The CATAPULT Arts Grant, valued at $210,000 USD, returns to support Caribbean creatives in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Arts Grant was born out of a collaboration between Kingston Creative and The American Friends of Jamaica and is partly funded by the Open Society Foundation.
In its second year, the COVID-19 emergency relief grant, will offer financial support to 300 artists across the Caribbean through relief grants worth $500 USD.
All artists that apply for the grant will also have an opportunity to be added to the Kingston Creative Database; an open directory that the public can access to find, hire and easily partner with creatives for international and local projects.
Wendy Hart, President of the American Friends of Jamaica, says “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and with it the uncertainty that impacts the livelihoods of creatives across the Caribbean, we are partnering once more with the Open Society Foundation and Kingston Creative to open new opportunities both to artists and those who value their work”
Kingston Creative Project Manager Khadijah Chang commented, “In 2020, through this grant supported by the Open Society Foundation, we impacted over 1235 creatives in 26 Caribbean countries with training for digital skills, creation of websites and showcasing the variety of talent and creativity that exist within our Caribbean region. This year, along with providing financial support to artists, we believe it is important to provide artists with a platform that allows them to connect, showcase their body of work and have access to regional opportunities. We are confident that this can be achieved through our Caribbean creative database.”
Applications for CATAPULT will be open on January 3, 2022. Applicants will be evaluated and selected by an independent jury made up of Caribbean art practitioners.To learn more about the CATAPULT grant, you can visit: www.catapultarts.com
Kingston Creative is investing in “People and Place” – developing strong creative entrepreneurs and building a vibrant Art District in Downtown Kingston.
Whilst this initiative is welcome, the amount available to sustain a successful applicant speaks volumes about the dire financial restraints that most artists work under, pandemic or not.