Evolutionary Shift: Transforming from a Reggae Music Stronghold to a Creative Sector Hotspot (Island)
In the vibrant heart of the Caribbean, Jamaica continues to make strides in its creative economy, fostering growth and providing opportunities for artists and creatives. This transformation is spearheaded by John Newbigin, the introducer of Creative PEC's Global Creative Economy Council, which includes members like Hasan Bakhshi, Rehana Mughal, and Omar Nagati.
Jamaica, birthplace of Bob Marley and five other major music genres, has a rich cultural heritage that extends beyond its melodious tunes. The island nation boasts a creditable showing in dance, literature, film, visual arts, the culinary arts, and craft. Despite challenges such as poverty and crime in Kingston, Jamaica receives over 4 million visitors per year, a testament to its enduring cultural allure.
Andrea Dempster Chung, Co-founder and executive director of Kingston Creative, discusses current efforts to develop Jamaica's creative economy and combat brain drain. These initiatives focus on infrastructure, funding, policy development, and talent support.
One key effort is the launch in 2025 of the Creative Practitioners Institute by Jamaica's Ministry of Culture and the Cultural Management Unit. This institute aims to strengthen the cultural sector and create growth opportunities for creative professionals.
Another significant development is the focus on Jamaica's "orange economy," which centers on cultural and creative industries. This strategy aims to boost "Brand Jamaica," create jobs, and grow economic output. Notable projects include defining 20 subsectors with targeted investments in multi-purpose entertainment zones, a sports and reggae museum, and cultural districts, notably optimizing Kingston's role as a creative city.
New funding initiatives provide Mobility Assistance Grants to artists and creative entrepreneurs attending regional platforms like CARIFESTA. These grants help Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in sectors like music, visual arts, film, gaming, and design, promoting global competitiveness and economic diversification.
Infrastructure development is also a priority, with the creation of major facilities like Jamaica’s first soundstage, "The Complex," designed to support film and other creative activities to drive long-term growth in the creative economy beyond tourism.
These combined efforts aim to create an enabling environment that retains creative talent by offering education, funding, infrastructural support, and pathways to export their work. This, in turn, addresses brain drain by making local creative industries more viable and prosperous.
The creative economy in Jamaica is not just about music; it's about fostering a vibrant, diverse, and sustainable cultural landscape. With initiatives like these, Jamaica aspires to position itself as a creative hub in the Caribbean and globally.
References:
- Creative Practitioners Institute
- Orange Economy Initiatives
- Mobility Assistance Grants
- The Complex Soundstage
- John Newbigin, the founder of Creative PEC's Global Creative Economy Council, is catalyzing Jamaica's creative economy, promoting development in the arts, music, and various industries.
- As Jamaica continues to cultivate its creative economy, it showcases a rich cultural heritage in dance, literature, film, visual arts, food, and craft, attracting over 4 million visitors annually.
- Andrea Dempster Chung, from Kingston Creative, emphasizes the importance of infrastructure, funding, policy development, and talent support in developing Jamaica's creative economy and combating brain drain.
- In the pursuit of boosting economic output, Jamaica is focusing on its "orange economy," investing in targeted subsectors and creating multi-purpose entertainment zones, sports and reggae museums, and cultural districts.
- To fuel global competitiveness and economic diversification, new funding initiatives provide Mobility Assistance Grants to artists and creative entrepreneurs attending regional platforms like CARIFESTA.
- Jamaica's first soundstage, "The Complex," is being developed to support film and other creative activities, with the aim of driving long-term growth in the creative economy beyond tourism.
- The Creative Practitioners Institute, established by Jamaica's Ministry of Culture and the Cultural Management Unit in 2025, aims to strengthen the cultural sector and provide growth opportunities for creative professionals.
- By offering education, funding, infrastructural support, and pathways to export their work, these initiatives aim to retain creative talent, reduce brain drain, and position Jamaica as a creative hub, not just in the Caribbean, but globally.
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