The Epicentrum 2023, how to think culture and technology in the Caribbean?

On March 22 and 23, 2023, The Epicentrum event was held. Organized by Caribeart creator Kimberley Damagny , this 100% online event offered a complete overview of the issues surrounding technology and cultural production in the Caribbean. More than thirty speakers shared their expertise in various fields such as storytelling, cultural identity, or NFT, networking. 

This was my first time attending this type of event focusing on art and technology in the Caribbean. Technology didn’t fail us. There were only two problems: a webinar was inaccessible because of a bug and a speaker had internet connection problems. The fast pace of the presentations challenged my ability to think deeply. That's why I chose to wait to have some hindsight on what I remember from this experience. Unsurprisingly, my memories relate to the themes inherent to Karukerament: storytelling and community engagement.

Whether talking about the online economy or immersive experience, it was a pleasure to be in a space of enthusiasts where there was no need to define either of these elements. They were accepted as self-evident so instead of talking about "why they were important", the discussions were mostly about how to put them into practice.

Symbolically, opening the event with a discussion in French (with English subtitles) was a reminder of the multiple facets of Caribbean identity expressed through different cultures and languages. Here are the thoughts that inspired me from the webinars that made the most impression on me:

cinema, industry and representation

Art critic Chris Cyrille and filmmaker Damien Jélaine discussed “how the Caribbean emancipating turmoil birth its greatest cinematic wave”. I was expecting a discussion on representations rather than on the economic obstacles to the development of the film industry in Guadeloupe and Martinique. Without the CNC grants, it’s difficult to create films. I think it was important to explain this aspect to non-Guadeloupean/Martinican creators. 

This being said, while listening to them, I realized how difficult it is for Guadeloupean artists to think of themselves as Caribbean. Even if in their actions and in their creative process, they can list all the reasons why they are in rupture with a European-centered approach... This doesn’t mean that they put their cultural production in a Caribbean framework common to the other countries of the region since they never define this Caribbean framework beyond the geographical aspect. What about the themes and strategies of production in the Caribbean? How do the productions of Guadeloupe and Martinique differ from other Caribbean productions? More importantly, how do they conform to this framework, despite cultural differences? This aspect wasn’t mentioned. Why speak of "Guadeloupean West Indian Caribbean cinema" instead of just Guadeloupean cinema? Even a month later, I still don't understand this vocabulary gymnastics. Moreover, few Guadeloupean filmmakers were cited as references on the evolution of our representations. In the end, I find that the discussion highlighted what we lack of, but there was much more to say about our assets and what already exists on the Caribbean scene.

Cultural spaces appropriation

For Black Girls in Artspaces founder Kaci Merrywether-Hawkins and Rachel Motley, it was all about how to “Change the narrative: Cultural mediation and conversation with Black Girls in Artspaces”. As for Ed Rodley from The Experience Alchimists, he shared his vision on “Designing for engagement in 2023”.

How do you encourage people to step into so-called "elitist" cultural spaces? By guiding them through an experience where they find themselves connected to people with the same interest. Kaci Merrywether-Hawkins repeatedly stated that her primary motivation was to serve a specific audience, here it’s Black women, and to stick to it. Of course, there’s always the possibility of creating other offers by opening up to other audiences, but one must always keep in mind the need for people to be in a space where they can be themselves without fear of being judged. The group concept is essential here because it increases the intensity of individual memories tenfold and this strategy can be applied in any geographical area.

Ed Rodley focused more on how to design a memorable experience for the audience. Storytelling is good, but getting the audience to engage is the best way to engrave the experience in the memory. You don't need a lot of money. You just have to make sure that the audience has a good time by connecting to their emotions. I think that's where I mentioned the Maryse Condé Arts and Culture Center as an example of a local immersive experience.

Authentic storytelling

Storytelling strategist and consultant Soo Mahabir explained “How Immersive Storytelling can help us continue to grow our cultures”. She spoke about the importance of taking control of our narratives in order to pass them on to future generations. In this sense, technology helps to preserve and transmit, but we must be careful to remain authentic. The search for an immersive experience can lead to leaving out certain key elements in the construction of identity. Moreover, it’s imperative to put our culture back at the center in order to value it before celebrating the cultures of others.

I want to mention the webinar on mental health presented by Maria Divina Obrien, a digital activist and Google Women Techmakers ambassador in Trinidad & Tobago. It was an important reminder about keeping your mental health your number one priority when in the creative field. I also enjoyed the discussion around NFTs and museums with Chris Cummings (Founder and CEO of Iconic Moments) and Ed Young (CEO of Universal Health Screener/Owner of HipHop.NFT (The Decentralized On-Ramp for Hip Hop To Web3). They talked about the creation of the Universal Hip Hop Museum and the issues surrounding virtual spaces. Everything they said was relevant to the situation in Guadeloupe when it comes to giving visibility to our cultural industries such as Carnival, music, léwoz events, live storytellers etc. The LAMECA media library is already doing a lot of archiving work, but it would be interesting to also develop virtual spaces to experience these cultural aspects by combining entertainment and knowledge.

I’d have liked to give you more details about the economy and crypto money aspect, but I only have superficial knowledge about it. The only thing to remember is that cryptocurrency allows bypassing the barriers in traditional money transfers and that NFTs are a way to value Caribbean art because they circulate more easily and can reach an audience with a higher financial capacity than the one you usually find in the middle class of the region.

In conclusion…

The Epicentrum has proven that the diversity of experiences within the Caribbean is our wealth. Technology opens the field of possibilities in an exponential way to enhance our cultures, but the human component remains the basis of everything. An entrepreneurial dynamic at the regional level already exists and Guadeloupe has a role to play to support this movement ready to move to the next level.

Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash