Creative industry seeing advancement with construction of Creative Arts Centre underway & a financing scheme

by Kevon Browne

St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN)—The creative economy in St. Kitts and Nevis has shifted from conceptual planning to high-impact international partnerships and major infrastructure development, with work underway on the site of the future Creative Arts Centre and on the partnership with Nollywood in Nigeria.

During the Quarterly Press Conference on April 21, 2026, Hon. Samal Duggins, Minister of the Creative Economy, proudly expressed that construction has begun on the Creative Arts Centre.

“Today, we stand here where construction has begun. Land cleared, excavation underway, construction and development of our creative arts centre well underway. I think that deserves a round of applause. Again, vision, action, results that you can see. And for me this is construction of more than just a building. You see, this, for me, is the foundation of an industry. It is a home where talent and culture become a driver of our national development. The creative arts centre, we’ve started that from a vision. We put the action behind of it. And today, through the construction, we are seeing the results.”

The government signed a landmark agreement with Nigerian filmmaker Steve Gukas to develop the local film industry and create global pathways for Kittitian stories, with an additional 12 films expected in the future.

“We have now signed on with Nollywood to develop films about the entire global African diaspora. We think it is at the centrepiece of that development. So we will become one of the first registered entities developing films for Amazon, Netflix, and for further theatre development within these films. And that we signed while at the conference. Coming off of that is also the fact that, in June of this year, we are scheduled to see our participation in the first Nollywood film. Where they will be filming part of an African love story, which takes place between South Africa, Nigeria, and St. Kitts and Nevis. And our part should be filmed in June. So that’s another initiative coming out of this. The 12 films, as well as our feature in this film.”

Additionally, the Federation became the first country to sign on to the Afri-Caribbean Creative Economy Development Initiative, which unlocks access to over $2 billion in financing for regional creatives.

Director of the Creative Economy, Roberitine Webbe, provided some insight on what the fund entails.

“So the African Caribbean financing initiative for the creative economy is a fund where particularly creatives can use their IP. So, for example, people in music can use their music catalogue to leverage it to gain capital. Not that they are selling their catalogue, but they are using it as like a collateral for a loan. So that they can gain their financing to do any initiatives they want. Whether to reinvest in their company, whether to do other personal investments. So it has that ability. Usually what happens is that creatives, let’s say persons who make a lot of money off of their catalogue. They don’t have the capital they need to do other investments. And so they sell their catalogues. Which, in short, means that they don’t have the opportunity. What if the music then blows up again in the future? The person who owns the catalogue now benefits from music.”

Using Bob Marley as an example, she explained how artists can leverage their creations to access financing without selling their rights.

“Let’s say Bob Marley would have sold his song. Before he died. Now, that person who has the catalogue will be massively, significantly benefiting off of that music catalogue. Because we know the reach and how global his catalogue is now. And so it provides that alternative than sale. And just allows more flexibility and more investment and leverage for creatives.”

She said more information will be forthcoming to help creatives gain insight into the initiative’s finer details.

“There is a project directly to the African and Caribbean countries. That will help us further develop and vastly advance the creative sector. But that is it in short. There is more behind it. Which we will be shortly bringing an information session for our creatives. To gain the knowledge and insights on how they can benefit from this project. So you will see that coming in short order.”

Other initiatives that support the creative economy include a partnership with the St. Kitts Nevis Anguilla National Bank, which provides specialised loans for creative entrepreneurs and startups, and ongoing programs that focus on digital competencies to help locals access the global value chain and monetise their ideas online.