FOREWORD

FOREWORD

Producing has always fascinated me. Using daily experiences, history, literature and a sense of humor I often engaged in creating expressions that were authentically local.

Growing up in St. Paul’s parish in the early 70s, I was keenly aware of the pride of our villagers at the ability of the Girl Guides and youth groups to create local offerings. I wrote and directed plays for our youth group and staged them before the village audience for a fee. I choreographed many liturgical pieces for worship and in high school created and performed in many plays. The Cantata produced by Alwyn Bully is still fresh in my mind and my act as Jesus in our CHS play, which I adapted to meet the times, bring a smile today. At University of the Virgin Islands, I studied script for a leading role in “Beef no Chicken” even while I carried  a full course load of 21 credits.

In Steubenville in Ohio, with my old friend Raymond Lawrence, I celebrated Dominica’s Independence with a production for the ages, co-opting our Caribbean friends Dorette (raised by a Dominican Nun), and Gayle – Vincey massive. Therefore, it is little wonder that producing authentic, original works holds my interest.

The opportunities for creating original work followed me in my early youth: For a brief few years at the National Radio Station, I produced Studio Two – highlighting local talent; participated in the 1979 DBS Christmas song contest, while also producing the Catholic Church program, ‘Christ Alive’, which always had a community feature. By the time I began work at the Marpin Television Company I had developed a knack for seeing opportunities for the production of things local and original.

As a result, over a ten-year period I led the local production efforts for the  company. During 1990-1999, local production at MTV grew by over 150% and our contributions to regional television programs managed by the Caribbean Broadcasting Union more than doubled.

I remember vividly making a case before the West Indian Commission for investment in a syndicated body of work that Caribbean television stations could tap into to meet programming schedules. I argued then that if we each produced at few programs a year and circulated these among ourselves in the region, we would make an impressive contribution to our heritage.

Nice thought! Nevertheless, it went no further!

The challenges associated with sustaining the production of local programs are not lost on me. I know that production takes time, talent, and money. Yet, nothing from nothing leaves nothing. Why is it so hard to capture what we do and say, for ourselves and by ourselves? Where did we learn that what others produce is better than what we have or can do?

Why is it not important to struggle to sustain one’s authenticity? Why do outside influences impact us so powerfully? I looked to history for answers. I began research to answer my big question in 1991. I was a Fulbright scholar at Barry University in North Miami, Florida. I struggled to piece together accounts of our dependency on foreign programs and labored to find existing literature that spoke to this condition. Even that too was a battle. I learned that we Caribbean people hate to invest in research. We do not like to tell our stories for ourselves. We do not care to publish. I vowed to be among those who would try to make a difference.

This book is for remembrance and hope. It is for those who will study this area in the future.  I hope they will see what we could not see. That they will be inspired to take up the mantle and make this illusive dream of local TV content to a permanent reality.