When the late George Stanley Beard conceptualized the Tobago Heritage Festival, it was in part to launch cultural tourism on the island. However, its true purpose was more. It was supposed to be educational, an event to strengthen communities, and be a launch pad for a Tobago Carnival.
This was revealed by Bindley Benjamin, who worked closely with Mr. Beard in the Division of Tourism within the THA to develop the Tobago Heritage Festival.
Reflecting on the work undertaken to establish the Tobago Heritage Festival in 1987, Bindley Benjamin noted that the initiative was more than developing cultural tourism, it was about educating people on their history, fostering a deeper appreciation for their heritage, and preserving Tobago’s traditions for future generations.
“We should be able to promote cultural tourism, as a new niche market so people will know all about the Belmanna Riots, the plantation owners, the slave trade, even the names of the villages.”
The education component was not just for Tobagonians, it was also for students who were descendants of Tobago’s former colonial masters.
“So that I mean there would be inviting students from the… from British, British colonial past, the French and the Dutch, to come to Tobago during that festival, to the thought the history of their, the impact of their ancestry on the culture of Tobago.”
Mr Benjamin explained that Tobago’s history is also European history. It was the plan for the Tobago Heritage Festival to be used as course work by university history students to complete their degrees.
“And then those students would have been getting with their professors and so on grades so that they will be able to put it against their final papers and so on.”
Another component is in building stronger communities on the island. With various villages hosting events, Mr. Benjamin shared there would be economic benefits, benefiting local talent and service providers, while bringing the community together.
“Because community through community tourism, binds the community together and the community actually protects itself protects itself from persons who are not community oriented, they actually police themselves.”
Mr. Benjamin explained that following the successful pilot of the festival in 1987, he and George Stanley Beard sought the expertise of renowned Carnival mas designer Peter Minshall to help develop a Tobago Carnival. One that ultimately suffered due to financial constraints.
“So when we told him about the La Diablesse, the Douen, the Souconyah, Mr. Minshell was walking about the room, “oh my God, the mas, the mas, I see the mas, I see the mas, Mr. Benjamin, Mr. Beard, we gonna have the mas… he was very keen, he was so excited that he just talking about the mas, and the mas, and he said this could be your second carnival.”
Mr Benjamin hopes that the true purpose of the Festival can return to it roots – one of education and community building.