Barbados has secured close to half a million dollars in grant funding from CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean to boost cultural tourism and the creative economy as the island prepares to host CARIFESTA XV.
The BBD $450,000 (USD $225,000) award was signed today at the CARIFESTA Secretariat by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for culture, Senator Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight, and CAF’s Regional Manager for the Caribbean, Dr. Stacy Richards-Kennedy.
Returning after a six-year pause due to COVID-19, the ten-day festival is expected to attract thousands of visitors and participants from across the region and beyond.
This year’s edition, themed “Caribbean Roots. Global Excellence.”, will showcase Caribbean creativity in food, fashion, music, dance, visual arts, and literature, while also creating space for cultural dialogue.
CAF has also signed on as the title sponsor of “Big Conversations”, a new CARIFESTA initiative that will feature discussions on Caribbean identity, resilience and sustainability.
Dr. Richards-Kennedy said culture and creativity are at the centre of regional development.
“Culture and the diverse forms of cultural expression are at the heart of Caribbean identity. They also represent important drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as a catalyst for increased regional integration and intercultural exchanges,” she said.
She added that CAF’s support of CARIFESTA reflects its long-term commitment to strengthening creative industries across the region.
“CARIFESTA provides an important platform to highlight the richness of Caribbean creativity and demonstrate how the cultural economy expands opportunities across the creative sector. By supporting this regional festival, CAF is demonstrating its continued commitment to working with our shareholder countries to strengthen the creative industries as drivers of sustainable economic growth.
As a home-grown regional development bank that was born out of a fervent desire to advance regional integration efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean, CAF is particularly pleased that this grant will support the showcasing of cultural ambassadors and creative entrepreneurs from across the CARICOM region, Latin America, North America and Africa.”
Minister Munro-Knight expressed gratitude for CAF’s partnership.
“CARIFESTA is a testament to the talent and creativity of our people. This technical assistance grant from CAF will not only help Barbados deliver an exceptional CARIFESTA XV, but it will also create opportunities for those in the creative sector to connect with new audiences, tap into increased business opportunities and contribute to the economic development of our countries and the wider region.
The government of Barbados, and in particular, the National Cultural Foundation, are grateful to CAF for our partnership and the bank’s emphasis on supporting cultural and heritage tourism as well as the creative economies in Barbados and the wider region,” she stated.
In Barbados, CAF has also supported cultural and heritage tourism through the Reclaiming Our Atlantic Destiny (ROAD) Programme, which seeks to strengthen connections to history and cultural assets as part of the country’s broader development strategy.
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