Introducing new opportunities for creative partnerships, grants and education programmes

Join us as we embark on a new chapter here at the Cayman National Cultural Foundation. Building upon our much-loved festivals and theatre programming, we are developing new creative partnerships, broadening our education and grants resources, and advocating for support of the arts in the Cayman Islands.

Read on to discover how this shift in direction will help the performing, visual and literary arts continue to thrive in the 21^st century.

Why we’re evolving

Our story began forty years ago when a small, visionary group led by Geoff Cresswell recognised the need for a theatre troupe and formed The Inn Theatre. This planted the seed that grew into the Cayman National Cultural Foundation, the country’s first arts organisation, which was tasked with preserving our cultural heritage and nurturing creative talent in the Cayman Islands. Over the decades and under the guidance of renowned Artistic Director Henry, and Managing Director Marcia Muttoo, the Cultural Foundation has helped to transform the cultural landscape and produce many magical moments on and off stage and created a legacy of which we can all be proud.

Like any organisation, we need to evolve to stay responsive to the needs of our growing creative sector and wider community. The Cayman Islands has changed and grown considerably since the Foundation was established in 1984 and will continue to change and grow. Culture and heritage are important tools in helping us bridge the past, present and future. Through the arts we can explore what it means to be Caymanian today, strengthen unity in the community and promote a sense of wellbeing and national pride. 

Strategic review

To understand how we can best support the creative sector going forward, we sat down with more than 100 stakeholders to listen to their perspectives and inform our strategic review. 

The process identified three clear priorities: more collaboration and alignment within the sector, greater access to cultural resources and expertise and further opportunities for professional development.

As a result, we will continue to produce much-loved events and festivals like Red Sky at Night, but our emphasis will also be on fostering partnerships with other creatives and community groups to facilitate partnerships at the Harquail and Studio Theatres and across the wider community.

We are also significantly expanding our education programmes, creative grants and residency programmes and investing more in our role as a cultural resource for the country.

Theatre and festivals

With a focus on collaboration and partnership, we will continue to run a busy calendar of events throughout the year at the FJ Harquail Cultural Centre and at locations across all three Cayman Islands. New initiatives include a relaunch of Cayfest on a larger scale in March, our Creative Partnership Programme (est. 2023), and the Cayman National Choir & Orchestra taking up residency at the Studio Theatre.

Education, grants and research

Preserving Cayman’s history and traditions, from storytelling, dance and folk singing to the new heritage archive library and Miss Lassie’s house at the Minds Eye Centre, the Foundation is a resource for students of all ages. Empowering the next generation of talent, our youth programmes range from school tours, after-school clubs and summer camps to educational materials for teachers.

Creative sector advocacy, grants and training

Supporting the creative sector through grants and residency programmes, we will continue to serve as both a launch pad for careers in the arts while providing ongoing support for creative practioners. We plan to offer more training and professional development for creatives and have increased our allocation of grants, providing $85,000 in support to artists last year alone. 

By promoting and advocating for the creative sector at a national level, we also aim to provide increased visibility for multiple creatives and organisations and their work.

Future planning

The Harquail Theatre was originally envisioned as part of a larger cultural campus, we still have the architectural drawings dating back to 1984. In partnership with the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, we will be revisiting this initial concept and have formed a Steering Committee to undertake feasibility studies and seek stakeholder input to develop a national cultural campus.

Setting the stage 

In line with our new strategic direction, we have our new leadership team in place.

Rosie Twohey has been appointed as managing director, with Rita Powell heading up Education, Grants and Research and Cassandra Shea leading the Theatre & Festivals team. Natalie Urquhart will step down from her role as interim CEO at the end of the year but will continue to guide creative strategy and campus development and lead the Steering Committee.

The Cultural Foundation is also currently developing a new brand which will be a refreshed interpretation of its familiar brand mark, using the traditional weaving pattern to signal the diversity of arts, culture and heritage in the Cayman Islands, along with its commitment to cultural preservation. A new website will launch in December and will include a comprehensive calendar for all Cultural Foundation and partner events and downloadable lesson plans and teaching resources for schools.

Follow our journey

We will be sharing news and updates on our social channels so please follow along as our story unfolds. We also welcome your thoughts and feedback. You can contact the team on [email protected].

For news and updates from the Cultural Foundation, follow @caymanculture on Facebook or Instagram.

Cayman National Cultural Foundation | The Harquail Theatre, 17 Harquail Drive, PO Box 30201, Grand Cayman, KY1-1201 Cayman Islands