Findings of Grand Kadooment Survey

At a press conference held on August 1 at the National Cultural Foundation Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Dr. Shantal Munro Knight revealed that the NCF would be engaging the public by way of an Independent survey.

At the time, the Minister explained that the survey is being commissioned in order to make the Festival more inclusive and generate public discourse. The Ministry and NCF are now in receipt of the survey data.

Minister Dr. Munro Knight has thanked all who participated in the survey and offered invaluable input that will help shape our way forward.

“Having promised to get back you, I am now pleased to share with the public key results coming out of the Crop Over Festival Grand Kadooment survey. It was a valuable and informative exercise that helps us as we go to the drawing board and conceptualise what Crop Over 2023 will look like”, Minister Dr. Munro Knight said.

The initial stakeholder engagement for the Crop Over festival began first with the Grand Kadooment event through an online survey which was distributed through direct links on WhatsApp, Email Marketing, NCF Social Media pages, Direct texting service, calls to stakeholders and promoted via social and traditional media namely newspaper, radio, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

The survey targeted three Grand Kadooment stakeholder groups: spectators, masqueraders and vendors and covered a broad review of the stakeholders’ assessment of the Crop Over climax event. 

Majority of the respondents who are between the ages of 18 and 44 and female, said they were notified and kept abreast of Crop Over happenings via the Internet. The respondents were mostly Barbadian with input from people of the region, United States, Canada and Britain.

The intent was to garner the overall experience of each group. Included in the survey were questions surrounding the participation of each group in both the 2022 and previously held Grand Kadooment events. Of the responses the breakdown of the stakeholders are as follows: 57.24% were masqueraders, 36.65% were spectators, 6.11% were vendors.

All stakeholders responded extremely positively to participating in the event again and weighted their overall experience with the event 6.80, 5.96, 5.57 out of 10 respectively.

Masqueraders, inclusive of revellers from all the NCF-registered bands, participated. 47.84% of those who jumped for Crop Over 2022 gave their experience a five-star rating, 34.90% four star, 12.16% three star, 3.53% two star and 1.57% one star.

Respondents who did not take part in this year’s events cited pandemic fears, financial reasons due to the price of costumes and flights and length of the route as major factors.

The Grand Kadooment Sweet Lime and After Party was a hit with the majority of respondents calling for its return next year. When asked if to keep the event which was staged at Botannical Gardens, 83.86% said yes while 16.14% said no.

As it relates to the event and route here is a sample of what was said under “Thoughts or suggestions for future Grand Kadooment events”.

Responses as received:

• I really love the new route. Please don’t go back.
• Fete prices were outrageously inflated.
• Another suggested route, Start at the stadium, along Waterford bottom onto highway, then to warrens, to uwi hill, onto mighty gryner (sic) highway, after party at Kensington
• Please go back to the old route.
• We love it.
• Continue to showcase and push OUR culture for tourist and young Barbadians.
• You can think about taking out the emancipation roundabout.
• And add more water stops along the route and on both sides if was not for the new route at first but after I participated I give it 80% rating.
• Make botanical gardens Bridgetown market so I can get more vendors selling food after.
• More water stations should be added.
• If chosen the same route rest areas and bathrooms are a plus.
• Food vendors that are visible.
• Keep the events local stop with all the external artist.
• I love the engagement with all parties. Please keep this aspect.
• The bands were too spread out along the route. Better timing needed. Would have also appreciated a stage of some sort at sky mall.
• The old route was great but I do believe we have outgrown it. The new route offered many locations where people could set up tents and sell items or make a family day out of it. Before we abandon it, I think we should give it another try when Crop Over is in full swing. This year was only a test run.
• Kadooment 2023 on the “new” route will be better. More bands will participate, the route will accomdate (sic) larger capacity. Change is good, in this instance. Start the planning well in advance to give vendors, band leaders etc. enough time to participate.
• Merge the old route and the route. Send the masquerades from Warrens to the stadium back to Warrens and down university hill and end at spring garden.

Minister Dr. Munro Knight further stated: “This is only the beginning of our stakeholder contributions. We now have to have to meet with other festival stakeholders for further consultations as we begin planning for the 2023 Crop Over Festival”. (PR)