[Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands]
As part of the Literacy month festivities in September, the Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF) Managing Director Ms. Marcia Muttoo, accompanied by Mr. Bryan Hunter, the Managing Partner at Appleby and sponsor of the publication, presented Hon. Tara Rivers, the Minister of Education and Councillor Roy McTaggart from the Ministry of Health & Culture with copies of the 4th Volume of the Foundation Arts & Culture Journal. The publication will be distributed to every school in the Cayman Islands so that educators and children can draw on this valuable resource in their school libraries.

The 4th Volume of the Foundation Journal features articles on the way of life on our Sister Islands from early settlement until today. Very few publications have been developed in Cayman to document and preserve Cayman’s recent history. Much of our knowledge has been passed on by a tale or two from generation to generation. This volume of the Foundation Journal which features Mr. Burnard Tibbett’s article on “The Way People Lived on Cayman Brac” and wonderful photographs of people and items such as gigs and wompers and even the unexpected but familiar cans of Flit insect repellant, which was often used to spray bedrooms before bedtime. Every home in the Cayman Islands should own one for generations to come.

The CNCF had hoped to produce more volumes of the Journal over the years but lacked adequate funding in order to do so. CNCF Artistic Director, Mr. Henry Muttoo said in his forward at the beginning of the publication, “It is so gratifying that Appleby has risen to the challenge for good corporate citizenship to fund the re-emergence of Foundation, which has already more than proven its value to our community. With their (Appleby’s) motto of ‘Building Our Community Through Giving’, they understand the value in supporting, not so much the work of CNCF but, more importantly, the very community which makes them a successful enterprise”.

Mr. Bryan Hunter, Managing Partner of Appleby (Cayman) noted that “Education, particularly relating to the history and culture of the Cayman Islands, is especially important to Appleby and we are delighted to reinstate the Foundations journal, which will be an essential reference tool available for use in social studies and history classes in all local primary, secondary and tertiary schools.”

Commenting on the publication, Minister Rivers said, “The production and distribution of the CNCF Journal is a timely one as the Education Bill, 2016 proposes to make the study of the history and culture of the Cayman Islands a required subject in all schools. This Journal will help to provide content from which teachers can draw from to deliver lessons on our Caymanian cultural heritage.”

The 2016 CNCF Foundation Journal is available for purchase at the office of the Cayman National Cultural Foundation located behind the Harquail Theatre on the 2nd floor for a contribution of $15. Previous volumes are also on sale dating from 2001, 2002 and 2006 ($12.00 each or the collection (total 5 books) for $55.00). Each volume contains articles and photographs of Caymanian heritage, arts, and culture.

The Cayman National Cultural Foundation
For more than 30 years, the non-profit Cayman National Cultural Foundation has carried out its mission of ‘stimulating, facilitating and preserving Caymanian cultural and artistic expression’. CNCF has achieved this through the extensive development of wide-ranging programmes. These programmes include stage productions, creative education for young people, free workshops and financial support of artists, as well as festivals, publications, national recognition of artistic and cultural achievement and the preservation of Caymanian heritage, and arts and culture for future generations.