A groundbreaking collaborative cultural and artistic exchange between two island nations is now underway, bringing three young student artists from Antigua and Barbuda to the shores of Jersey to build cross-cultural connections through creativity. The three emerging talents — Joyce Murray-Watkins, Trinity Hughes and Tse Pigott — represent the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS), and they are accompanied by Mark Brown, head of ABCAS’s Department of Fine Arts and Creative Studies, for the first phase of the two-part exchange.
Centered around the unifying theme “Safe Haven Across the Sea”, the young Antiguan and Barbudan creators are working side-by-side with Jersey-based artists to paint a large-scale public mural at Elizabeth Marina. Running from July 19 to 24, this initial phase of the project blends collaborative mural creation, immersive cultural exchange activities and direct engagement with local Jersey communities, laying the groundwork for long-term people-to-people ties between the two island groups.
The exchange will continue this coming October, when a cohort of Jersey artists will travel to Antigua and Barbuda to create a second complementary mural. This second phase of the project will be completed ahead of two major upcoming events: the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and Antigua Art Week. At its core, the exchange is designed to nurture artistic growth for young creators on both sides, deepen cross-cultural understanding, and explore shared themes of collective identity, community connection, belonging, and the unique experience of island life.
This artistic initiative is far more than an isolated project: it represents the latest expansion of a decades-long deepening partnership between Antigua and Barbuda and Jersey that already spans multiple sectors, including education, skills development, sports and culture. Previous collaborative efforts stretch back to 2022, when the two jurisdictions launched a hospitality work and training partnership. This was followed by the Leadership and Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme (LEAP), which supports young women from Antigua and Barbuda to access leadership and entrepreneurship training in Jersey. Other existing links include two youth cricket exchange tours to Jersey, as well as musical exchanges that brought young musicians from the Jersey Music Service to Antigua and Barbuda to perform alongside the Antigua and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra (ABYSO).
The formal foundation of this expanding partnership was reinforced most recently in November 2024, when Antigua and Barbuda’s Education Minister Daryll S. Matthew and Jersey’s former Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel, signed a new Memorandum of Understanding during a ceremony in Jersey.
Speaking on the launch of the art exchange, Minister Matthew emphasized the transformative power of international creative collaboration. “Education flourishes when it is enriched by culture, creativity, and collaboration,” he said. “This partnership between ABCAS and Jersey demonstrates our shared commitment to preparing the next generation through meaningful international engagement and artistic excellence. I am delighted to see Joyce, Trinity and Tse represent our country through their creativity.”
Mark Brown, who is accompanying the three students for the first phase of the exchange, highlighted the transformative opportunities the project offers for emerging young creators. “This collaboration offers our students an exceptional opportunity to engage with fellow young artists, broaden their creative perspectives and build meaningful international connections,” Brown explained. “We are proud to represent Antigua and Barbuda and look forward to sharing our culture while learning from the rich artistic heritage of Jersey.”
James Tyson, head of programme at ArtHouse Jersey, the local arts organization leading the initiative on Jersey’s side, welcomed the exchange as a natural next step in the growing friendship between the two island communities.
The landmark cross-cultural project would not have been possible without the combined support of a broad coalition of institutional and private partners, including ArtHouse Jersey, the Government of Jersey, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, ABCAS, the Antigua and Barbuda High Commission in London, Ambassador Sami Al-Mufleh, Ann Chapman-Daniel and Shiri Daniel of the Galleon Foundation, and the JCG Foundation.