The Caribbean Culture sector has received significant funding from the European Union with support from the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, under the ACP-EU 11th EDF Culture Programme as creatives seek to recover from the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And creatives from St Vincent and the Grenadines are among those from several other Caribbean countries who apply for grant assistance under the project.
A release from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) said the virtual launch was slated for yesterday, April 21.

The United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, (UNESCO), the CARICOM Secretariat and The University of the West Indies have joined forces to implement the project titled Creative Caribbean – An Ecosystem of “Play” for Growth and Development” in the amount of three million Euros.
 The three-year project that will be implemented in 15 Caribbean countries aims to develop a robust creative economy in the region by strengthening the enabling environment and providing grant support for industry and training initiatives.

 The 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 provides millions in revenue and in which thousands of people find full-time and part-time work.

 The project is expected to strengthen research and data collection on CCIs, to facilitate market access opportunities, to support the development of national artists registries, Cultural policies and Creative Industry Development Acts to incentivise the sector. It will also provide grants to creative and cultural practitioners to grow more globally competitive businesses and enhance their professional development.

“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. 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,” explains Director and representative of the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean, Saadia Sanchez-Vegas.

 Artists and Cultural Entrepreneurs from the following countries are eligible to apply for grant support under this landmark project: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, The Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.