A history of the Caribbean Artists Movement 1966 - 1972.

The Caribbean Artists Movement (CAM) was formed in London in late 1966 by practising writers, artists and critics from the former British West Indies. Their aims were to know each other and each others’ work, to develop a Caribbean aesthetic, and to make Caribbean arts accessible to a wide audience, in Britain and the Caribbean. The consequent CAM programme of monthly public sessions, interspersed with smaller, less formal, private sessions, of frequent art exhibitions, of annual conferences and newsletters, was sustained throughout 1967, 1966 and 1969. It became more spasmodic in 1970, and came to an end in 1972, despite attempts to revive CAM in 1971. CAM as such never took root in the Caribbean, but much of the new cultural activity of the period was evidently CAM-related, in

particular the journal Savacou. CAM was the first, indeed the only, arts movement amongst English-speaking Caribbean people, directed towards cultural work in both the Caribbean and Britain. This is the first history of CAM to be attempted. It draws on a wide range of contemporary sources, written and oral, and on

the recollections and views of many former CAM members and participants. In structure it is mainly chronological. Its concern is to provide a clear, accurate account of the formation and practice of CAM, including details of what was said and discussed at CAM sessions, public and private. Just as CAM was the product of a particular moment in history, so its history was influenced by contemporary events and pressures, in the Caribbean and in Britain; CAM is therefore shown in its contemporary context of events, thought and creativity. Finally, an attempt is made to place CAM in a historical sequence of comparable movements, and to assess its significance and influence.