The Minister of Arts and Cultural Heritage, Mr Avinash Teeluck, had a meeting, yesterday in his office in Port Louis, with representatives of the Union of Artists.
In a statement, Minister Teeluck highlighted that the aim of the meeting was to listen to the complaints and concerns of the Union of Artists regarding, amongst others, the organisation of concerts. He recalled that the Authorities have decided to create a One-Stop-Shop so as to simplify procedures for artists to obtain relevant permits more rapidly prior to organising an event.
He observed that procedures for the creation of this One-Stop-Shop are on the right track, and once finalised, artists will be able to obtain all necessary clearances under one roof. This, he added, will enable the cultural sector to continue to progress.
As for the President of the Union of Artists, Mrs Marie Joëlle Coret, she underlined that the meeting with Minister Teeluck was fruitful and was an opportunity to discuss proposals made by artists with regards to the creation of the One-Stop-Shop. She further pointed out that other issues discussed with the Minister included: difficulties faced by artists due to cancellation of concerts; a meeting with all representatives of the musical industry for them to voice out difficulties they face; and site visits at venues available for the organisation of future musical concerts.
Mrs Coret also seized this opportunity to commend Minister Teeluck for holding this meeting in order to listen to the grievances of artists and find a sustainable solution to their problems.
Various artists held a pacific march in Port-Louis on Thursday morning. They are deploring the fact that they do not have any place to hold concerts and musical events. They obtained the green light of the police to hold the march under strict conditions. For example, they are not authorised to use megaphones. Bruno Raya, one of the organisers, explained that this is the first of a series of actions. “Artists are held hostages. We have no right to organise concerts. We, artists, want to be listened to,” he said. Bruno Raya added that the musical industry is down and cannot operate normally because those who decided are not listening to actors of the sector before taking decisions. “Please, allow us to work!” This was his appeal to the authorities. The demonstrators are protesting against the fact that they no longer have a dedicated place to hold concerts. At one point in time, Government said that concerts could be held in Cote d’Or Stadium. However, after some protests, they no longer have the authorisation to use that place. Then, it was announced that they could use Anjalay Coopen stadium. But there against, to all their requests, local authorities are replying NO. “This is not normal. They say things to please us but their promises never materialize,” Bruno Raya stated.
