Media WriterThe President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Mauricio Claver-Carone, and the IDB team visited the Kingston Creative Hub in commemoration of their three-year partnership.
The IDB team arrived minutes to 9 AM and the Kingston Creative team shortly welcomed them and began presenting on their currently running programmes.
Doris Gross (Art District Lead) spoke on Kingston Creative’s mission to create an art space and develop creative entrepreneurs.
Karen Hutchinson (Project Manager), spoke on the Createch programme being funded by IDB and thanked the team for the support. She spoke to the need for the blending of creativity and technology and the usefulness of improved tech skills, especially in light of covid.
Kathrine Johnson (Art District Manager), spoke on the Art District programme and the focus that KC has on both developing the place and the people. She spoke to Events, Tours, Technology, Infrastructure, murals and the plan to develop art spaces, urban parks, more murals – tours, an app, and the Art Walk and Meetup events.
Shaunakaye Campbell (Creative Hub Ambassador), then gave the IDB team a short tour of the Creative Hub facility.
The final leg of the IDB team’s visit was a tour of Water Lane, the visual centrepiece of Kingston Creative’s support of the Jamaican creative community.
Mauricio seemed to be particularly struck by the mural done by Errol Keane “Daughters of Oshun – I Carried this Moment for Years” with its message around the effects of sexual abuse of women and the use of braille.
The President, Mauricio Claver-Carone, when asked for his feedback, spoke to his investment in the development of the Downtown Art District given his experience of growing up in Miami and seeing the transformation of Wynwood.
The partnership between Kingston Creative and IDB will span three years and bear fruit primarily through the Createch programme, an initiative designed to create competent creative entrepreneurs with the skills required to be successful in the modern marketplace.
