The flag of Saint Martin: what the people of Saint Martin want
Following the public consultation held from 1 May to 30 June, we now know what the people of Saint Martin want for their future flag. Values, colours, symbols to prioritise or, conversely, to avoid: the main trends were revealed during the feedback session held on 10 August at the CCISM. This marked the completion of the first stage, ahead of the launch, the very next day, of the design competition.
It was up to the public to come up with this future emblem in order to fill this institutional void and enable Saint Martin to have its own flag, just like the other Caribbean islands. The consultation was therefore carried out both in local neighbourhoods and online, to enable Saint-Martinois living outside the territory to take part as well. A total of 425 people took part: 128 at the workshops and 297 via the online questionnaire.
Seven workshops were organised in the form of ‘world cafés’, with small-group discussions centred on three themes: the identity of Saint Martin, symbols and colours. Twelve participants attended in Quartier d’Orléans, seven in Grand Case, two in Sandy Ground, fifteen in Marigot, thirty in Colombier and twelve at the Mission Locale. Fifty pupils from the Hervé Williams School also took part in the workshops.
Joy Carty, from the consultancy firm assisting the Collectivité with its initiative to create a territorial flag, presented a detailed summary of the various neighbourhood workshops and the findings from the online questionnaire.
Colour and meaning
The values spontaneously cited in all the workshops – diversity and multiculturalism – came out on top, and were confirmed by 77 per cent of online respondents. These were followed by resilience – driven by the memory of Irma – and then unity. The latter, however, is a nuanced issue, as some participants mentioned people living on the territory who do not wish to embrace the culture, a value that the people of Saint Martin do not wish to lose.
As for symbols, the flamboyant tree was the only one not to have elicited any negative feedback during the workshops. It represents the island’s resilience, beauty, fertility and abundance. The sea and the beaches are also symbols representative of the territory. As for the pelican, cited as a guide for fishermen, it sparked debate as it is already widely used by other territories. Last but not least is ‘Soualiga, the island of salt’, representing the territory’s economic history. However, there are symbols that the population definitely does not want to see featured on the flag: iguanas, monkeys, mongooses, Fort Louis, chains, doves, machetes, generic animals or elements already appearing on the Unity Flag.
The colours are linked to the symbols mentioned: turquoise blue for the sea, the sky and freedom; tropical green for nature, the hills and hope; orange-yellow for the sand, the sunset and the warmth of the people; and orange-red for the flamboyant tree, the resilience and strength of the people. However, a choice will have to be made, as the aim is to have no more than three colours on the flag. Designers should absolutely avoid blue, white and red – colours associated with the French flag – as well as overused royal blue and fluorescent colours, so as not to end up with a ‘tourist’ flag that would not be taken seriously; nor should they use an overly aggressive red, or black or white as dominant colours.
The design competition is now open
The project is now entering its second phase with the launch of the design competition on 11 August. It is open to everyone: artists, graphic designers, designers, professionals and amateurs alike (parental consent is required for minors). Entries may be submitted individually or as part of a team, whether within a class, an organisation or a group of friends. Entrants must have been residents of Saint Martin for at least ten consecutive years or belong to the Saint Martin diaspora living outside the territory.
Only one proposal may be submitted per entrant or per team. All information provided in the consultation must be taken into account, even if it does not constitute a formal set of specifications but rather a source of inspiration. Any significant deviation from the wishes expressed must be justified in the statement of intent.
Participants must also demonstrate that their design is genuinely the product of their own imagination and talent, and not dictated by Artificial Intelligence. The jury will be responsible for ensuring this at various stages of the competition. It will comprise three institutional representatives, a cultural advisor, a graphic designer or art director, and a representative of the Neighbourhood Councils, chosen at random … plus a seventh voter: the public. The method for the public consultation vote, scheduled for October, is yet to be determined.
The scoring system will only shortlist candidates who have obtained a minimum of 60 points, and there may be no more than ten finalists. All proposals must be submitted by midday on 30 September.
The top three will each give an oral presentation to the jury to defend their creative approach (via video link for those outside the territory). The selected flag must be legally validated and adopted by the Territorial Council for an official presentation on 7 December.
The full consultation report, the terms of reference, the jury’s marking scheme, the documents to be provided and the submission procedures are available on the website: www.mysaintmartinflag.com.
