Above: St Lucia (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

More and more Caribbean governments are starting to acknowledge the importance of the creative class to national development.

Now, the government of St Lucia is launching a new initiative to give a boost to small enterprises in the creative sector.

The Ministry of Tourism, Heritage and Creative Industries will be providing funding to such enterprises, with the aim of assisting emerging artists, according to Parliamentary Secretary with responsibility for the creative industries, Dr Kentry Jn Pierre.

“Many times, those people who are engaged in culture and the creative industries are not able to attract the finances they require to get into business,” Pierre said. “So making grant funds available to them, provides them with that opportunity to start off.”

Pierre said the Ministry would also be providing support to the country’s Audio, Visual and Film Association.

“We are also hoping to lend support to that association through the establishment of a film commission that will help both the development of the film industry locally and also regulate the way that we open or make Saint Lucia available to film makers from overseas,” he said.

The creative sector will receive around $370,370 USD in this fiscal year for various projects, he said.