CARIBANA™ ARTS GROUP (CAG) Town Hall Meeting a Resounding Success!

Over 100 people, including representatives from the Caribbean community media attended the Caribana™ Arts Group’s Town Hall meeting last Saturday, September 18th, 2010 at Metro Hall in Toronto. The meeting was a resounding success!

The meeting room was near capacity as CAG Chair, Henry Gomez and guest speaker Ajamu Nangwaya addressed the attendees.

Mr. Gomez provided them with an update on the state of affairs within the CAG, its relationship with the FMC and the City of Toronto, and issues among the groups at present. Mr. Gomez also explained the legal process by which the Caribbean Cultural Committee (CCC) has become the new CAG with all the ownership rights to the Caribana Festival and associated trademarks.

“Caribana is a trademarked name which belongs to the CAG. Some people think that Caribana belongs to the Festival Management Committee (FMC) but it does not. We are here to educate the public about the trademark’s owner, and the attempts that have been made to take the festival from us.

We are also here to make it clear that we have the right to decide who manages the festival.” Mr. Gomez made it clear that the CAG has amended its constitution which restricts its directors to making policy, and prevents them from managing the Caribana festival.

Guest speaker Ajamu Nangwaya, P. hD candidate in Adult Education and Economic Development

at the University of Toronto, spoke about the economic impact of Caribana and the inequities

in government funding of the Caribana festival. “Caribana should receive funding in proportion to the revenue it generates for the City, the Province and the Country. This revenue, according to the 2009 Ipsos-Reid survey is roughly $438 Million.”

CAG’s Treasurer, Raphael Frances also provided a digital display, and made comparisons and pointed out that the revenue generated by the CAG surpasses the combined revenues generated by of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) and the Gay Pride parade.

The speeches of all three speakers were interspersed with loud cheers of encouragement from enthusiastic audience members.

The next step for the Caribana™ Arts Group is to have the FMC sign a trademark licensing and management agreement in order for the FMC to manage the Caribana Festival. The CAG will also be meeting with the Mayoral candidates to discuss the issue of Caribana.