From OECS-Chamber of Commerce of Martinique

Friday, November 29, 2019 — Cultural entertainment organisation ‘Association Kreol’ recently completed a Business Immersion exercise in Saint Lucia as part of the INTERREG Funded Trade Enhancement for the Eastern Caribbean (TEECA) project.

Founder of ‘Association Kreol’ Danielle René-Corail, who currently organises multiple shows in Martinique, completed the Business Immersion experience in Saint Lucia where she had the opportunity to meet multiple stakeholders in the area of entertainment and business development — including OECS coordinators of the INTERREG TEECA project, local artists, Export Saint-Lucia and the Cultural Development Foundation.

The two-day programme enabled René-Corail to initiate primary discussions on multiple matters, inter alia:

• identifying potential business partners in Saint Lucia;
• performing shows in Saint Lucia; and
• providing support to Saint Lucian artists who wish to access the French-speaking Caribbean market.

‘Association Kreol’ benefitted from the technical assistance under the INTERREG TEECA project which intends to increase reciprocal trade between Martinique and the English-speaking OECS countries.  The TEECA Project currently supports 29 companies from the English Speaking OECS and Martinique to access markets by reducing technical, language and cultural barriers that inhibit intraregional trade.

René-Corail expressed very positive feelings on the INTERREG TEECA Project. 

“Martinique and Saint Lucia are very close geographically, yet ‘musically’, we don’t work enough together. INTERREG TEECA is a unique opportunity to collaborate with stakeholders in the area of cultural entertainment in the Caribbean, which is why we are more than happy to be part of the project,” René-Corail said.

As a direct result of the participation of ‘Association Kreol’ in the INTERREG TEECA project, the female Martinican singer and artist manager mentioned that the show ‘Ti Kreol’ will be performed for the first time in the Caribbean region. Sixty young children will attend the event which is scheduled to be held in Saint Lucia on December 16, 2019.  

“We launched ‘Ti Kreol’ 20 years ago and we have performed many shows in Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Paris over the years. However, we’ve never had the opportunity to perform in the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean. This is definitely a great opportunity for us which, I hope, will result in performing other shows across the region,” René-Corail added.

Other companies benefitting from the INTERREG TEECA project, come from sectors such as music, fashion, information technology, green technology and agro-processing, which are also working on similar partnerships aimed at expanding their trade in other OECS Member States soon.  

About the INTERREG TEECA project

The Trade Enhancement for the Eastern Caribbean (TEECA) project is co-funded by INTERREG Caraïbes and led by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Martinique (CCIM), in partnership with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), and the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique (CTM).

The INTERREG TEECA project was launched in 2018. The programme aims to accelerate trade within OECS Member States by providing assistance to companies based in Martinique and the English-speaking countries of the OECS which wish to access to other markets. The INTERREG TEECA project fosters forging win-win partnerships within the entrepreneurship ecosystem of the region. Hence, 29 companies which were selected at the end of the call for projects are currently benefiting from a two-year tailor-made support programme to enable the export of their products and services to other markets.

This programme also aims to promote entrepreneurship among young people in the OECS Member States through the TECCA Caribbean Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge.

About INTERREG CARAIBES Programme 2014-2020

Coordinated by the Regional Council of Guadeloupe as the Managing Authority, INTERREG Caraïbes is a European Union programme which enables the French and European territories of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique and Saint-Martin, to undertake actions that foster cooperation with neighbour countries of the Greater Caribbean. More than 35 countries from an area that encompasses Mexico in the north, to Venezuela in the south, are included among the potential partners of INTERREG funded projects.