How the Festival Began
Mr. George Stanley BeardThere is a bit of controversy over who conceptualized the Tobago Heritage Festival. Some suggest that the idea was the brainchild of Dr. J. D Elder while others believe that Mr. George Stanley Beard had the initial idea.
Mr. George Stanley Beard puts forward, in a sworn affidavit, that he first shared the concept of the Tobago Heritage Festival in 1982 at a social gathering held at his then Scarborough home.
He claims that the Tobago Heritage was conceptualized and created by him, as a "tool" by which the rich and diverse Tobago cultural art forms could be preserved and used to market Tobago's tourism, locally, regionally and internationally.
In 1987, when Mr. Beard became the Secretary for Tourism in the Tobago House of Assembly, he lobbied for support from the THA to fund a pilot of the festival.
The assembly agreed and assigned an initial budget of $1,000.00 to facilitate implementation of the pilot in that same year.
He claims that the Tobago Heritage was conceptualized and created by him, as a "tool" by which the rich and diverse Tobago cultural art forms could be preserved and used to market Tobago's tourism, locally, regionally and internationally.
In 1987, when Mr. Beard became the Secretary for Tourism in the Tobago House of Assembly, he lobbied for support from the THA to fund a pilot of the festival.
The assembly agreed and assigned an initial budget of $1,000.00 to facilitate implementation of the pilot in that same year.