A facilitator endorsed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is set to arrive in the Cayman Islands on 4 June, 2016 to provide guidance to the Culture and Heritage Policy Steering Committee and the Ministry of Culture in the drafting of the Islands’ first National Culture and Heritage Policy and Strategic Plan.

Deirdre Prins-Solani is an expert in intangible cultural heritage, which are the practices, representation, expressions, knowledge and skills that a community or group recognizes as part of its cultural heritage. She will play an important advisory role in the development of the policy, from inception to implementation. As part of her role Ms. Prins-Solani will provide input into the policy, help to identify gaps in representation, and support the Ministry of Culture in the process by drafting the policy and plan.

“Creating a cultural policy is about more than just drafting a document. It is about engaging the community and the stake holders to be responsible for culture, and providing the framework to ensure that resources are available to ensure that cultural activity plays a role in the economic and social development of a nation”, she says.

“I’m thrilled to see the strides already made by the Cayman Islands, and am looking forward to arriving and providing my support.”

Ms. Prins-Solani most recently served as a consultant for the Jamaican government’s review of its culture policy in 2015. She has also worked as the programme coordinator for the Museum of AIDS in Africa’s “Healing through Memory and Objects” project, and is an independent assessor for the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. In addition she is a part time lecturer at the University of Cape Town and a Salzburg Global Seminars Fellow and Resource Person.

“We’re very pleased to have the expertise of Ms. Prins-Solani as we continue with this process. Understanding what culture means to people can be a difficult task, but it’s an important step to protecting a country’s heritage and strengthening its cultural offerings. We believe with Ms Prins-Solani’s guidance we will be able to draft a policy that is in the best interest of the cultural landscape of the Cayman Islands” said the Ministry’s Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn, Chair of the Culture and Heritage Policy Steering Committee.

Committee members and key stakeholders will meet with Ms. Prins-Solani as she leads them in a two-day workshop on 7– 8 June. The six subcommittees will also present her with their situational analysis reports during her visit.

In addition members of the public will be able to meet with Ms. Prins-Solani, the Steering Committee Chair, Deputy Chair, and the Subcommittee Chairs during an open house set for Wednesday 8 June at the Government Administration Building (lobby area), from 5.30 p.m. – 7.30 p.m. This will be an opportunity for the public to get a better understanding of the work that has been done so far to create the national policy, and give their feedback.

In the meantime the public can participate in a survey designed to garner the widest possible feedback from all individuals in the Cayman Islands. The survey continues the line of inquiry used by the focus groups/subcommittees, so that everyone in the Islands can have a voice in the information-gathering stage of the policy’s formation.

Members of the public can access the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZDQK8C2. The survey closes on 30 June.

Photo caption:

UNESCO endorsed facilitator, Deirdre Prinso-Solani, will consult on the Culture/Heritage Policy