Kingston Creative has become the first non-governmental organisation (NGO) from the Caribbean to receive funding under the prestigious UNESCO-Aschberg Programme for Artists and Cultural Professionals, marking a significant milestone for Jamaica and the wider Caribbean creative sector.
The organisation was selected by an independent panel of experts from 1,068 applications worldwide, emerging as one of only 16 initiatives chosen under the 2026 UNESCO Aschberg Programme. Backed by the Government of Norway, UNESCO is investing more than US$750,000 through the programme to strengthen the professional, social and economic status of artists while promoting artistic freedom globally.
The grant will support the Caribbean Artist Resilience and Empowerment (CARE) Programme, an 18-month regional initiative that will begin in Jamaica before expanding to Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. The programme aims to strengthen artists’ rights, improve economic resilience, enhance mobility and build disaster preparedness among artists and cultural professionals across the Caribbean.
According to Yuri Peshkov, Head of the Culture Programme at the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean, investing in artists is an investment in resilient communities. He said the CARE Programme will deliver practical solutions that improve working conditions, strengthen artistic freedom and ensure creativity continues to contribute to sustainable development throughout the region.
The initiative was shaped by lessons learned following Hurricane Melissa, when Kingston Creative surveyed more than 500 artists and creative practitioners across Jamaica. The findings revealed that over 70% of artists lost income due to cancelled performances and exhibitions, while 60% reported damage to studios, equipment and creative workspaces.
These findings contributed to Jamaica’s Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) for the Culture Sector, developed with technical support from the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean. In response, Kingston Creative established the Creative Resilience Fund, providing emergency financial assistance to more than 80 artists and creative professionals affected by the disaster.
Commenting on the recognition, Andrea Dempster Chung, Co-founder and Executive Director of Kingston Creative, said artists in Small Island Developing States are among those most affected by climate change but are often overlooked in disaster recovery planning. She described the UNESCO grant as recognition of the importance of protecting Caribbean creatives through locally driven solutions.
Under the CARE Programme, Kingston Creative will conduct regional research, provide capacity-building programmes for 250 artists and cultural professionals, develop a Cultural Crisis Resilience Toolkit for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), offer grants to displaced artists and organise a regional forum focused on strengthening cultural resilience across the Caribbean.
The UNESCO-Aschberg Programme supports the implementation of the 1980 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist and the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, helping improve artists’ rights, working conditions and artistic freedom worldwide.
Disclaimer: This report has been editorially prepared using publicly available information. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, unintentional errors or omissions may occur. Readers are encouraged to verify important information through official sources.
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