Avellon Williams
KINGSTON, JAMAICA – To help the Caribbean Culture Sector recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Union and the Organisation of Africa, the Caribbean, and Pacific States have provided significant funding under the ACP-EU 11th EDF Culture Program.
The virtual launch is scheduled for Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 11:00 EST. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Caribbean Community Secretariat, and The University of the West Indies have teamed up to implement the project “Creative Caribbean – An Ecosystem of “Play” for Growth and Development” in the amount of Euros 3 million.
Through the implementation of this three-year project in 15 Caribbean countries, the aim is to help create a creative economy in the region by strengthening the enabling environment and providing grant support for training and industry initiatives.
Among the areas of entertainment that will benefit from grant support are music, fashion, festivals, film, animation, and new media, as well as visual and performing arts. This sector provides millions with revenue and employs thousands of people full- and part-time.
This project expects to improve research and data collection on CCIs, facilitate market access for artists, and support the development of national artists registries, cultural policy, and Creative Industries Development Acts to encourage the sector. Grants will also be provided to creative and cultural practitioners to help them grow globally competitive businesses and enhance their professional development.
Saadia Sanchez-Vegas, director and representative of the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean explains, “It is an unquestionable fact that the impact of Covid-19 on the cultural and creative sectors was tremendously significant, yet CCIs play a notable role in the economy and recovery from the pandemic.”
Adding that,” The Creative Caribbean project seeks to shift the paradigm from “the struggling artist” to creating an enabling environment where creatives are incentivised to produce and thrive and become a key driver of sustainable development in the region.”
Under this landmark project, artists and cultural entrepreneurs in the following countries are eligible for grant support: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad, and Tobago.
