Desperadoes Steel Orchestra is one step closer to having a new Pan Theatre, following a sod-turning ceremony last week at its home at Nelson and George Streets in Port of Spain.The sod-turning ceremony took place on August 17th, and was attended by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, who had the honour of filling the spade to turn the sod.The following is an official statement from Desperadoes Steel Orchestra on the event...
Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago turned the sod signifying the start of construction of the new Pan Theatre for the Desperadoes Steel Orchestra located at Nelson and George Streets, Port of Spain. The ceremony was hosted by the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDECOTT).
The band’s initial move to Port of Spain was due to spatial and other issues and several location changes within the city. In early 2020 during a visit to its current practice site on Tragarete Road, the Prime Minister announced a new location for the band, discussions for which had begun several months earlier. Construction was however put on hold as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his remarks at the sod turning ceremony, Desperadoes’ Chairman, Dr Finbar Fletcher identified three key areas for new Pan Theatre specifically, “...The role that the band could play in the revitalization of the city, the potential for the economic opportunities that it offered, and as a nurturing ground for development, not only for steel pan artistes, but for citizens of the city, community and the country.”
As head of Desperadoes’ Transition Management team, Dr. Fletcher is tasked with restructuring the Orchestra to reflect a new sustainable business model, incorporating aspects of corporate governance and management in its overall structure. The Orchestra’s restructuring plans and initiatives fall in tandem with the needs and demands of the new Pan Theatre and Government’s overall thrust to diversify the Trinidad and Tobago economy through culture.
Furthermore, through partnership with its corporate partner, members of the Orchestra will embark on significant capacity building and development in areas such as Entrepreneurship, Financial Management, Networking and Digital Marketing to enable sustainable cultural practices. He said, “Our move will not just be about the pan man or woman. We will support our members by providing them with the expertise to enhance their skills in project management, digital inclusion and finance”.
According to the sponsor of the Steel Orchestra, “We believe the steel band movement is part of the fabric of the Trinidad and Tobago landscape as much as Desperadoes is a part of the Laventille community and the steel band movement. As a responsible corporate citizen, we continue to support Desperadoes and the Government and see the value of this investment.”
Dr. Fletcher noted that this investment is critical to the development of Laventille and East Port of Spain and thanked the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for its foresight, and the Community of Laventille for its continued support, “Our home remains in Laventille, but this new location is where we will be doing business,” he stated.