The Patrons of Arts Foundation (POTAF) (formerly The Patrons of Queen’s Hall) is providing financial support for panists to attend the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).
POTAF Chairman Brian Wood said the initiative, in collaboration with UTT, is now in its 12th year and aims to further cement Trinidad and Tobago’s position as a leading global location for advanced steel plate studies. .
Wood said, “UTT is home to the most in-depth steel vessel research experience in the world. The pan and its music are the quintessential manifestations of the spirit, ingenuity and culture of Trinidad and Tobago, our gift to the world and perhaps the most globally recognized symbol of the Caribbean.
Wood added, “The scholarship candidates will have the opportunity to perform in front of a global audience as part of the scholarship requirements at their final elimination event. The final selection of winners will be made at a global telecast to be held at the end of September. They will then become part of a vibrant and diverse academic community at UTT.”
Despite the many advances in the arts sector, Wood said, the crucible continues to be plagued by a general inability to sustain itself and increasing incidents of intellectual property loss. “As a result, we have set our vision to uphold our artistic traditions, heritage and legacy for future generations,” Wood said.
Woods said POTAF is also working to develop an arts fund. “We are also working with a financial institution to develop an arts fund. Our aim is to create a financial institution that will attract funds from both local and international sources, ensure the highest level of transparency and accountability and ultimately become self-financing in the long term. Achieving sustainability and preserving artistic heritage is a national task,” said Wood.
Octavia Noel, POTAF vice-president and chair of the bursaries committee, said POTAF was established 34 years ago with a mandate to support the improvement, maintenance and general development of Queen’s Hall.
“Today, the organization has shifted its focus from supporting just one performance space in Trinidad and Tobago and has rebranded to embrace a broader national mandate that aims to support all aspects of arts and culture in Trinidad and Tobago, ” said Noel.
Noel said POTAF’s emphasis has been on educating and training young, talented individuals to reach their highest potential in their chosen genre. “At the heart of POTAF’s vision is the desire to foster and promote excellence and professionalism in all genres of the performing arts. Therefore, projects and policies are all underpinned by a vision that aims to secure our traditions, heritage and artistic legacy for our future generations,” said Noel.
She added, “Over the years, some of our strategic planning has embraced stimulating participation and private contributions to support our projects through sponsorships and donations; creating paths to development, through the presentation of programs that expose young people to structured artistic activity; The Theater Camp for children aged seven to 13 and the POTAF Arts Scholarships, to support studies leading to tertiary education in the arts, are examples of two of our key initiatives,” said Noel.
Noel said a third initiative is underway to start in January 2023. “We are currently developing a digital platform to support the high school visual and performing arts (VAPA) curriculum across the Caribbean, which will to curate and make available such material, first in Trinidad and Tobago, and later, throughout the region,” said Noel.
Mia Gormandy-Benjamin, assistant professor of Steelpan Music with UTT and CEO of PanNotation Ltd and artistic director of the Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra, said access to the stock exchange could not only change lives but also advance the steel market. “When I was first approached by POTAF to discuss the possibility of a scholarship for steel students at UTT, I was relieved and optimistic about the opportunities this could bring to many citizens of Trinidad and Tobago,” said Gormandy-Benjamin.
She added, “I am aware of some young panists with raw talent who may have difficulty accessing the proper training to develop into professional musicians who can be successful in an international market. With a scholarship like this, access to professional training and global networks is made accessible, and this access can not only change the lives of the winners, but can also advance the trajectory of our steel market,” she said.
Astra-Lynn Noel, captain of the Lydian Steel Orchestra and music teacher at Bishop Anstey, said the steel tray had experienced significant recognition of which this country should be proud. “Recent international buzz about steelpan, the recent Google Doodle, World Steelpan Day celebrations and August being declared Steelpan Month by Pan Trinbago with exciting nationwide activities planned are certainly very complimentary circumstances at a time when POTAF, in collaboration with UTT, is offering a generous artistic scholarship to encourage and support students in the study of steel pan.”
She added, “As a panist in Lydian Steel – a band formed by the late Pat Bishop to perform difficult classical masterpieces precisely because the players could read music – I have seen it first hand and cannot overestimate the value of functional music education for panists.
