CV) that he was aware of his love for poetry at a very young age. His devel-opment as a poet started from age nine and evolved on a smooth trajectory without any particular turning point. He would practise his craft religiously by imitating the great Elizabethan poets as well as poets such as T.S. Eliot, W.B. Yeats and others. Perhaps these were his mentors, though he says that he had no “true” mentors.

Published!Walcott, determined to have his voice heard, and concerned about not having the chance to be published, decided to publish his own poetry before he was 20. This self assured step provided a podium and increased the visibility for this man of words, whose rejection of the confines of race, colour, heritage and the associated nostal-gia of history allowed him to be named among the greatest in his field. Walcott shared with CV that the opportunity to have his first book published internationally, ‘In a Green Night’, came through the interest of Alan Ross editor of The London magazine who recom-mended his manuscript to Jonathan Cape in London. Cape became his first international publisher.

“I who am poisoned with the blood of both, where shall I turn, divided to the vein?”

(A Far Cry from Africa)

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The art of finding a PublisherWalcott notes that publishers of poetry are usually not inter-ested in money, as it was much harder to earn from poetry than it was from other forms of literature and that although writing was an industry with publishers, writers, readers, the market was larger for Fiction writing as it is generally easier to have a big hit. Walcott advises that, generally, young po-ets should seek publishers who care about the quality of the product and are concerned with timely production of works. Derek Walcott tells CV that he has been blessed with great publishers over the years. When asked about tips on writing contracts, he shares that in his experience writers’ contracts have been simple and straightforward and that this was a good model to follow.

Engaging your readersWalcott believes that book readings are opportunities for audience engagement and these sessions along with book signings provide a chance for the audience to get to know

the author and vice versa. Walcott enjoys meeting his read-ers and says that of course if it was a good reading, audience members may be more inclined to purchase the book. Words of WisdomFor young poets Walcott o!ers this advice: “To be a pub-lished poet all you need is a pen and paper”. He shows his wit and great sense of humor in answering the question posed by CV, “Does it take many industry players to create a Nobel Prize winning author?” To which he replied, “To be a pub-lished poet is a very small occupation”, and in a more serious tone, “Writers should focus on improving the quality of their work first, so that the world will want to read what they have written.”

Quick Fact: Walcott’s favourite pastime is swimming!Walcott will be speaking on “Making Writing Sustainable” at Katalyxt’s Writers Forum March 15th , 2012

“I who have cursed the drunken officer of British rule, how choose between this Africa and the English tongue I love?”

(A Far Cry from Africa)

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World Day for Cultural Diversity 201210th Anniversary

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Keneea-Linton George

XeBit Style

Keneea-Linton George, born in Mandeville,

Jamaica, conceptualizer and producer of

Mission Catwalk, a fashion –centred reality

TV series, shares lessons learned, her inspira-

tion and her favourite flavoured ice-cream

with Cultural Voice.

By: Editor’s Desk

What got you interested in fashion?I began playing around with fashion at 9 years old, cutting old clothes and doing all sorts of fabric-related stu!. I started getting orders to design dance and cheerleading costumes and I even did my sister’s graduation gown. It started as a hobby, sewing for friends, while in school. I bought my first sewing machine when I was working with Air Jamaica in 2002.

In 2005, I was working on a show with Kingsley Cooper and Romae Gordon and one of the designers didn’t show up and I had to literally pull clothes from my closet that I had made. Romae and Kinsgley were quite impressed with the impromptu collection and encouraged me to get into fashion professionally. That very same year, I decided to do Caribbean Fashion Week.

Describe some of the partnerships you have had.I formed a marketing firm with my friends in 2004. Our focus included model searches, model portfolios, calendars, you name it. I also entered into a partnership for the production of a Caribbean lifestyle magazine. The products were good but learned serious life lessons about partnering with other entities and people. I now do everything on my own. I advise entre-pReneeurs to avoid partnerships unless you and your business absolutely need their skill set; have everything in black and white before you embark in any partnership venture and ensure that there is a shared vision and an overall understanding of the goals. It is also important in partnerships to have balance and clear guidelines as to how decisions are made.

What are some of your business principles?Honesty and Openness - Honesty being above all else.

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“It started as a hobby, sewing for friends, while in school. ”

What are your hopes

for Jamaican fashion

and its evolution?My hope is for us to improve the ca-pacity for training and production. I want to improve opportunities for fashion designers, which is why Mis-sion Catwalk provides scholarships. Teachers in Jamaica’s fashion schools including the Edna Manley College could benefit from greater exposure to the international world of fash-ion. The region needs an increased supply of well-trained teachers to service a growing industry.

What was the

inspiration for Mission

Catwalk?I wanted to introduce a programme that could promote local designers within a profitable business model. For me, it is more than just about making money. I wanted to do something that I love and I absolute-ly love fashion!

What do you consider

to be your trademark?The way I stand! You don’t realize you have a signature move or gestic-ulation until someone points it out. I have been told that I have a specific way of standing. I put my hands at akimbo and my left leg over the right (Keenea demonstrates this stance for Cultural Voice). I guess it’s all in the stand...or stance!!!!

In terms of policy ini-

tiatives in fashion, do

you get involved?I have just launched a non-govern-mental organization called “De-signer’s Guild.” Designer’s Guild lobbies for tax breaks and reduc-tion in custom charges for high cost and cutting-edge fabrics and other items necessary for the develop-ment of the industry. When we import items, we need high quality products and it should not cost us an arm and a leg.

“For me, it is more than just about making money. I wanted to do something that I love and I absolutely love fashion!”

How do you balance being a

television show producer, fash-

ion designer and your many

other pursuits and maintain

success in all?I don’t want to multi-task anymore!!! (Keneea says emphatically) I structure all my initiatives in a way that keeps me focused. For large products or events, I try to focus on one at a time… I think it’s best. I was better able to multi-task in the past.

Chocolate or

Ice-Cream?Both! I love chocolate ice-cream. Actually, I love chocolate chip ice-cream with brownies!

What’s your favourite type of

music?I love ‘Nomads’ and ‘Protégé’. I appreciate all genres of music. I tend to like world music and contemporary music that is soothing, where I can get in my hammock and just…..listen.

Any parting words of wisdom?Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life.

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“I want to improve opportunities for fashion designers, which is why Mission Catwalk provides scholarships.”

There are millions of good ideas. But, it is more important to translate ideas into action, and action into success. Most writers would like to have their work published.

By: Monica Minott

c-tips: From Idea to Publication

STEP ONE

Write, write, write. It seems simple but putting fingers to your ipad and expressing your thoughts as text is your first mission. An alternative to this is to record your thoughts on your Smartphone and type it later.

STEP TWO

Review what was written. This is the first stress test. Ask family and friends for their criticisms. Persons closest to us can be brutally honest, yet will show compassion.

STEP THREE

Attend workshops, and read, read, read the works of experts! You need to know what’s out there! Learning about writing techniques and mistakes to avoid can save you much public shame.

STEP FOUR

Rewrite with the new information from steps two and three. Your writing wll now be from a more informed per-spective. You will have knowledge of the do’s and don’ts. Immerse yourself in the discipline!

STEP FIVE

Review your new or updated works, yes you are still working on the product. Quality is key! There is now also a new challenge: to know what to throw away and what to keep. Not all your ideas are worth sharing or keeping. Sometimes a piece of writing just does not work. Get rid of it. Sometimes writers will write just for exercise, but exercises are just that, exercises.

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STEP SIX

Subject your work to the ‘Acid Test’. Take your collections of short stories, poems, or your novel and seek audience with an expert. What you want from the expert is his or her frank opin-ion as to whether or not what you have produced is ready for publication or ready for the trash can.

STEP SEVEN

Protect your work. If your work is ready for publication, get acquainted with copyright laws and any guidance on intellectual property.

STEP EIGHT

Evaluate options for publishing,. Conventional publishing, part-nership publishing, subsidy publishing, self publishing. Do your research before settling on an option. Weigh your options and don’t rule out crowd funding. It’s increasing in popularity. This option allows donors to pledge cash to authors for various in-centive-based perks.

STEP NINE

Whichever publishing method you choose, nothing feels better than sharing your own published work. Networking, book read-ings and marketing will all be critical to your books’ success!

STEP TEN

Put pen to paper. Continue writing!

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Sometimes a piece of writing just does not work. Get rid of it. Sometimes writers will write for just for exercise, but exercis-es are just that, exer-cises.

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Spotlight on Mega Enterprises in the Creative Industries

Jiangsu, Cirque du Soleil

By Derefe Chevannes

rom Mumbai, India to Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, from Lagos, Nigeria, to New York City, United States, we constantly look for those mega enterprises that are changing the business of cul-

ture! The magical Canadian-based Cirque du Soleil and the innovative Chinese-based Jiangsu Performing Arts Group have not only entertained worldwide audiences but have turned over some fantastic profit figures!

Cirque du SoleilBased in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the entertainment company, Cirque du Soleil founded in 1984 has revo-lutionized how we see the circus. Forget lions and ele-phants tricked-trained, Cirque du Soleil’s contemporary circus is absent of animal participation. It is theatrical and character driven and combines artistic styles form around the world.

Cirque-Facts! Performed in over 271 cities, 40 coun-

tries and for over 90 million people.

Annual revenue grossing over $850 million.

Founded by two former street per-formers Guy Laliberte and Daniel Gauther

Guy Laliberte owned 95% of the company in 2000.

In 2008, Istithmar World and Nakheel of Dubai bought 20% of Laliberte’s shares to facilitate training of future projects.

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it magically incorporates dance, music, theatre, acrobatic artistry, fashion and much more, into delightfully riveting performances. Cirque has plans for a TV deal, clothing line and its creative empire continues to grow!

Jiangsu Performing Arts GroupBased in the Jiangsu province in China and es-tablished amidst cultural reforms in 2001, Jiangsu Performing Arts Group is the largest comprehen-sive performing arts group in China.

Jiangsu has received rave recognition for stage performances, producing brilliant pieces in Opera that have won national awards and prizes of all kind. This group boasts the title of “Outstanding Enterprise during National Cultural System Re-form” and focuses on innovation to bring about its evolution.

Gu Xin, chairman of the group reported that in 2011, the operating income was $125 billion Yuan. .

Quick facts China is the world’s #1 exporter of cul-

ture.

Jiangsu spans 12 types of art, from theatre to dance, music, and everything in-between.

This mega enterprise consists of a stage centre, a performing arts college, three theatres, six wholly owned companies, four holding companies and 5 joint stock companies.

If there is a mega enterprise you’d like to share, send us an email at culturalvoice@gmail.com or like us on facebook and post!

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