COVID-19 Creatives Technical Assistance Grant [CCTAG]

FINANCIAL RELIEF COMING FOR CULTURAL PRACTITIONERS AND SPORTS PEOPLE

Registered cultural practitioners, the entertainment fraternity and sportspeople are now able to access funding to support their digital projects as Barbados struggles to manage the economic fallout and displacement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding is being made possible through an initiative by the Ministry of Creative Economy, Culture and Sports and the National Cultural Foundation. The $1million fund, was announced by Prime Minister Mia Mottley on the floor of Parliament during her wrap-up of the Budget of Expenditure Debate last March.

Applicants will be required to submit proposals for the creation and production of digital content. Processing of applications for cultural projects will be facilitated through the National Cultural Foundation (NCF).while applications from sports persons will be processed by the National Sports Council and the recommendations sent to the parent ministry for final approval. The disbursement of funds will be managed by the NCF.

Minister John King expressed his pleasure at being able to assist the cultural and sports practitioners at a time when they needed it most.

“I am extremely pleased to be able to support the creatives of the sector in a tangible way as they struggle to make ends meet in difficult times; that they can do so by utilizing their skills and talents is an added bonus and a great opportunity to conceptualise new cultural goods and services that can be marketed and traded on a global scale,” Minister King surmised.

Chief Executive Officer of the NCF, Carol Roberts-Reifer explained that application forms will be made available very shortly and guaranteed ‘a reasonable and quick turnaround time from application to disbursement’. She further pledged that the Business Development Department of the NCF and the Sports Development Section of the Ministry of Creative Economy, Culture and Sports would work with applicants whose concepts are not approved as first presented, in an effort to amend their proposals to ensure that they meet the criteria recommended for the fund.

Cultural practitioners desirous of accessing funding should first be registered as cultural practitioners with the NCF’s Artists Directory. Registration is simple and quick and can be processed simultaneously with the application for grant funding. Forms for cultural practitioners will be available from the NCF’s website at www.ncf.bb or for collection at its West Terrace headquarters on Monday June 22, 2020.

Persons may also call 417-6610 for more information about the fund.