Work to create the Cayman Islands’ first National Culture and Heritage Policy and Strategic Plan moves forward.

Chairs of the six focus-group Subcommittees shared the results of their initial situational assessment at a meeting of the Steering Committee on Tuesday 3 May 2016 at the Government Administration Building.

The subcommittee chairs, all of whom also sit on the Steering Committee, presented work done in their respective areas of focus. These include: land-based heritage (including leisure and cultural tourism); maritime heritage; subcultures, governance and legal aspects; literary arts and oral history; visual arts, crafts and creative industry and performing arts and festivals.

A situational analysis is an in-depth examination of the current state of affairs in an area. Accordingly, subcommittee members have been busy over the past month meeting to undertake research and develop situational analyses for their respective sectors, as well as what resources are lacking, with recommendations for supplementing the gaps.

Aside from the core subjects identified by the name of each of the six subcommittees, key areas examined by all groups include education, finance, economics, technology and leadership.

Officials are to compile the results into a report that will be submitted to the Ministry of Culture. The report will be used to feed into the framework for the new policy, which is expected to be rolled out over a 10-year period from 2017 to 2027.

“The Chairs of the six subcommittees are to be commended for their incredible level of dedication and focus that their focus groups have shown” says Steering Committee Chair Jennifer Ahearn, who is also the Ministry’s Chief Officer. “Through their work and the input and expertise of their focus group members, we have been able to have as wide as possible information gathering and analysis, from about seventy people thus far in this process. This will benefit us in the policy development phase.”

Subcommittee Chairs are National Trust for the Cayman Islands Executive Director Christina McTaggart-Pineda, Land-based Heritage subcommittee; Cayman Islands National Museum Director Dr. Peggy Leshikar-Denton, Maritime Heritage subcommittee; Ministry of Culture Acting Policy Advisor Natasha Powell, Literary & Oral Tradition subcommittee; Cayman National Cultural Foundation Managing Director Marcia Muttoo, Performing Arts and Festivals subcommittee; National Gallery of the Cayman Islands Director Natalie Urquhart, Visual Arts subcommittee; Deputy Chair of the Culture & Heritage Steering Committee and Deputy Chief Officer of the Ministry of Culture Nancy Barnard along with Legal Department Crown Counsel Tonicia Williams, who co-chair the Subcultures, Governance & Legal subcommittee.

Photo caption: Photo by Edlyn Ruiz, GIS

A section of the Steering Committee presents on the Culture and Heritage situational analysis work to-date.