By the Caribbean Journal staff

A group of Guyanese artists are calling for priority attention at the national and regional levels to the development of arts and culture in the Caribbean.

The group, which met at the CARICOM Secretariat recently, met with Dr Hilary Brown, program manager for Culture and Community Development at CARICOM.

“The need for the development of the sector has been underscored in light of the free movement of artists provision under the CSME, the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement with specific culture provisions and the ongoing negotiations toward a trade agreement with Canada which is also likely to include culture as an integral component,” she said.

The artists made a series of recommendations at the meeting, including a drive for a stronger network of cultural institutions, a Caribbean Ministry of Culture and a legal framework to address intellectual property.

The Regional Development Strategy and Action Plan will be presented by the Task Force to Ministers of Culture over the next quarter and into 2012.