Small Team, Big Impact : The CATAPULT Caribbean Arts Grant
Source: LinkedIn - Andrea Dempster Chung
26 April, 2022
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. ~ Margaret Mead.
The CATAPULT Covid-19 Relief Arts Grant, is now in its second year and since late 2020 it has delivered over half a million US dollars ($81 million JMD) to 1,535 artists from the Caribbean, in the form of cash grants or capacity-building support. It is one of the projects that I am most proud of, as it’s the first one that took us outside our Jamaican borders to serve artists across the 4 linguistic regions of the Caribbean. CATAPULT is a partnership between Kingston Creative (Jamaica), the American Friends of Jamaica (USA) and the Open Societies Foundation (USA); and in the first year also included Fresh Milk, an artist residency NGO from Barbados.
Artists are the undisputed powerhouses in the Caribbean, sending amazing music, dance, literature, film and visual arts out into the world and driving cultural tourism earnings back into the region. Artists also play a role as activists, particularly here at Kingston Creative, where many are pioneers of the new Downtown Kingston Art District (#WaterLane) and are fueling the movement to transform and revitalize the old city in the face of entrenched systemic and social challenges.
This year, by offering relief grants to 300 creatives of $500 USD each, CATAPULT helped a community of artists from 23 Caribbean islands to further their practice by completing stalled arts projects or purchasing equipment. It was a vital means for independent artists to secure working and studio space to produce their art. “Since I received the grant I was able to find my own place where I can now work on my projects in a more focused way. I’m now writing again and also working on my next show.” said El Bacalao, a creative from the Dominican Republic.
After reading the applications and testimonials, it really hit home for me just how incredibly fragile creative livelihoods are in the Caribbean. Artists of course face challenges all over the world, but we operate in a region where many countries have neither a dedicated national Arts Fund nor the resources to provide adequate support for the arts community, especially in the event of a pandemic. Some of these Covid-19 relief grants were necessary to just cover living expenses, food and rent for talented artists who were in dire straits due to the impact of two years of lockdown and loss of income.
Some artists expressed that the grant not only helped them financially, but also served as a symbol of validation for their artistic practice. “As professional artists we face a lot of unique challenges, chief among them is not being taken seriously.” Jamaican artist, Īṣā Orí commented. “Nonetheless, I am equally comforted and motivated to know that there are organisations like the American Friends of Jamaica and Kingston Creative, who not just believe in us, but are also willing to help us.”
In 2022, 436 creatives applied from 23 countries across the Caribbean and each application was then closely evaluated by the jurors and narrowed down to the final 300 recipients. This was undertaken by a small, talented panel of arts practitioners; Ana Maria Hernandez (Aruba), Holly Bynoe (St. Vincent & the Grenadines), Juan Francisco Pardo (Aruba), Natalie Urquhart (Cayman Islands), Nicholas Laughlin (Trinidad & Tobago), Sara Shabaka (Jamaica) and Simone Harris (Jamaica).
In the first year, the focus was on building capacity and connection, while this year, the focus was on re-emergence and recovery. To this end, all 436 grant applicants will be added to the Caribbean Creative Network, a publicly accessible creative directory developed by Kingston Creative and IDB Lab to increase creatives’ visibility, market access and earnings. The online database will launch next month and will serve as a resource that anyone can use to find, hire and easily partner with Caribbean creatives for both international and local projects.
“We are very thankful that with the help of our partners, we were able to assist creatives in this way for a second year,” said Khadijah Chang, Project Manager for the CATAPULT Arts Grant, “We are especially excited about how impactful the Caribbean Creative Network will be as it is part of our long-term strategy to help creatives across the Caribbean to network and earn more income”. Khadijah managed this project, supported by a team of just 3 creatives. It is always really humbling to see the impact that a tiny team with a big vision (and of course some great partners) can have.
To meet the recipients of the CATAPULT Caribbean Arts Grant, please visit https://catapultarts.com/ or follow https://www.instagram.com/catapultartscarib/ (@CatapultArtsCarib) on Instagram. To partner with us or support the nonprofit work of Kingston Creative, feel free to email us at info@kingstoncreative.org or visit www.kingstoncreative.org.
