Hurricane Melissa has been a deeply traumatic and life-altering experience. Lives have been lost, our landscape and homes have been damaged or destroyed, and entire communities have been turned upside down. For creatives, the effects of a disaster go far beyond the immediate crisis. Events are cancelled, audiences shrink, tourism slows, and cultural livelihoods are disrupted and this can extend over months. These challenges threaten not just individual incomes, but the very heartbeat of our culture: our music, our art, our stories, and our craftsmanship.
To respond to these long-term needs, Kingston Creative has joined forces with our trusted NGO partner, The American Friends of Jamaica, with whom we worked closely during the pandemic to distribute COVID-19 relief grants valued at US$470,000 to 1,535 creatives across 27 Caribbean countries for the The Creative Resilience Fund. Supported by the Miami Foundation, the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ) and individual donors, the fund was able to provide grants of JMD$30,000 to 74 grantees in the parishes of St. James, Westmoreland, Trelawny, St. Elizabeth. But there is so much farther to go.
How does the Creative Resilience Fund work?
- Rapid Research and Assessment – Collect data to understand the true impact and needs.
- Hurricane Recovery Grants – Provide 200 artists from the western parishes with J$30,000 per month for six months.
- Workspace Access – Ensure creatives have safe spaces to work and reconnect.
- Equipment Library – Offer 50 equipment grants to replace damaged instruments, tools, and materials.
- Regional Programme – Expand this model across the Caribbean, where climate threats affect all creative communities.
This fund will help creatives rebuild their livelihoods with dignity and stability while protecting the cultural heritage that defines Jamaica.
Donate now and stand with us: https://theafj.app.neoncrm.
