On a celebratory occasion marking its 25-year legacy of service, the St. Kitts and Nevis Youth Parliament Association (SKNYPA) has officially unveiled its landmark community art project — the mural titled *A World We Make* — on Upper Market Street. Created through collective community collaboration, the large-scale public artwork stands as a visual manifesto of the organization’s core values, centering collective action, global civic responsibility, and the transformative power of young people to shape their shared future.
Designed to weave local identity and global vision into a single cohesive piece, the mural’s composition carries deliberate symbolic meaning. At its core sits a depiction of the Earth, cradled in outstretched human hands and framed by native Poinciana blooms, a nod to the project’s local roots. Within the globe, the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis are prominently featured, grounding the work’s universal themes in the specific identity and aspirations of the local community. Above the central globe stand stylized figures of young parliamentarians, while the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals circle the composition, emphasizing the interconnected nature of global challenges and the need for collective action to build a more equitable, prosperous, and sustainable future for all.
The unveiling ceremony drew a diverse cross-section of local stakeholders, including Marguerite Seaton, sister of former Governor-General and SKNYPA Honorary Member Sir Tapley Seaton; Jamal Collins, representing the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank, SKNYPA’s premier platinum sponsor for its silver jubilee celebrations; Pastor Lincoln Hazelle, owner of the property that hosts the mural; as well as current SKNYPA members, alumni, and dozens of local community supporters.
Aquanje Robinson, project lead for the mural initiative, framed the work as far more than a static piece of public art in his opening remarks. “This work speaks about collaboration and was created through collaboration. It speaks of connection and brings people together. It speaks about evolution, and it evolved before our eyes,” Robinson explained. He expanded on the mural’s broader meaning for different groups: for SKNYPA, it serves as a permanent reminder that leadership is rooted in people, not just institutions or ideas; for the local community, it is proof that collective creation and shared action are still possible; and for wider society, it is an invitation to protect public spaces where people can connect, create together, and find belonging to a purpose larger than themselves.
Sasha Herbert, lead artist and facilitator for the project and owner of Sasha the Artist Studios, walked attendees through the months-long collaborative process that brought the mural to life. What began as rough conceptual sketches and shared voice notes outlining SKNYPA’s collective vision evolved step by step, from the selection and mixing of 30 custom paint shades to the final brush strokes. Herbert noted that the project’s true impact could not be captured by formal role titles alone: throughout the process, she watched SKNYPA center community leadership and participation at every stage of what was always intended to be a community-driven mural.
The official ceremony included the long-awaited first public reveal of the finished artwork, followed by a short recap documentary tracing the project’s journey from early concept to completed installation. To close the event, organizers presented custom certificates of appreciation to the dozens of sponsors, participating artists, and community volunteers who contributed time, resources, and expertise to the initiative. From its earliest planning stages, the project was designed to foster open dialogue, social connection, and collective hope between SKNYPA and the wider local community — outcomes that organizers say the initiative has already delivered.
SKNYPA formally extended its gratitude to the full network of supporters that made the project possible. Alongside premier platinum sponsor the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank Ltd., the association recognized platinum-diamond sponsors including InHouse Productions, Dynamic Productions, ProVideo Productions, Events Extraordinaire, Allure Event Rentals, InterCaribbean Airways, St. Kitts Marriott Resort, the Department of Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment, JayBlack Productions, and the Department of Creative Economy. Silver sponsors included La Vita del Gelato, Sasha the Artist, Warner’s One Stop, Sun Island, and Dr. Lisha Ward, with additional support from bronze sponsors, individual contributors, and media partners spanning the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, UKreate, Ojedi Organics, Suprm Media Group, Cut-I Entertainment, Model Cop, and SKNvybez.
As the organization emphasized in closing, the mural’s title carries a core mission that guides all of SKNYPA’s work: This is not a world we inherit, not a world we wait for — it is a world we make, together.