Cultural industries practitioners and those interested in this area now have access to the recently approved Cultural Industries Development Bill.
It may now be downloaded from the Barbados Government Information Service’s website at https://www.gisbarbados.gov.bb/.??
The Bill was approved by the previous Cabinet and it is expected to be taken to Parliament when it re-convenes.
Former Minister of Culture, Stephen Lashley, described it as "a forward-looking piece of legislation" that would push Barbados in the forefront of regional development of the sector. "On becoming law, it will give this island another economic platform on which it can depend, since it relies solely on the creativity of its human resource. It will enable the sector to become a viable one, capable of making a significant contribution to the country’s (Gross Domestic Product)," Mr. Lashley stated.
The Bill provides for the establishment of a regulatory framework to facilitate and encourage the sustainable growth and development of cultural industries, funding for cultural projects, as well as duty free concessions and income tax benefits in respect of these types of projects.
Cultural industries include those activities which provide the public with commercially viable, cultural goods and services, which are developed for reproduction and distribution to mass audiences. These include products and services such as films, videos, television programmes, musical instruments, sound recordings, commercial theatre, dance, books, magazines, newspapers, journals, popular music performances, software, CD-ROMS and other related products.