Kingston Jamaica, December 10, 2020 - For the creatives who were a part of the US$320,000 CATAPULT Caribbean Arts Grant programme, the experience has proven to be a silver lining in what for many has been a bleak year. The emergency COVID-relief response launched by Kingston Creative and Fresh Milk, with financing through American Friends of Jamaica, had the Caribbean creative at the centre. CATAPULT has not only delivered a financial benefit but has also had the effect of increasing the visibility of the artists, created websites that improved their ability to earn online and deepened the connections between the creatives of the region, who are often neglected and overlooked...

This is the third in a 10-part series by the Jamaica Observer highlighting the murals which form an installation of public art along Water Lane in downtown Kingston. The initiative is part of the 'Paint the City' project being curated by local arts advocacy group Kingston Creative. ARTIST Charl Baker has always had a love affair with Africa. She was able to live out a lifelong dream of visiting the continent three years ago, spending a month in a number of countries including Kenya, where she spent time among the Masai people...

This is the second of a 10-part series — presented by the Jamaica Observer — highlighting the murals which form an installation of public art along Water Lane in downtown Kingston. The initiative is part of the Paint the City project being curated by non-profit arts organisation Kingston Creative. When architect and visual artist Richard Natoo was first shown the 'canvas' on which he was to create his mural along Water Lane he was bombarded by a rush of questions in his head. What was this building like in the past? Did it have balconies? What if it could go down to the nearby shoreline? Out of this frenetic conversation that raged in his head Adrift III was born. He explained that his curiosity was fertilised by its proximity to the sea and what life...

This article is part of a series presented by the Jamaica Observer highlighting the 10 murals which form an installation of public art along Water Lane in downtown Kingston. The initiative is part of the Paint the City project being curated by local arts advocacy group Kingston Creative. When reggae music pioneer Toots Hibbert died on September 11 this year, it became clear to Kingston Creative, the non-profit arts organisation operating in the nation's capital, that the life and legacy of this Jamaican had to be celebrated. A major chunk of the mandate of Kingston Creative is the development of a vibrant art district and creative hub in the heart of the city...

Veteran reggae artiste Junior Moore has been working on a new melody these days. Moore’s ‘Broken Pieces’ was one of 10 murals unveiled on Wednesday, on the vibrant street of Water Lane in downtown, Kingston. Moore is a member of The Tamlins, which was formed in the late 1960s. The popular reggae vocal group sang backup for reggae legend Peter Tosh. The trio also rocked a reggae rendition of Nina Simone’s hit song, Baltimore, and released several other tracks and albums. While he gained popularity for...

[BOSTON] – 10 WEEKS IN JAMAICA: Theatre Conversations from Jamaica to the World! is a series of lively weekly discussions with Jamaica’s leading theatre artists exploring the histories and memories of—and future visions for—the Jamaican stage. Produced by Boston-based international theatre production company Akiba Abaka Arts, in partnership with Kingston-based talent agency and production company RAW Management, the series has been connecting Jamaican theatre artists with a global platform of theatre makers looking to gain new knowledge, share best practices around progressive theatre-making, and engage members of the greater Caribbean Diaspora longing for familiar stories of home. “10 Weeks in Jamaica” weekly conversations can be streamed live each Sunday at 4 PM through Jan.3, 2021 on the Akiba...

Splashes of exciting colours cover the buildings and walls of Water Lane in downtown Kingston as a brilliant set of talented artists share stories of encouragement and empowerment as part of the Water Lane Mural Project. Art imitates life, and Kingston Creative continues to celebrate this view with an official launch of ten new murals, part of their continued development of the downtown Kingston art district. Here are the highlights from this week’s unveiling and enchanting art walk...

Jampro, in partnership with Kingston Creative, will be hosting the “Best Pitch Forward” elevator pitch competition that will allow 10 entrepreneurs to pitch their business concepts to potential investors with the hopes of raising much-needed funds to kick-start their projects. This event will be held virtually on Friday, November 27, 2020, at 5 pm. It forms part of Kingston Creative’s goal of establishing an art district and business hub for creative entrepreneurs in the Caribbean. “Best Pitch Forward is an exciting opportunity for creative entrepreneurs to learn how to package and pitch creative projects so that they can grow. We’re happy to be partnering with Jampro on this project as they are more than capable of providing creatives with the requisite knowledge and guidance to navigate the business...