Minister says local culture must remain in Antigua Sailing Week

The organisers of a national festival have been reminded to keep local culture in the centre of all planning and activities.
Minister of Culture and MP for St Paul EP Chet Greene spoke with OBSERVER media after the press launch for the 50th Anniversary of Sailing Week at the Copper and Lumber Store Hotel yesterday.
He said that while trends change over a period of time, the festival cannot afford to lose its cultural significance.
“What trended last year or even 50 years ago will not necessarily trend 50 years on, so it is left to those organising Sailing Week to be culturally sensitive, culturally aware while understanding the need to have Antigua & Barbuda’s culture showcasing throughout the week and present the destination to our visitors,” he said.
Greene reiterated that this renewed focus on the national festival must attract the involvement of locals to ensure its survival for future generations.
“Cultural industries have so much to offer to the national economy. I think when you look at events like Sailing Week, you get an appreciation for arguments I have been advancing for some time now and the need for there to be a greater respect for, involvement in and training of our youngsters for the future of our cultural industries,” he stated.
The minister also warned that “Sailing Week will only survive if we have the land-side, cultural element attached to it. Otherwise, what it is, is a set of sailors sailing and going.”
 
(More in today’s Daily Observer)