I saw it on the radio!

The topic for debate was right up my street, but the line up of panelists left a lot to be desired: poets, writers, painters, playwrights and calypsonians were excluded. 

For those who create in the comfort zone, there is freedom of creative and artistic expression. However, for those that step outside the boundaries of what's deemed acceptable, censorship - in one form or another - is alive and well. A conglomeration of different dance styles, photos that celebrate the natural beauty of the island, modest innovations in fashion and Dominica's "Princess of Song", fall well within the comfort zone. 

In terms of what's deemed permissible, it's the island's perception of culture that sets the boundaries, and you will note that the debate was organised by the Government's Division of Culture. In the Caribbean, culture is something everyone feels comfortable with, whereas art challenges the norm and is potentially controversial. 

Criticism of the arts is limited to saying something nice. Dominican playwright Alwin Bully (1948-2023) once told me that to get objective reviews of his work, he had on occasions resorted to anonymously writing his own. But they were sent back with a message to say that the editor considers the review too negative of the playwright's work and he wouldn't dream of insulting Alwin by publishing.   

The absence of public transport after dark prevented me from attending, but I was sort of able to follow the discussing via its broadcast on the island's radio station. I say "sort of" because two of the panelists gave a PowerPoint presentations. It reminded me of a brilliant promotional advertisement put out by a Virgin Island radio station fifty years ago: I saw it on the radio!