The Government of Saint Lucia has begun rolling out the Creative Economy Grant Fund (CEGF), a year after first announcing it.
In August last year, the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industries and Culture invited applications, encouraging “all creatives to seize this transformative opportunity” with grants of up to EC$10,000 “to help aspiring and experienced creatives achieve their artistic goals, including dancers, filmmakers, writers and visual artists”.
At first, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre set aside $350,000 for the programme. But ministry officials said this amount was not enough to cover the large number of applications from creatives across the country.
At a press launch on Tuesday, officials said the Ministry received over 1,000 applications totalling $8.2 million. Minister for Creative Industries Dr Ernest Hilaire, unhappy that the ministry could not meet all the demand, asked the Prime Minister for more funding.
Hilaire said that after talking with Pierre, an extra $1 million from “a funding source” was added to the fund. However, the process took a long time to finalise.
“In all fairness, for some individuals who applied very early, it’s been a long wait. And in the public service, our duty is to serve,” Hilaire told grant recipients, members of the media and Ministry officials.
“We were frustrated with the process. But sometimes we just have to understand that things take time and processes have to be followed.”
After the April budget, 350 creatives were approved for grants in categories such as music, arts and crafts, film, visual arts, design, literary arts, community projects, folk and traditional arts and theatre.
Starting in September, cheques are being distributed to applicants.
“It really took some time. It’s no fault of yours, it’s no fault of the ministry; we really were trying to get more money to satisfy more of the demands that we had, distributing to as many of the 350,” Hilaire said.
Applicants who want to import goods from overseas are still waiting for Cabinet approval for customs duty exemptions under the programme. The government plans to make the CEGF an annual programme.
