Folk Arts, Advocacy and Cultural Policy in The Bahamas

Abstract

This paper examines folk arts in The Bahamas, the cultural and economic impact they have had on rural communities on islands outside of New Providence, the most populated island and center of industry in the country, and the potential influence a cultural policy can have on the revival of those communities. It examines advocacy and the role that arts administrators play in influencing policy and agitating for change, while facilitating important interactions between key members of the creative community. By comparing the challenges faced by cultural practitioners and arts administrators in The Bahamas to those of similar communities in other countries, it is obvious that the course can be changed and an economy built on cultural enterprise that promotes and supports folk arts and encourages development in rural communities. A cultural policy that supports and encourages cultural enterprise must, however, be a part of a larger national development plan for it to be effective.