News

The Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF) is announcing the recipients of its’ 2023 Grants for the Arts programme, which has provided development grants to 19 creative Caymanians and Cayman-based cultural organizations this year across the fields of the performing arts, music, literature, film, visual arts, fashion, heritage preservation, and creative education.

Grants for the Arts has been CNCF’s primary grants platform for over a decade and provides support for the development and preservation of all forms of Caymanian cultural & artistic expression. It has been historically funded by an annual grant from the Ministry of Culture enabling CNCF to distribute approximately KYD$30K per annum to a variety of grantees across a wide variety of creative disciplines. This year the grant fund grew significantly due to a new public/private funding model which has enabled the organization to support a far wider scope of projects, with a total of $85K was gifted to a variety of creative initiatives.

As part of the organisation’s 18-month Strategic Redevelopment Project, which was completed in November 2023, improved and expanded grant-making was identified as a key area through which CNCF can provide significant support to the creative sector. Former NGCI chairperson, Susan A. Olde OBE, who led the Redevelopment Project as CNCF Chairperson, provided additional private funding to this years’ programme as initial seed funding to support the programme’s expansion

“The Grants for the Arts programme has evolved as part of the next phase of CNCF’s mission, from being a production-centric organization to an umbrella cultural management body that seeks to facilitate and support multiple organizations and producers of culture,” said Ms. Natalie Urquhart, CEO. “The improvements in our Grants for the Arts programme will play a key role in that evolution and we are grateful for the board leadership and generous support from Ms. Olde that has made this possible this year.”

“Through over a years’ work of dedicated research in communication with our stakeholders and creative community, led by our CEO, CNCF team and Steering Committee, CNCF was able to identify the need for expansion in this area, and it has been an honour to help it flourish,” says Susan A. Olde, OBE. “With applications being submitted through an ‘Open Call’ which invited all Caymanian creatives to participate, this years’ competition was very inspiring to watch given the strength and range of applications. On behalf of the CNCF board, our CEO, research team, staff, and the Grants Committee, I would like to extend our sincere congratulations to all of these deserving individuals and organisations for their valuable contribution to arts and culture in the Cayman Islands, and I personally invite more private “investors in our culture” to participate in our 2024 Grants for the Arts programme.”

CNCF’s external Grants for the Arts Committee is comprised of five leading members of the creative community, each bringing specialised knowledge spanning the grant areas. They reviewed and awarded funding across two cycles (February and September) in 2023. The successful recipients were:

• Anne Marie Diaz, Local Author
• Cassianne Lawrence, Film Director
• Jazz Pitcairn, Film Director
• Cayman Islands National Dance Company
• Lebron McLean, Performing Arts Major
• Nasaria Suckoo Chollette, Interdisciplinary Artist
• Bobo and Teedee, Education and Entertainment Resource
• Beneil Miller, Musician and Performer
• Cayman Dance Pool
• Fuego Latin Dance, Festival and Workshops
• James Geary, Singer Songwriter
• John Gray High School Drama and Music Departments
• King Navassa, Musician
• Kristen Reid, Actress
• Lisa Evans, Musician
• Patrice Beersingh, ‘On Our Block’ creative collaboration
• Wendee Miller, Owner and Founder of V4C Promotions
• Jawara Alleyne, Fashion Designer
• Matt Brown, Writer and Director

More detailed information about each of these grant recipients and the incredible work they are doing in their respective fields can be found on the CNCF website at https://artscayman.org/grants-for-the-arts/.

The deadline for the next round of Grants for the Arts applications 31 January. If you’d like more information about how to apply, please visit https://artscayman.org/grants-for-the-arts/. Applicants are also invited to send queries to grants@artscayman.org

For more information about CNCF and its programmes, email cncf@artscayman.org or call 949-5477.