A WEEK IN A WEEK. things happen that have nothing to do with me and everthing to do with me.

SHOOTING A SHORT FILM

This was an interesting experience of making something out of bare bones reasoning of wanting to get a dream done. There was a cooperative sense that was experienced and put together by all, even by standing by the guys gate talking film for about an hour, to sitting in the edit suit by Edmond who lent his time and advice, to the taxi man and the lady by the shop and the girl who wanted to be in the video, to the other girl who when ecplained, she was willing to help out. It was a nice warm experience of creating, socialism man!

Stepping through the landscape from Port of Spain to St. Augustine, we moved light, small, cheap.

There was the confrontation of capturing of  people's identity on camera in public. planning and developing ideas before you got to the streets. There is allot to say about that as to the jump into the deep end and swim.

But that can work to, eh, if one has the capacity to pull it off.

There are other threads that came that will all make us maturer humans beings when it is addressed, it the ethic of street confrontation.

I look forward to the final edit.........eh Josimar and Stef.

A MEETING IN ARIPO.
April 15 2012.
There was a meeting in the Heights of Aripo concerning the organization of a much more formal group that will assist in the reorganization of the space, through activities - excursions, community activities, community structural projects. This isn't to say that there arnt any other groups doing this. What it says for this small space of 500-600 people there are to many groups. Which dilute efforts and strangle hold projects to fulfill their best intentions.
below are my notes from that meeting, it speaks about what should happen when we try to bridge the gaps that exist in our spaces. The man there is Michael Alves of the Toco Foundation. I will say, one of the most progressive community groups in this country. 

THE NOTES - division, political arena, alignment. Coming to terms, coming to an emotional connection. Communication. This alters the state of fraction within community.

How do you create that democracy? WOMEN! - It was mentioned - utilize your women in the group and within your community they have the ability to mobilize.





Before the mobilization of Toco Foundation there was 3years of conversations. Through these conversation things evolved about what the community wanted and what they were about.
Through projects you build unity, you bound the fracture. you build trust.

ASK PEOPLE - FEMALE IDEAS - PEACE IS A FEMALE IDEA.

DELEGATE WORK.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY?

GET PEOPLE TO SAY WHAT THEY LIKE ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY.

PRINT IT - SPREAD IT THROUGH THE COMMUNITY.

THIS WILL ALLOW FOR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.

DON'T RELY ON THE STATE!

COMMUNITY HAVE RIGHTS.

WITH RIGHTS THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES.

STAND UP FOR RIGHTS

DON'T ALLOW AGENCIES TO PUSH YOU AROUND - be clear what you want - don't let them tell you what you want.

CONVERSATION - INVITE PEOPLE IN.

THIS IS WHAT IT IS. NATURE.

 BUILDING A FRAME.
APRIL 15 2012.We built 7 frames.

21 DRESSED TREATED PITCH PINE 1x3x12, unit price 22.5, total = $543.30
WOOD GLUE = 40.00.
15 1/4 ROUND, MOULDING STRIPS = $262.50
SCREWS 31/4 INCH = $200
LABOR @ 300 PER DAY X 2DAYS = $600.00
CANVAS - 7YDS- UNIT PRICE 150.00 = 1050.00

TOTAL - 2,695.30


What I like about this is the control of production the energy of tools, the studio doing what it needs to be a production area.

The studio is getting there.

there is a community.
Anthony is from the community, the other guy who helped was from Grenada.

IT WAS INTO THE NIGHT.
THE LATE START THING NEEDS TO WORKED ON.
MAN DEM FELLAS COULD START LATE.

THE THINK FORUM.
APRIL 20TH, 9A.M-5P.M
NOTES FROM THE NOTE BOOK.

WORDS THAT POPPED OUT.
MARGINALIZATION.
CENTRAL PILLARS FOR DEVELOPMENT.
SUPPORT + RESOURCES.
TRAINING FACILITIES.

THE ART CITIZEN

CARNIVAL 4% TO GDP
PEOPLE TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT.

CAMPUS MUSEUM!

CAMPUS ART SPACE!?

THECNOLOGY THAT MAKES YOU HUNCH OVER LOOKING DOWN.

IF THE PREMISE IS WRONG THE BUILDING WILL FALL.

STRONG FOUNDATION IS NEEDED.

STRONG IDENTITY MUST COME FROM THE CULTURAL POLICY.

HOW CAN WE BE WHO WE WANT TO BE AND DON'T UNDERSTAND OUR SPACE.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

NEED FOR AN EDUCATION POLICY.

STRIP IT DOWN & BUILD IT BACK AGAIN!

OUR EDUCATION SUCKS!

POLICY DOESN'T CREATE ACTION,

POLICY MUST ENHANCES ACTION.

THE YARD IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HOME.

YARD IS HOME...

CULTURAL CLUSTERS.

7 PRIORITY SECTORS.

THERE IS GROWTH WITHIN THE CULTURAL SECTOR AT THE SAME TIME CULTURE IS BEING REPLACED BY A MATERIALIST SIMULACRUM OF OUR CULTURE.

HOW DO TRADE AGREEMENTS PROTECTING THIS.

THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE NEEDS TO BE A
HARD MINISTRY.

HARD MINISTRIES VS SOFT MINISTRIES.

THERE IS A CAMP WITHIN THE CAMP.

CONCLUSION.

ALL THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT,

ALL THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN SAID.

For the past two years there have been more meetings on cultural direction than I could remember, being held by the state, activist groups, artists coalitions, and by artists themselves.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT

1.CONSTITUTION REFORM.

2. THE COMING TOGETHER OF THE TWO GROUPS THAT ARE DEVELOPING THE CULTURAL POLICY - ACT & THE THINK FORUM.

 3. PROPER ARTICULATION OF THE NEW EDUCATION MODEL, WHICH WILL DRIVE THE NEW CULTURE.

4. WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE?

5. HOW WILL IT OPERATE?

6. WHAT SHOULD OUR SCHOOLS LOOK LIKE IN OUR COMMUNITIES? THE NEW DESIGN OF OUR SCHOOLS

7. WHAT WILL OUR COMMUNITIES LOOK LIKE IN THIS NEW CONSTITUTION & CULTURAL REFORMATION PROCLAMATION SENSATION THAT HAVE US TALKING MUCH MUCH MUCH.

THE IDEA IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE THAT WILL DRIVE CULTURAL CLUSTERS. AT THIS MOMENT THE CLUSTER THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED ARE CORRUPTED OR SUFFER FROM INSTITUTIONAL TIREDNESS AND LACK OF IMFORMATION AND FORMATION.