Creative Employment

Video 1: Showing Musician Entertaining Passersby on guitar at City Gate, Port of Spain
 (Video taken by Sybastian Manners, February 20, 2015)

“Global economic shocks coupled with natural disasters [have] left most Caribbean countries with zero to negative growth and high unemployment rates” (World Bank 2014). In such austere economic situations many persons struggle to support themselves and their families. While many resort to full dependence on governmental social services others evince the common quote, “necessity is the mother of invention”.

Figure 2: Showing Musician Entertaining Passersby 

At City Gate, Port of Spain (Photograph taken by Sybastian Manners, February 20, 2015).

In Port-of –Spain we have seen many creative forms of employment as shown in the photo above. These informal businesses thrive off of the transient population of Port of Spain. Moreover,   these entrepreneurs usually situate themselves in high traffic areas (along sidewalks, squares and passages through major shopping plazas) where their products could potentially engage a wider customer base. Apart from their strategies in selecting key locations; we believe that these business persons are successful due to the cultures of cities. In his book entitled The Culture of Cities, Lewis Mumford stated that, “Cities arise out of man’s social needs and multiply both their modes and methods of expression.” (Mumford 1938, 4) . Urban spaces are places where persons are given freedom to express their talents. Moreover, such persons often seek to appeal to human emotion; the happiness we experience from listening to music or viewing and wearing art. When successful these persons are given financial rewards.

In our exploration of creative forms of employment in Port-of-Spain we found that there was a major difference between the location of these industries in this city and the city of Charlestown, Nevis.

Figure 3: Showing craft shops at the Nevisian Artisan Village (Explore Nevis 2010)

As a twin island state driven primarily by tourism, St. Kitts and Nevis has taken a different approach as it relates to the space that artisans occupy in the urban area. In Nevis an Artisan Village was officially opened in March 2010 on the northern end of the Samuel Hunkins drive, Charlestown on the out skirts of the islands urban area (The St. Kitts and Nevis Observer 2010). It is strategically located in an area that is very accessible to tourists visiting the island and serves as a central point for the artisans to practise their trade. Its location on the tropical coast enhances aesthetics and creates a cool and welcoming environment for visitors and locals alike. It is not unusual for families to enjoy the sunset from this vantage point. The traders thrive on the consumer base that this environment attracts. This development also incorporates green space and public seating which serves as a “lunch break get away” to those employed in the island’s capital and thus reflects an element of the post-modern city (Byers 1998).

Figure 4: Showing the Green Space and Public Seating at the Nevisian Artisan

Village (Explore Nevis 2015)

There is often great debate as to the most lucrative location for sole traders such as those discussed in this post. Should they choose key locations where there is great human traffic or should they be located in central places? It is often argued that central locations will result in greater competition and less revenue. However, we believe that the location of artisans and other creative entrepreneurs in a central area will allow for greater marketability and better access to their goods. As such persons will frequent such locations, thus leading to greater revenue for these entrepreneurs.

Figure 5: Showing leather craft being sold on Fredrick Street. (Photograph taken by Sybastian Manners, April 9, 2015))

In Port-of-Spain, there is a great focus on retail industries targeted at the transient population.  However in Nevis, because of the greater focus on tourism many of the retail services are tailored to meet the needs of the visitors. Accordingly, the government has placed emphasis on making the products of artisans marketable and available. In Trinidad informal sales persons and the city council have often faced come into conflict because plans to find a central location for some of the informal sole traders have not yet materialized. This issue is further discussed in the article below. http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/print,0,205081.html 

Video 2: Showing Musician Entertaining Passersby on violin at City Gate, Port of Spain (Video Taken by Christal Benjamin, April 9, 2015)

References:

Byers. J. 1998. “Privatization of Downtown Public Space: The Emerging Grade-Separated City          in North America”. Accessed March 16, 2015.

Mumford, Lewis. 1938. The Culture of Cities. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company.                 Accessed March 28, 2015.                                http://myelearning.sta.uwi.edu/file.php/25346/Lewis_Mumford_Introduction_The_Culture_of_Cities_1938_xid-3429222_2.PDF

 “No Plans Yet For Salvatori.” 2015. Trinidad Express, January 4. Accessed March 26, 2015.                http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/print,0,205081.html

Nevis Explorer. 2010. “Nevisian Artisan Village”. Accessed March 16, 2015.                     http://www.explorenevis.com/artisan-village/

Patrice Pemberton. 2010. “Premier Parry Opens Nevisian Artisan Village.” The St. Kitts and             Nevis Observer, April 2. Accessed March 16, 2015.                                 http://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/2010/04/02/artisan-village.html

World Bank. 2014. “Youth unemployment in the Caribbean.” Accessed March 25,                             2015.http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2014/04/19586512/youth-unemployment-         caribbean