Trinidad and Tobago is one of 15 countries to benefit from a €3 million grant support program aimed at helping revive the Caribbean’s cultural sector after COVID-19.
According to a joint statement by UNESCO, CARICOM and the University of the West Indies (UWI), the funding was provided by the European Union with the support of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, under the 11th EDF Culture Program ACP-EU. .
The project is titled Creative Caribbean – An Ecosystem of “Play” for Growth and Development,” and a virtual launch is set for April 21 at 11:00 a.m. EST.
UNESCO, CARICOM and UWI have joined forces to implement the three-year project which will extend to 15 Caribbean countries.
The project aims to “develop a robust creative economy in the region by strengthening the enabling environment and providing grant support to industry and training initiatives”.
The announcement said that Creative and Cultural Industries (CCIs) targeted for grant support include music, fashion, festivals, film, animation and new media, visual and performing arts, among other areas of entertainment – a sector that generates millions in revenue. and in which thousands of people find full-time and part-time work.
The announcement states that the project is expected to strengthen research and data collection on CCIs, to facilitate market access opportunities, to support the development of national artist registries, cultural policies and creative industry development acts to promote sector.
It will also provide grants to creative and cultural practitioners to grow more globally competitive businesses and enhance their professional development.
Saadia Sanchez-Vegas, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean, said:
“It is an indisputable fact that the impact of COVID-19 on the cultural and creative sectors was extremely significant, yet CCIs play a prominent role in the economy and the recovery from the pandemic.
“The Creative Caribbean Project aims to shift the paradigm from ‘artist at war’ to creating an enabling environment where creatives are encouraged to produce and thrive and become a key driver of sustainable development in the region.”
Artists and cultural entrepreneurs from the following countries are eligible to apply for grant support under this landmark project: Antigua and Barbuda, 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.
