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Barbados Network Consultation 2012

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Cultural Industries

Barbadian culture, full and varied, has been recognised around the world for its distinct flair and richness. The cultural industries which encompass a wide range of things Barbadian, have been officially recognised as including “enterprises which provide the general public with commercially viable cultural goods and services...and include products and services like films, videos, television programmes, musical instruments, sound recordings, commercial theatre, dance, books, magazines, newspapers, journals, popular music performance, software, CD-ROMs and other related products”. Barbadian dance, music, fashion and film are represented in various festivals and forums locally and abroad.

Equally prominent are items of cultural heritage which include “immovable cultural heritage such as buildings, monuments and archaeological sites; intangible cultural heritage such as oral traditions, performing arts and rituals; natural heritage such as natural sites with cultural aspects - cultural landscapes, physical, biological or geological formations and underwater cultural heritage such as shipwrecks.” Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a prime example of Barbados’ rich cultural heritage.

The Barbados Government continues to support and drive the development of the cultural industries. Chief among its efforts are the draft Cultural Industries Bill, which once passed into legislation, will concretise incentives and concessions for practitioners; and a facility of $50 million made available in amounts of $10 million annually to musicians, artists, designers and chefs seeking to borrow for promotional, marketing and distribution efforts outside of Barbados. 

Bursting with heritage and dynamism, Barbados’ cultural industries are on display for the world to see. Take the opportunity and grab a piece of Barbadiana!