The call launched by the Transcultura Programme for music groups from the Caribbean led to a record number of applicants from the region to this International World Music Fair, whose next edition will take place in October this year, in the city of Porto, Portugal.
A total of 58 grant applications from the Caribbean were received, of which 100% received support from the Programme to submit their proposals. Between the applications funded by Transcultura and those self-financed by the artists, a total of 108 applications were received, an unprecedented number in the history of Caribbean participation in WOMEX calls. This marked a 60% increase over previous years, according to information shared by the Fair's organisers.
This illustrates the interest and need for artists and music professionals to access the international market. WOMEX and its global professional community have always proved to be a strong platform for music productions from this region. Christine Semba - WOMEX Special Projects Director
Christine Semba - WOMEX Special Projects Director
Groups from Barbados, Belize, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago submitted their proposals following the announcement of the call for applications in April this year.
Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity is a four-year Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean in Havana, with the support of the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean, based in Kingston, and the UNESCO National Office in Haiti, located in Port-au-Prince.
In the spirit of building bridges between peoples and cultures through music, Transcultura and WOMEX launched this call, whose final result will be known between June and July, when an independent jury announces the winning groups for live performances during the event in Porto, Portugal. The first step was to facilitate equal access for Caribbean countries to this opportunity to conquer new markets and strengthen the inclusion and competitiveness of the cultural and creative sectors of the region in international platforms and events.
108
applications
58
applications supported by Transcultura
317
persons benefited
10
countries represented
We are proud to be part of WOMEX Registration, a great international project that supports and develops world music. Its impressive goal, which brings together cultures and is designed for different annual spaces, makes known the many different artistic expressions of peoples and creative spaces. We are also grateful to UNESCO and the Transcultura Programme for giving us the opportunity to belong to this great family of artists from Europe and Latin America.
Sofía Guilarte- Director of The World of Sofía Band. Applicant to the Call.
Looking ahead, Christine Semba stated that the tendency is to strengthen the strategic alliance between WOMEX and Transcultura to continue supporting Caribbean musicians and music professionals from the Caribbean.
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