On Saturday, February 7, 2026, a celebratory Certificate Award Ceremony and Mini-Fair unfolded at Prevo Cinemall in Roseau, Dominica, marking the successful completion of the groundbreaking Cultura Digital Antilliana (CL.AU.DI.A.) project. Nine emerging young artisans walked away with official recognition for completing the program, closing out a three-year cross-continental initiative that aimed to transform digital cultural training across the Caribbean region.
Funded through the European Union’s Erasmus+ program, CL.AU.DI.A. launched in 2023 as a collaborative effort between a multinational consortium of cultural institutions and educational bodies spanning the Caribbean and Europe. Partner organizations brought diverse regional expertise to the table: Italy’s ARCS – ARCI Culture Solidali APS, D’Antilles et D’Ailleurs from Martinique, multiple Cuban entities including Asociación Hermanos Saíz, the National Center for Cultural Advancement, and the University of Information Sciences, Haiti’s École Supérieure d’Infotronique, and the Dominica-based Dominica Arts and Crafts Producers Association (DACPA), who led local implementation in Dominica.
The core on-the-ground phases of the program rolled out in Dominica between July 2024 and December 2025. DACPA kicked off local activities with a specialized Training of Trainers course, delivered remotely via widely accessible digital tools including WhatsApp and Google Meet. Following the trainer upskilling phase, the organization opened applications for a pilot trainee program, ultimately selecting nine young local artisans to participate in the full training curriculum.
DACPA President Vanessa Winston shared that the program overcame significant early logistical hurdles, including widespread transportation barriers and conflicting scheduling conflicts for participating artisans. To address these challenges, the entire program was adapted to a fully virtual format, eliminating access barriers and ensuring that all nine selected participants were able to complete the full course of training. A core feature of the program was its one-on-one mentorship model, which paired each trainee with an experienced dedicated trainer to provide ongoing personalized support throughout their learning journey.
The program wrapped up with a capstone international gathering in Cuba, where DACPA representatives and trainees traveled to join the final project conference and public exhibition. The Cuban event also included a historic ceremonial signing of the CL.AU.DI.A. Network agreement, a formal pact that locks in long-term regional cooperation to expand access to digital culture training across the Caribbean. Saturday’s ceremony in Roseau amplified this milestone, celebrating not just the individual success of the nine newly certified artisans, but the broader impact of a project that has built lasting cross-border partnerships and unlocked new economic and creative opportunities for digital cultural creators across the region.