Caribbean Community Based Organizations, the Arts,

Cultural Programming, Political Leadership and their

role in promoting social change – the Case of Barbados

By

Ian W. Walcott

Abstract

There are two highly successful community based organizations (CBOs) in Barbados, the
Pinelands Creative Workshop and the Israel Lovell Foundation. Both of these entities are
linked to impoverished neighborhoods and over the past 20 years have been successful in
social empowerment and transformation through the strategic and creative use of the arts.
Additionally, both these CBOs have strong affiliation with the political representatives and
leaders of their constituencies. This combination of CBOs, the arts and political support has
led to a model that is now being duplicated throughout the rest of Barbados and the
Caribbean. Of particular interest is the fact that both these groups are now engaging
entrepreneurial development as part of their new mandate and social agenda.

This paper will examine the evolution of these CBOs and their models for achieving social
transformation. Much of the research will be primary drawing directly from the source of
their leadership and members as well as the author’s experience in managing their arts
projects through Barbados’ Cultural Action Fund. It is hoped that this attempt to examine
this model will serve to inspire further research.

1
What is a Community Based Organization (CBO)?
A CBO is an organization that normally operates at the local level of government and
provides social services to the constituents within it its zone of operation, influence and
impact. From a management structure standpoint, a CBO, for the most part, is a non-
profit organization and its activities are based primarily on volunteer efforts. As such,
CBOs depend heavily on voluntary contributions for labor, material and financial
support.

Main characteristics of a CBO1

It is non-profit;

It relies on voluntary contributions;

It acts at the local level;

It is service-oriented;

It targets the disadvantaged groups with society;

It tends to be a bottom-up organization formed by the very community it serves.

However, this paper will examine two CBOs within the context of Barbados and
hopefully demonstrate some added features that can either be deemed characteristic of
Caribbean CBOs or at least serve as a model going forward.

The CBOs under scrutiny are Pinelands Creative Workshop and the Israel Lovell
Foundation. The features that immediately standout are as follows:
1. There are strong political figures tied to the CBO
2. They both use the arts as a tool to attract their constituents
3. They both have an Afro-Caribbean focus in their programming approach (we will
examine why below)
4. The core of their constituencies lies within dense urban districts.
5. These districts are characterized by high levels of poverty and crime.
6. These districts are trapped in the urban cycle of poverty.

1
For an excellent discussion on the management and characteristics of CBOs see Marta Chechetto-Salles
and Yvette Geyer, Community-Based Organisation Management: Handbook series for community-
based organisations, Published by the Institute for Democracy : South Africa (IDASA) 2006.
www.idasa.org.za

2
Historical Background and Organizational Models

Pinelands Creative Workshop

This CBO is located in a densely populated Pinelands/Wildey district in the parish of St.
Michael. In St. Michael an entire third of the Barbadian population resides, some 90 000
inhabitants. This extremely high population density is rooted in the historical post-slavery
experience when large droves left the rural plantations for a better life in the city/St.
Michael areas. This movement was driven by extreme hardship on the plantation
tenantries and the simultaneous attraction to the city because of a burgeoning commerce
that was evolving.

As such this led to overpopulation in St. Michael districts and all its incumbent social ills:
poor housing conditions, low levels of income and savings, low levels of investment and
productivity, comparatively and relatively high levels of crime; welfare dependency; low
levels of entrepreneurship and poor educational achievement.2 In other words, the typical
St. Michael/town district in the 1930s-1970s was considered poor and/or working class. It
therefore comes as no surprise that the Pinelands Development Council (PDC) was
founded in 1975.

The Pinelands district was the first post-independence era experiment in public housing
borrowing the concept and design from the British Housing Council. In the early days,
these housing projects were called “housing schemes”, “housing areas” or “the scheme”.
In more recent times, the residents have self-identified them as “the ghetto”. This last
term has a strong socio-cultural linkage to Jamaican ‘ghetto culture’ with which the
younger residents readily identify.

Is therefore easy to understand why an area like Pinelands would quickly gain a bad
reputation especially as it related to crime. The PDC therefore sought to change this
reputation and create a new image for the area. Therefore, we can see that from its
inception, there was a concern about image and self-identity. Though this was driven by
pressure from the rest of Barbados and the views that it held of Pinelands, it can be
argued that the strategy was one of social upliftment through identity-building. The
Pinelands Creative Workshop (PCW) was then formed in 1978 out of the original PDC.

It is also important to note some other key driving factors behind the formation of PCW
within the context of Barbados in the 1970s. This was a period of early independence and
there were lots of efforts to get all Barbadians to have their own identity other than a
previous colonial identifier. So there were several important movements taking place

2
See Kathy Lynn, “Disasters And The Cycle Of Poverty: Understanding Urban, Rural And Gender
Aspects Of Social Vulnerability,” Resource Innovations, University of Oregon's Institute for a Sustainable
Environment, September 2005
(http://www.povertyenvironment.net/?q=disasters_and_the_cycle_of_poverty_understanding_urban_rural_
and_gender_aspects_of_social_vulnerability )

3
which resonated with the Black Power movement in the USA, the most important of
which was the Yoruba Yard Movement.

Without digressing too much, I thought it important to mention the Yoruba Yard
Movement which was led by cultural activist Elton “Elombe” Mottley because this model
will be somewhat replicated by the Israel Lovell Foundation (to be discussed below).
As the name suggests, the Yoruba Yard Movement was one that sought to reinforce
Barbados’ cultural identity and experience to our West African roots. The programming
concentrated heavily on the arts, and the movement and space provided a platform for
dance, music and drama. The focus was always Afro-Caribbean and this served as both
the impetus and model for the PCW. In fact, the early founders of PCW had direct ties to
the Yoruba Yard Movement.

However, the PCW’s original focus was on Afro-Caribbean dance and it soon gained the
reputation as the foremost community dance theater group in the island. However the
‘corporate’ objectives of PCW went beyond excelling in the dance and theater to include:

• Developing self-awareness and personal growth;

• Promoting a positive community image; and
• Educating and uplifting the community and other communities within Barbados
and the Caribbean region.

Current director of PCW, Mr. Rodney Grant, correctly articulates the periodic evolution
of his CBO as outlined below3:

Phase I - 1978 - 1986: the group established its identity and explored its direction. The
main activity was the annual cultural production, with involvement in sporting activities

Phase II - 1987 - 1991: the group gained regional recognition for its cultural productions,
changed its approach and structure and began to operate in a more business like manner
both in its cultural productions and in its approach to community governance.

Phase III - 1992 - 1995 - when the group consolidated its physical base and expanded its
range of activities in the community.

Phase IV 1996 - present - the group is sought after as a partner for national development
programmes, using its model for outreach to other communities at national and regional
levels.

Of note is the wider range of programming now undertaken by PCW which is broken
down into cultural, commercial, economic and social development. All cultural
development work is undertaken by their School of the Arts.

3
For more details on Pinelands Creative Workshop see http://www.pinelandsbarbados.org/pcw/index.php

4
Cultural Action Fund - Case of Pinelands Creative Workshop

From my vantage point as the manager of the Cultural Action Fund which was designed
to fund projects in the arts, I can safely say that PCW has become masters at the
processes of seeking and managing grants; project management and successfully
delivering their project grant outputs.

From our experience, the PCW presented one of the best put together grant proposals
when they sought funds to produce a DVD and flute musical score manual as an
educational tool for their group. Today a SWOT analysis of the PCW would reveal the
following4:

Analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT)

Strengths (internal to your company):

Strong management team

A developed and committed theatre company

Talented Artistic Directors, and other technical staff

Track record of producing quality work

Strong institutional and organizational capacity

Positive track record of implementing projects

Track record and intimate relationships with Development Agencies

A strong regional machinery re: FUSION Network

Strong community base at the local, national and regional level

Good relations with government in execution of national projects

A strong financial track record

Weaknesses (internal):

An inconsistent documentation process

Limited man power

Access to finance

Inadequate advertising and marketing campaign

Opportunities (external):

Opportunities for greater partnerships at the national, regional and international level

Expanded repertoire and expansion of indigenous products

Use of theatre as an income-generating activity

Strengthened regional network

Expansion of financial base and provision of employment

Threats (external):

Lack of finance

Underdeveloped theatre practitioners

Under-exposed theatre practitioners

Lack of access to global markets and resources

4
Taken from PCW’s application to the Cultural Action Fund

5
When asked about their strategies for the future they revealed the following:

To establish linkages regionally and internationally with the vision of sharing

indigenous Caribbean works with the rest of the world. This would cement a
position for other performing groups in the regional and international market and
also act as a promotional mechanism for Barbados and the rest of the region. This
focus spells great advantages as it relates to the development of performers to the
extent that they would be able to present even better material at the local level and
their professional approach to the arts would be improved. It also creates
opportunities for financial gain as we seek to compete within the global market.

To link with Caribbean and African-Caribbean dance and performance companies
for further collaboration and exchanges.

To develop linkages to African, European and North American theatre companies
and establish an ongoing relationship for future exposure at international festivals
such as CARIBANA and International Jazz festivals.

To create the opportunity for young mid-career artists with limited international
exposure to exchange and interact with other young artists and to use their talents
to earn a living.

From a further arts management standpoint, it is therefore recommended that the PCW
model be further researched and used by other CBOs within the Caribbean to show how
to successfully use arts programming as a means of building a positive cultural identify
(at the community and national levels) and attempting to break the cycle of urban
poverty. There is also scope for more empirical research to measure the true impact of
their programming and the effects it would have had on the community at large.

6
Israel Lovell Foundation

Unlike the PCW, the Israel Lovell Foundation (ILF), though a CBO, is not linked to one
specific community, rather a collection of communities within the political and electoral
constituency of St. Michael. The profile of these communities are somewhat similar but
there was only one very small housing project experiment that was undertaken in one of
the districts, the Ivy, and this is a fundamental difference. Though there is strong
evidence of entrapment into the urban poverty cycle, there is still a higher level of home
ownership within this wider area when compared to the core community served by PCW.

However, there is a strong influence on this CBO from PCW as demonstrated in its clear
linkages to identity building and strategic use of arts programming with an Afro-
Caribbean focus. The ILF is a registered charity founded more recently in1990. It is
named after the Pan Africanist Israel Lovell who originated from a working class
background. He was born in the district of Workmans, St George around 1881 and later
moved to My Lords Hill in St. Michael. He was a leading patriotic activist for social,
educational and economic change in the 1930's. Israel Lovell is best known for his active
participation in the social revolution of 1937.5

It is very important to see the linkage here between the historical relevance of 1937 and
the vision of this present day CBO.

Now history has clearly shown that it takes at least three 30 year generations in the post
slavery experience before any real and meaning social change takes place. There are
many reasons for this, but if we are to borrow from elitist theories, we could argue that
elites are never apt and ready to share their power without strategic state intervention and
purposeful social engineering through legislation. Very briefly we can look at the
historical pattern that supports this through an examination of the slave experiences of the
Caribbean, USA and Brazil. The timelines have revealed the following patterns:

1. Caribbean abolition of slavery – 1834

2. Caribbean emancipation – 1838
3. Major riots and social unrest the heralded a new era all took place in the 1930s. In
Barbados, a major turning point was 1937.
4. USA abolition of slavery – 1865
5. The civil rights movement and major constitutional reform via the 1964 Civil
Rights Act.
6. The death of Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. 1968
7. Brazilian abolition of slavery – 1888
8. Major constitutional reform allowing Brazilian Blacks more freedoms and access
to social services - 1988

5
See http://barbadosphotogallery.com/ilfb.htm for more details on ILF.

7
It is therefore against this backdrop and the historical significance of 1937 and the
leading activists that emerged, that the founders of ILF sought their inspiration to form a
CBO. This CBO caters to the needs of marginalized persons in communities of St.
Michael, who experience poverty, sub-standard education, lack of marketable skills and
persons who have been isolated from the mainstream of civil society.

Like PCW, the objectives of ILF are to uplift the quality of life of people in the
immediate community and the surrounding areas, through educational, cultural,
entrepreneurial, physical and self-development programmes.

The Foundation is involved in:

Expansion of senior citizens day-care programmes

Meals on Wheels program

Arts and crafts training programs

Tuition for primary and secondary school children

There is a separate Arts and Crafts department that offers courses in:

Flower Arranging

Flower Making

Cake Icing

Stuffed Toys

Drapery & Soft Furnishings

Lingerie

Dressmaking

Needlepoint

Ceramics

The Educational department offers courses in:

Food Preservation

Hospitality Training

Computer Literacy

Foreign Language - Spanish

Remedial Education - English and Maths

And the Cultural department offers training in:

Dance - Afro Caribbean & Modern

Drumming

Stilt-walking

Folk & Negro Singing

Steelpan

Community Theatre

8
A close examination of ILF’s programming quickly reveals a strategy of empowerment;
self-reliance and poverty alleviation. Like PCW, ILF’s programs are financed through
fundraising ventures, subscriptions, grants and donations from business houses and
individuals. The ILF also benefits from professionals, skilled persons and resourceful
volunteers who provide their services in various capacities.

9
Cultural Action Fund - Case of Israel Lovell Foundation

Since its inception in 1990 the ILF has always participated in the National Independence
Festival of the Creative Arts (NIFCA), always with their signature electrifying and
energetic Afro-Caribbean dance choreographies. However it was in 2005 that they won a
gold award for their dance entitled Obasi Njom that brought them even more national
attention.
As manager of the Cultural Action Fund, the writer encouraged them to create a poster
series of the dance and assisted them with funding to create their own website. This
successful participation in NIFCA also led to invitations to participate in arts festivals in
Toronto, Canada and Venezuela.
For the purpose of comparison, here is a SWOT analysis of the ILF to give an idea of
their challenges:

Analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT)

Strengths (internal to your company):

Cultural arts promotion and development.

Quality of the cultural product in terms of various human resource inputs.

Showcasing a very high and innovative aspect of the cultural arts in Barbados and how
support by other stakeholders here and abroad can guarantee further development.

Weaknesses (internal):

Inadequate level of financial sources for input into many areas of the project, such as
funding for raw materials.

Overlapping of human resources in some areas since there is no access to financing to
cover the provision of services and the high production costs associated with inputs.

Opportunities (external):

Further promote and develop the cultural and performing arts in Barbados, by exposing
the skills and talents emanating from within lower-income areas.

Provide tangible professional opportunities for employment and services to be marketed
and to grow exponentially.

Threats (external):

Lack of a consistent avenue to market this cultural product to new clients locally, due to
small market-base and size.

High production costs both locally and regionally, to distribute and compete in the
existing market place.

The ILF’s strategy for the future included the following:

Promote and showcase cultural and performance arts emanating from local low-income
communities.

Enhance training opportunities for young people involved in the cultural and performing
arts, through more workshops, tours and showcases.

10
A quick comparison of PCW and ILF

Pinelands Creative Workshop Israel Lovell Foundation

Founded 1978 1990

Core communities Pinelands/Wildey, St. Michael Ivy, My Lord's Hill, St. Michael

Electoral constituency St. Michael South East St. Michael East

Dense urban, working
Dense urban, working class/poor, class/poor, higher level of
Community Profile subsidized government housing home ownership

The arts, entrepreneurship, social The arts, self-reliance, social

Programming Focus development, identity building empowerment

Strong ties to active member of Strong ties to Minister of Social

Poltical Influence parliament Transformation

Strong Afro-Caribbean Strong Afro-Caribbean

Identities programming programming

Funding, ongoing stigma of Funding, ongoing stigma of

Challenges poverty and crime poverty and crime
Clearly identifies with the
1930s movement of social
Mentors No clear figure identified transformation
Very strong political leader and
Very strong leader - Rodney perceived politicl favor - Trevor
Leadership Grant Prescod

11
Why are CBOs like PCW and ILF important to Barbados?

These two CBOs are clearly important in Barbados’ strategy towards achieving full
development status by the year 2025. These two pockets of urban sprawl, unfortunately,
still show signs of the urban cycle of poverty and if this is to be broken, then our central
government will have to pay attention to the activities of these CBOs. It is therefore not a
coincidence that Barbados’s first Minister of Social Transformation, Mr. Hamilton
Lashley was closely associated with PCW; and the current Minister, Mr. Trevor Prescod,
the actual founder of ILF. Of further curiosity is the fact that after much debated political
fallout of the former, he is now government’s special advisor on the United Nation’s
Millennium Development Project.6

Under the umbrella of the Ministry of Social Transformation7, within the context of
Barbados, come the following sub-agencies:

Welfare Department

Bureau of Gender Affairs

Community Development Department

Poverty Alleviation Bureau

Urban Development Commission

National Assistance Board

Child Care Board

National Disabilities Unit

This Ministry’s stated vision and mission are as follows:

Vision
"A transformed social landscape that provides ever improving and equal opportunities for
all citizens to achieve a sustainable and acceptable standard of living, an enhanced quality
of life and the right to fully participate in the overall development of the country."

Mission
"To contribute to the overall socio-economic development of Barbados and the
empowerment of all members of society by fully utilizing all available human financial
and technological resources; formulating evidence-based policy and implementing
timely, effective and equitably accessible social programmes and services."

Therefore we can clearly see the linkage between these lofty ideals and the kind of
implementation programming done by CBOs like PCW and ILF.

6
See the goals of the UN Millennium Development at http://www.unmillenniumproject.org
7
See http://socialtransformation.gov.bb

12
The Rise of Political Figures
To give an idea of the level of political representation and the linkage to the CBOs under
scrutiny we have to examine the constituencies where they are located. As stated earlier,
both these CBOs are in the parish of St. Michael which is 14.7 square miles in area with a
population of 91,876 of which 72,736 are eligible to vote. There are 11 constituencies
within this parish with just over 8000 inhabitants per constituency. It must also be noted
that Barbados does not have local government and its parliamentary representatives are
therefore directly responsible for a given constituency.

In a recent conversation with Director of PCW, Mr. Rodney Grant, he said that in the
case of Pinelands, “we made the politician; the politician did not make us.” In other
words, the national attention that PCW got over the years was significant enough to
launch one of their founding members into political arena.

St. Michael South East

Mr. Hamilton Lashley, M.P. 8

Here is his political bio:

Mr. Hamilton Fitzgerald Lashley is popularly known as Hammie La and has a very
high profile in his constituency and in the country generally. Born in 1952 on May
5th, he first attended St. Giles, St. Matthias and Water Street Boy's School and then
Parkinson Secondary School. He also pursued further studies in Production
Management.

His commitment to his constituents and to the upliftment of people is legendary. He

lists the major concerns of his constituency as maintenance of houses, extension of
houses, repairs to private homes, access to the Ma Worrell Day Nursery, and work
for boys on the block and the repair of minor roads. He joined the Barbados Labor
Party because of its commitment to social justice, the eradication of poverty and its
aim of a better life for all Barbadians.

8
Taken from http://www.cohobblopot.org/vob/cand_stmsoutheast.php

13
 He is also committed and dedicated to helping the poor, the old, the vulnerable and
marginalized women in Barbados. He is also focused on the disabled and at the same
time trying to transform the social landscape of Barbados.

His community activities are numerous; among other initiatives are President of
Repents Youth Group, Coordinator of Pinelands Creative Workshop and President of
Pinelands Football Club. Moreover, he is adviser to Haggatt Hall Brother and Sisters,
adviser to Life Savers Club and to the Pine and Wildey Tenantries Association.

His objective is to make St. Michael South East the capital for business, sporting,
social and cultural development. In addition, he has a personal goal of ensuring that
all his constituents are given access to affordable housing, all people, especially the
young earn an income, and a safety net is created for our senior citizens.

He enjoys unrivalled popularity throughout his constituency and is well known

nationally.

Mr. Trevor Prescod, on the other hand, was not made by his CBO but made his CBO and
then strategically used that to catapult his political career.

St. Michael East, Hon. Trevor Prescod, M.P.9

Here is his political bio:

Trevor Anthony Prescod was born on January 1st 1949. He was educated at the
Barbados Academy, the Barbados Community College and the University of the
West Indies. He holds a Paralegal Certificate and a Bachelor of Arts degree in
Sociology and History.

As an advocate of social justice, he believes it is the political organization with the

greatest capacity for improving the lives of all Barbadians. He is presently the
Minister of Social Transformation, a Justice of the Peace, a Director of the Israel
Lovell Foundation and Vice President of the Clement Payne Centre.

9
Taken from http://www.cohobblopot.org/vob/cand_stmeast.php#2

14
 Trevor was first elected to the House of Assembly in 1999 and is proud of the BLP's
social programmes in his constituency to bring a better standard of housing to the
poor and elderly; the provision of concrete roads for improved access to residents;
lighting for sports facilities at St. Giles Primary, Blenheim Pasture & Basketball
Court and the Ivy Basketball Court; natural gas in Tichbourne, Cave Road and
Rouen Village; an improved bus service; provision of land for young farmers under
the Land for the Landless Programme; the transfer of titles under the urban Tenantry
Purchase Act and the provision of hundreds of streetlights to improve the safety and
security of residents of the constituency.

His stated mission is to eradicate poverty in his constituency by the provision of

housing and house lots, water-borne sanitary facilities and sustainable jobs.

Both these profiles reveal characteristics of strong community leadership and

commitment to the grassroots. Some analysts and scholars will argue for a clear break
between the political machinery and the CBO but the Barbadian experience of PCW and
ILF has clearly shown a positive linkage between the two. Mr. Prescod, for example,
strongly believes that real change can only take place through politics and though his
mandate is now a national one, there can be no denying that his political influence will be
brought to bear and have positive impact on the work of ILF.

Put differently, the social struggle and the cycle of poverty will not be easily resolved
without political will and interference. If, therefore, we are to learn anything from the
struggle of the USA Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s or the riots of the 1930s in the
Caribbean, we will accept the model of political alliance that is clearly emerging in the
examples of PCW and ILF.

This is not to silence critics who see a danger in this model because it can lead to split
loyalties that favor the constituency over the national agenda; allocation of funding
according to the interests of the CBO; over-politicization of the CBO which can lead to
negative changes in their developmental scope; and backlash and criticism from other
CBOs who are not politically aligned. Such is the critique against this model but
empirical evidence suggests that the benefits and advantages far outweigh disadvantages.
Again, further research and comparative studies within the Caribbean is needed to
support or refute this view.

15
Conclusion - Transitioning towards Business
Development (Entrepreneurial) Models
In both cases briefly discussed above, the strategy for social transformation is clear. Both
CBOs have used Afro-Caribbean focused cultural and artistic programming to attract
their constituencies, promote identify and change. There is also a focus on self-reliance
and getting persons in these impoverished neighborhoods to believe in themselves and in
so doing, take their destiny into their own hands.

From the vantage point as a cultural administrator at the National Cultural Foundation of
Barbados, we have witnessed over the years how these CBOs have consistently
participated in national arts festivals like NIFCA, and the Crop Over festival. This was
always part of the design and strategy of these CBOs because this would have gained
them the national attention and respect that was needed to change the opinions and
reputation of their socially embattled neighborhoods.

Though such a strategy is not unique to Barbados, the picture that is emerging from the
evidence is the need to have strong political affiliation in order to bring about meaningful
and effective social change.

In closing, of particular note is the new direction of the programming of both these
entities. Whereas they both started with a heavy focus on the arts, we are now seeing a
trend towards business development and entrepreneurship. The kinds of programs in both
CBOs reflect a level of self-empowerment and encouraging citizens to own their own
businesses. This strategy is linked to the level of maturity in a post-independent country
that is approaching 50 years of nationhood and self-determination.

It is therefore not difficult to imagine a new model of housing projects that instead of
creating welfare dependency will look at outright ownership. In hindsight, the early
architects of Barbadian society perhaps should have designed a rent-to-ownership
housing program. This would have reduced the level of dependency and poverty for
which neighborhoods like Pinelands became known.

It is therefore recommended that government in Barbados and the Caribbean work more
closely with important CBOs like PCW and ILF. Future housing projects within the St.
Michael urban districts should also include spaces for small business and should not be
on a rental basis, but should encourage ownership and self-reliance.

16