
Following the announcement of an imminent Arawak House of Culture renovation, former Chief Cultural Officer and veteran culture and arts enthusiast Raymond Lawrence has expressed much relief.
On Saturday, July 27, in her remarks for the 2024 Golden Drum Award Ceremony, Cultural Minister Gretta Roberts, on behalf of her Ministry, committed to completing the Arawak’s renovations while plans for building a new, separate cultural complex are underway.
“I will say tonight, that while we await this centre, that this Ministry will do everything that is humanly possible to ensure that our long-awaited Arawak House of Culture will be completed and transformed into a welcoming cultural centre.” She continued, “and by the end of this year, we will all assemble to celebrate this historic moment together.”
On the heels of what he considers “welcomed news for the cultural community,” Mr. Lawrence expressed in an exclusive interview with DNO, the arts community’s urgent need for the renovation of the Arawak House of Culture. Regrettably, various cultural group performances remain on standby since the building’s destruction from Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Echoing the public sentiments of Mrs Anita Bully, widow of late cultural icon Alwyn Bully, he conveyed to DNO, “the fact that Arawak has not been functioning has, in fact, created a huge vacuum which has to be filled.”
The former Chief Cultural Officer is confident in the beneficial impact expected from the renovations, underscoring his eagerness to see continued growth in the sector.
“When the Arawak is renovated sound and lights system will be available, also a stage will be in place along with chairs, dressing rooms, washrooms, ticket sales booth, and other front-of-house facilities, and very importantly, the space is covered, so you don’t have to rent tents,”
He added, “a facility like the Arawak will enhance stage presentations in Dominica and provide a comfortable space for visitors and locals alike to sit and enjoy various shows and events.”
The proposed Arawak House of Culture rehabilitation project initiated by the Ministry of Tourism is valued at over $900,000 and includes complete restoration of the external and internal structures including the roof, stage, seating, flooring, foyer, and air conditioning. It also features the installation of a new sound and lighting system and artistic indoor and outdoor décor.
But Mr Raymond Lawrence, we all need to understand that our culture has changed drastically over the past 15-20 years and therefore ‘House of culture’ is no longer important or needed for our new culture of corruption, incompetence, greed and theft. This new culture is on display everyday, everywhere, both locally and internationally. Sir, check the news especially news from the www and you will see how our new culture is taking the world by storm, especially in places like Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Egypt, Nigirea etc, just to name a few. Mr Roosevelt Skerrit is the minister responsible of this new culture and we should try to get him to tell us more about our new culture
But, these places are in the same category as us, can open their markets to us, do business with us(if those you didn’t mention will “allow” them without sanctions) and not create dependence on AID that we can’t feed ourselves; just so that they can pull the aid to keep us in line as soon as we disagree with them, or try to do for ourselves. And that’s regardless of who the incorruptible might be. Sleek, eh?