Carib Scope

作者： admin

  • St Lucia introduces grant to assist families

    St Lucia introduces grant to assist families

    The island nation of Saint Lucia is rolling out a targeted new social welfare initiative designed to cushion new families from the immediate financial strain that comes with welcoming a new child: the Newborn Support Grant.

    According to an official statement from the Office of the Prime Minister, the one-off payment of EC$1,000 (equal to roughly J$58,000) is set to take effect in August 2026. The program is integrated into the government’s overarching national social protection framework, framed as a strategic long-term investment in early childhood development. This designation reflects growing research confirming that the earliest stages of life are a critical determinant of an individual’s lifelong health and social outcomes.

    Prime Minister Philip J Pierre outlined the details of the new policy during the recent parliamentary debate on the 2026/2027 Appropriations Bill. He explained that the grant is specifically crafted to help families cover the fundamental costs that arise in the immediate postnatal period and early newborn care stage, ranging from specialized infant nutrition and medical transportation to essential basic baby supplies.

    “This initiative is rooted in a simple but vital goal: ensuring that every child born in Saint Lucia gets a healthy, fair start from their first day of life,” Pierre said. “By lifting the immediate financial burden off new households, we are strengthening family stability and building a stronger foundation for our country’s future.”

    Pierre added that the program delivers much-needed, timely support to families navigating one of the most critical periods of a child’s development.

    Saint Lucia’s government emphasized that the new grant does not replace existing public health services, but rather complements current offerings including routine antenatal care and community-focused public health programs. It addresses a long-unresolved gap: household-level financial barriers that often prevent families from accessing full, consistent care. The country already offers expanded maternal health benefits, including free laboratory testing and ultrasound services for pregnant people to support early risk detection, consistent prenatal care, and improved birth outcomes; the grant removes remaining barriers that would stop families from using these resources.

    The Newborn Support Grant is the latest addition to a growing package of government policies focused on reducing household financial strain and expanding life-cycle social protection for all Saint Lucians. Other recent measures include the elimination of value-added tax on staple food items, expanded funding and access for the national School Feeding Programme, and increased financial assistance for retired pensioners across the country.

  • Celebrating a year of Excelerate Energy in Jamaica

    Celebrating a year of Excelerate Energy in Jamaica

    One full year after completing its high-stakes acquisition of New Fortress Energy’s Jamaican assets, US-based liquefied natural gas (LNG) firm Excelerate Energy gathered key stakeholders to mark the milestone at a special celebration hosted by the United States Embassy in Jamaica. The event, held April 28 at the Chief of Mission’s residence in the Jack’s Hill neighborhood of Kingston, brought together top industry leaders, senior Jamaican government officials, and diplomatic representatives to toast the company’s first 12 months of operations on the island.

    In opening remarks to guests, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Scott Renner framed the first year of Excelerate’s operations as more than a corporate success — it stands as a tangible strengthening of both Jamaica’s energy landscape and the decades-long bilateral partnership between the United States and Jamaica. Renner emphasized that accessible, dependable energy is the backbone of any thriving modern economy, and projects like Excelerate’s Jamaican operations deliver both expanded economic opportunity and enhanced long-term energy security for the Caribbean nation.

    Renner highlighted the depth of Excelerate’s commitment to Jamaica beyond its core corporate investments, noting the firm has already poured $1 billion into local operations and stepped up to support disaster relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. When the storm hit, the company deployed its LNG carrier *Excelerate Shenandoah* to deliver $500,000 worth of emergency supplies to affected communities. He also noted the symbolic alignment of the milestone: Excelerate’s first anniversary in Jamaica coincides with the 250th semiquincentennial celebration of the United States, a dual milestone that reflects shared values of innovation, entrepreneurship, and cross-border collaboration between the two nations.

    “America is defined by enterprise, innovation, and shared success. But our story is not one we write alone — we walk it with partners, and Jamaica is one of our closest partners,” Renner told attendees. “This partnership extends far beyond government cooperation; it thrives in civil society, in the private sector, and in the investments businesses like Excelerate choose to make abroad.”

    For his part, Excelerate Energy President and Chief Executive Officer Steven Kobos expressed pride in the progress the company has delivered in its first year, and reaffirmed the firm’s long-term commitment to growing its footprint in Jamaica. Recalling his first meeting with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness following the acquisition, Kobos noted he had promised the prime minister that the company would prove its reliability through action, not just words.

    “We made clear when we closed this acquisition that we were in Jamaica for the long haul, and today we are reaffirming that commitment. We absolutely plan to invest additional capital into the country — this is the right place for us to grow, and we are incredibly excited for what comes next,” Kobos said.

    As a symbolic tribute to the first year of partnership, Kobos presented Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith with a detailed scale model of the *Sequoia*, one of Excelerate’s LNG carriers. Johnson Smith spoke on behalf of Prime Minister Holness at the event, praising Excelerate’s operations as a critical catalyst for Jamaica’s ongoing transition to more sustainable, accessible energy sources.

    “The LNG infrastructure Excelerate operates today is central to our energy transition goals. It has helped stabilize electricity generation costs for Jamaican consumers, strengthened our national energy security, and created an entirely new industrial platform that simply did not exist before this investment,” Johnson Smith explained. “This is tangible, meaningful progress, and it is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when public and private partners from aligned nations come together around a shared goal.”

    Following the formal remarks, guests enjoyed catered cuisine from celebrated Jamaican chef Oji Jaja, live music from violinist Meah Eliana, and DJ sets from Damion Haber, as attendees networked and toasted to future collaboration between Excelerate and Jamaican stakeholders. The event included representation from across Jamaica’s leading public and private sectors, with senior leaders in attendance from organizations including Sagicor Group, Grace Kennedy Group, the Development Bank of Jamaica, Jamaica Bauxite Mining Limited, the Port Authority of Jamaica, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, and National Commercial Bank.

  • Help us scale up!

    Help us scale up!

    Jamaica’s construction industry is pushing for targeted government intervention to unlock the growth of domestic contractors, after Prime Minister Andrew Holness recently called on local firms to scale up their operations to meet the country’s rising infrastructure and housing demand.

    The call to action comes directly from The Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica (IMAJ), which issued a formal media statement responding to Holness’ remarks delivered at a ground-breaking ceremony for the new Galina Housing Development project in St Mary this past Friday. At the event, Holness stressed that Jamaica needs a cohort of large-scale, enterprise-level contractors capable of matching the country’s growing need for affordable housing and public infrastructure, and urged domestic construction firms to expand their operational capacity to fill this gap.

    While the IMAJ has expressed full alignment with the Prime Minister’s vision, the association says turning this goal into reality requires systematic government support to address the structural barriers that have held local contractors back from competing and growing at scale. In its statement, the organization outlined a series of persistent challenges that prevent domestic firms from increasing their asset bases, investing in modern heavy equipment, upskilling workforces, and taking on large-scale national projects.

    Among the most pressing issues identified are uncertain government payment timelines, unstructured procurement processes that derail long-term project planning, and long delays in resolving contractual variation claims. The IMAJ also highlighted the unfair competitive advantage held by foreign contractors, which often access preferential financing and concessionary agreement terms that are not available to Jamaican private construction companies.

    The association also pushed back against the common public narrative that attributes all project delays to contractor misconduct or inefficiency. It noted that the majority of project delays stem from systemic issues outside of contractors’ control, including last-minute scope changes, delayed design finalization, slow regulatory approvals, unforeseen site conditions, and backlogs in variation processing across public sector agencies. If these systemic weaknesses are not acknowledged, the IMAJ argues, local contractors are unfairly blamed for issues they cannot resolve, which discourages the domestic talent and private investment needed to build a sustainable long-term construction sector.

    To address these gaps, the IMAJ is calling on the Jamaican government to develop a formal Emerging Contractor Capacity Policy, co-designed in direct consultation with the organized construction industry, that targets four key priority areas.

    First, the association is calling for a dedicated national contractor capacity building programme, to be administered either through the Development Bank of Jamaica or via a formal partnership with public housing entities such as the National Housing Trust (NHT). This programme would provide domestic construction firms with critical support including affordable equipment financing, working capital loans, bonding facilities, technical skills training, and management capacity building. The IMAJ emphasized that local firms cannot make the large-scale investments Holness has called for without access to low-cost capital to fund expansion.

    Second, the association is demanding sweeping reform of Jamaica’s current public procurement and project management systems. It notes that the current laborious, slow-moving procurement process discourages private domestic firms from bidding for public sector contracts. The IMAJ says public sector agencies must be held to the same accountability standards that the government requires of contractors, with binding, defined timelines for completing procurement approvals, certifying contractor invoices, processing variation claims, and disbursing approved payments. Persistent uncertainty around these timelines makes it impossible for contractors to maintain the investment and growth the government is asking for, the group added.

    Third, the IMAJ is calling for a transparent, enforceable regulatory framework governing foreign contractor participation in Jamaican projects. The association expressed support for Holness’ commitment that foreign-led projects should not be extractive, and must include mandatory transfer of skills and technology to local workers, create space for Jamaican technical expertise, and include binding corporate social responsibility commitments. The IMAJ argues these commitments must be formalized as legally binding contractual obligations, with public, measurable targets for local employment percentages, local subcontracting requirements, local materials procurement, skills certification outcomes, and community investment. All foreign contractors would also be required to publish annual compliance reports to meet these obligations.

    Finally, the IMAJ has formally requested a permanent seat at the table during the policy development process, arguing that any national policy designed to build local contractor capacity that does not include input from the organized construction industry will fail to address the real, on-the-ground constraints that domestic firms face.

  • Regen brengt leven terug in de Irakese moerassen na jaren van droogte

    Regen brengt leven terug in de Irakese moerassen na jaren van droogte

    Tucked between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in southern Iraq, the millennia-old Hawizeh Marshes — a unique wetland ecosystem long linked to the biblical Garden of Eden — is stirring back to life. This spring, after years of relentless drought that turned most of its landscape into cracked, barren earth, welcome winter rainfall has flooded vast stretches of the wetland, bringing renewed hope to local communities and conservationists alike.

    Today, gliding across the marsh’s calm, sun-dappled waters in a wooden fishing boat reveals a landscape transformed. Lush green vegetation pokes through the spreading surface; water buffalo wallow in shallow pools or graze slowly on nearby thick, rich grass. Flocks of native and migratory bird species dart above the water, their silhouettes reflected clearly on the still surface, a quiet reminder of the biodiversity that this UNESCO-recognized ecosystem supports.

    For decades, the marshes have faced existential threat. Years of accelerating climate change have shrunk rainfall across the region, while upstream dam construction in neighboring Turkey, Syria and Iran cut off critical water flow that once fed the Tigris and Euphrates. By the last decade, more than 90% of the marshland had dried up, destroying fishing livelihoods, displacing thousands of Indigenous Marsh Arab communities, and driving countless native plant and animal species toward local extinction. Even the Hawizeh Marshes, the wettest and most resilient section of the greater Mesopotamian wetland system, had been reduced to a parched shadow of its former self by repeated dry seasons.

    But this year’s unusually heavy winter rainfall shifted the tide. Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources reports that Tigris River reservoirs are now nearly full, and water levels on the Euphrates are expected to rise further in the coming days if neighboring Syria releases stored water from its upstream dams. Local environmental activist Ahmed Saleh Neema told reporters that the Hawizeh Marshes have not held this much water in more than a decade: approximately 85% of the protected wetland is now covered in water. While depths are still lower than historical averages, Neema notes that this level of water is already enough to guarantee the marsh will not dry out this summer, when regional temperatures regularly climb above 50 degrees Celsius — a threat that has doomed recovery efforts in past wet years.

    For local fishermen like Kazem Kasid, who has spent his life casting nets in the marsh, the return of water is more than an environmental win — it is the restoration of his community’s identity and future. Dressed in a traditional white abaya and keffiyeh as he navigates his wooden boat through newly flooded channels, Kasam told AFP, “Life will come back, along with the fish and the livestock, and people will feel that their homeland and their future have been restored.”

    The Mesopotamian Marshes hold enormous cultural, historical, and ecological value. As one of the largest wetland systems in the Middle East, it supports hundreds of species of fish, migratory birds, and megafauna that cannot survive anywhere else in the arid region. For centuries, Indigenous Marsh Arab communities have built their lives and culture around the marsh’s water and wildlife. While the current rebound is still fragile, and long-term threats from upstream development and climate change remain unresolved, the return of water to Hawizeh has given stakeholders a rare chance to protect and restore one of the world’s most unique cultural and natural landscapes.

  • ECAB Rallies Behind Staff Member Competing on Regional Stage Stage

    ECAB Rallies Behind Staff Member Competing on Regional Stage Stage

    A rising bodybuilding talent from Antigua and Barbuda is gearing up to compete on one of the Caribbean’s most prestigious regional physique stages, and she is not going it alone. The Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank (ECAB) has thrown its full support behind one of its own employees, Kayla Joseph, as she prepares to represent her home country at the upcoming Roger Boyce Classic in Barbados.

    In an official ceremony held this Monday, ECAB Chief Executive Officer Michael Spencer formally presented a token of sponsorship and encouragement to Joseph, recognizing her dedication both to her role at the financial institution and her athletic ambitions. Scheduled to take place in mid-May, the Roger Boyce Classic is a professional-level bodybuilding competition that draws top talent from across the Caribbean region, and Joseph will compete as part of the official Antiguan contingent attending the event.

    In his remarks during the presentation, Spencer offered warm words of encouragement to the athlete, emphasizing ECAB’s pride in supporting team members who pursue excellence outside the workplace. “We wish you well in your endeavours and hope that you are successful,” Spencer stated, echoing the entire organization’s enthusiasm for Joseph’s upcoming competition.

    For her part, Joseph expressed sincere gratitude for the workplace backing that has helped her balance the rigorous training schedule required for competitive bodybuilding with her professional responsibilities. She noted that having the explicit support of her employer has made a meaningful difference in her preparations, giving her greater confidence as she heads into the contest. As Joseph makes her final preparations for travel and competition, ECAB has extended its collective best wishes, affirming its confidence that she will represent Antigua and Barbuda with distinction on the regional stage.

  • Debrieul SDA Church donates 110 bed sheets to St. Jude Hospital

    Debrieul SDA Church donates 110 bed sheets to St. Jude Hospital

    On April 21, a heartfelt act of community service came to fruition when the Community Services Department of Debrieul Seventh-day Adventist Church delivered 110 bed sheets to St Jude’s Hospital, fulfilling the religious organization’s long-standing commitment to social responsibility.

    This donation is far more than a one-off charitable gesture; it is a direct reflection of the church’s core mission, rooted in the biblical teaching from Matthew 25:40, where Jesus instructs followers that service to the most vulnerable members of society is equivalent to service to God itself. The entire project was driven by the dedication of volunteer team members, who poured their free time and energy into making the donation a reality.

    Elder Curpris Charles, who currently leads the department, credited his team for the successful outcome. Since taking on the leadership role, Charles has received full backing from department volunteers, who spent countless evening planning sessions coordinating logistics and sourcing the bed sheets that would eventually be delivered to the hospital.

    This contribution is part of a sustained, mutually beneficial partnership between the church and the wider local community that supports its outreach work. Every year, the church runs its Harvest Ingathering campaign: members of the congregation walk through local neighborhoods to solicit small monetary donations from residents, which are then pooled to fund tangible community support projects like this bed sheet donation.

    Pastor Leeory David explained that this reciprocal model of giving back aligns with the church’s core values. “As a church, we prioritise giving back as the community partners with us through our annual Harvest Ingathering campaign,” he noted, highlighting how public support directly enables the organization to carry out projects that serve local institutions and vulnerable people.

    The ongoing collaboration underscores the church’s unwavering dedication to lifting up local community members, particularly amid challenging social and economic times that have put increased strain on healthcare institutions and the communities they serve.

  • Baltimore Says New Glanvilles Ambulance Will Strengthen Emergency Response in St Philip

    Baltimore Says New Glanvilles Ambulance Will Strengthen Emergency Response in St Philip

    A milestone improvement to local emergency medical care has arrived in eastern Antigua, as a brand-new ambulance has been officially deployed to the Glanvilles Polyclinic to strengthen response capabilities across the St Philip district and its surrounding communities. At the official handover ceremony held to mark the occasion, incumbent area Parliamentary Representative Randy Baltimore hailed the addition as a transformative, long-awaited win for residents of the island’s eastern corridor.

    Baltimore opened his remarks by extending public gratitude to the nation’s Ministry of Health for advancing the initiative that local communities had anticipated for years. Addressing a gathered audience of emergency medical personnel, nurses, and attending physicians, he emphasized that the new vehicle would fill a critical gap in the region’s emergency care infrastructure, directly supporting life-saving interventions when patients need urgent care.

    “Every second counts” when responding to medical emergencies, Baltimore stressed, a reminder of how reduced wait times can dramatically change patient outcomes in critical situations. He outlined that the enhanced emergency service will deliver tangible, direct benefits to communities across both St Philip’s North and South constituencies, as well as nearby neighboring villages, by expanding access to rapid on-demand medical assistance that was previously less accessible in the geographically distant eastern region.

    Turning to the emergency medical technicians and paramedics who will operate the new ambulance, Baltimore highlighted the irreplaceable value of their frontline work. He framed the vehicle itself as more than just medical equipment: “This is your office, and within it, you will make the difference between a crisis and a success story.”

    A key additional benefit of the permanent deployment, Baltimore explained, is that basing the ambulance in Glanvilles will cut the region’s reliance on ambulances that have historically had to travel all the way from St John’s to respond to calls in eastern Antigua. This shift will not only slash average response times for emergency calls in St Philip, but also ease operational pressure on the already stretched existing emergency medical services based in the capital.

    Following the formal handover ceremony, the new ambulance is scheduled to enter immediate service, becoming a core component of ongoing government efforts to expand and strengthen emergency medical coverage across eastern Antigua.

  • Tasty Treasures Heritage Relay launched in Delices

    Tasty Treasures Heritage Relay launched in Delices

    A groundbreaking one-of-a-kind community event that merges long-distance relay running with traditional Caribbean baking is slated to kick off in Dominica on August 1, 2026, with far-reaching benefits for multiple local public welfare projects spanning education, agriculture, tourism, health and sports. The initiative received its official launch on Sunday, April 12, in the coastal town of Delices, where organizers outlined the event’s structure, goals and registration details to local stakeholders and the press.

    The relay race will open with the White River Leg, starting right in Delices, with participating teams following a marked route that runs alongside the scenic White River. What sets this event apart from standard relay races is its intentional integration of local culinary experiences at every stage of the course, designed to create a more immersive experience that celebrates Dominica’s food culture while keeping participants energized. Organizers have extended invitations to individual runners and pre-formed teams from across Dominica and the entire Caribbean region, aiming to draw a diverse, multilateral group of participants.

    Shirlyn James Graham, founder of the event, explained that the core mission of the initiative is to drive inclusive economic opportunity, especially for communities in Dominica’s South East region. By bringing together a wide cross-section of local business owners and workers—including small shopkeepers, roadside food vendors, local farmers, commercial fishermen, tour guides, and hoteliers—alongside participating runners along the route, the event connects different segments of the community. It unites people through shared physical activity and culinary tradition, all while advancing targeted youth empowerment and community development projects across the island.

    Competing teams will each be made up of nine members, vying for a total prize pool of 6,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars. Beyond the overall prize, special awards will be given out for standout performances: Fastest Runner, Most Creative Team, and Most Disciplined Team. Every registered team will receive a catered breakfast on race day and custom branded event T-shirts. For spectators and local attendees, a traditional Creole breakfast will be available for purchase at 30 Eastern Caribbean dollars, alongside a wide range of other local delicacies from small vendors along the route. Organizers are also running a fundraising raffle, with tickets priced at 10 Eastern Caribbean dollars each; the grand prize is 1,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars worth of professional catering services from local popular provider Tasty Treasures.

    Registration for the event is currently open at a discounted promotional rate of 700 Eastern Caribbean dollars per team, a price point that will be available through June 15, 2026. After that deadline, the registration fee will increase to 900 Eastern Caribbean dollars per team. Interested teams can pick up registration forms at the Tan Tofi Store located at 10 Marlborough Street in Roseau, positioned directly opposite the Discover Dominica Authority offices.

    All net proceeds from the relay event will be donated to three local community organizations: House of Hope in Delices, Chances in Jimmit, and St. Martin Secondary School. This relay event follows a successful community essay competition that organizers held this past March, and it forms a core part of a larger long-term effort to engage local communities through both creative expression and physical activity. As preparations for the August 1 race continue, event leaders are urging interested teams to complete their registration early to secure their spot at the promotional rate and guarantee participation in the inaugural event.

  • DABA week 2 brings high-intensity basketball to Massacre Indoor Sports Complex

    DABA week 2 brings high-intensity basketball to Massacre Indoor Sports Complex

    The 2026 amateur basketball season in Dominica is hitting its stride, as the Dominica Amateur Basketball Association (DABA) finalizes preparations for the highly anticipated second week of action, set to unfold at the Massacre Indoor Sports Complex between April 29 and May 2. Coming off a thrilling, high-energy opening week that drew crowds of passionate local hoops fans, this upcoming slate of games is set to deliver another series of hard-fought, intense matchups as squads across the league work to build early momentum, claim bragging rights, and lock in favorable positions in the season rankings.

    The full four-night schedule kicks off on the evening of Wednesday, April 29. First onto the court at 7:00 PM will be the West Coast Ballers, who will go head-to-head with the Paix Bouche Snipers. The night’s second contest will tip off at 9:00 PM, pitting Happi 767 SC Dominators against the Prowlers. Thursday’s lineup brings two more competitive matchups: at 7:00 PM, Convenience Plus Mahaut Gators will face off with Perky’s Pizza 767 SC Young Ballers, and the 9:00 PM nightcap will see Marigot Sunrise clash with BAA Sharks.

    Action continues on Friday, May 1, when Denise Charles Seahawks take on D-Treads Blazers 2 at 7:00 PM, followed by a 9:00 PM battle between Dr. Darroux PSC Falcons 1 and the Police Sports Club. The week of play wraps up on Saturday, May 2, with Paix Bouche Snipers returning to the court to challenge Dr. Darroux PSC Falcons 2 at 7:00 PM, and D-Treads Blazers 1 closing out the schedule with a 9:00 PM showdown against Prowlers. All matchups across the week will follow the set schedule of 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM tip-offs, making it easy for fans to plan to attend every game they want to see.

    Week 2 stands out as a critical juncture early in the season, featuring key matchups between established league contenders and up-and-coming rising squads. For teams that stumbled out of the gate in opening week, these games offer a critical chance to rebound and get their season back on track. For squads that notched opening week wins, the focus will be on holding their form and extending their early success. Even this early in the regular season, playoff positioning is already starting to take shape, meaning every contest carries increased weight, and every win could end up being a decisive factor when the playoff bracket is finalized later in the season.

    Beyond on-court competition, DABA has long centered community engagement as a core part of its mission, and the organization is calling on basketball fans, local families, and community members across Dominica to turn out to the Massacre Indoor Sports Complex, cheer on their favorite local squads, and experience the electric atmosphere of amateur hoops firsthand. As the 2026 season moves forward, the stakes climb with each passing week, and every matchup grows more important in shaping the final playoff landscape for the league.

  • Art and the City’s film push shows promise, despite quiet turnout

    Art and the City’s film push shows promise, despite quiet turnout

    The second day of the inaugural film program at Art and City, part of the broader Jazz and Arts Festival, drew a smaller-than-expected audience to its curated lineup of regional Caribbean creative work, capping off a debut that blends promising emerging talent with growing organizational challenges.

    For this year’s event, organizers added a dedicated film track to the two-day Art and the City schedule, marking the first time moving image work has taken a formal place at the festival. The day two lineup featured three independently produced short films, followed by a feature-length documentary. Two of the shorts came from Trinidadian filmmaker Demedrius Charles: *The Bench* and *Voice of Reason*, while the third, *Lettre La*, was created by US-based Saint Lucian filmmaker Kyvon Edwin. The feature on the schedule was *Carnival: They Can’t Steal Our Joy*, which features photographer and storyteller Fiona Compton. Notably, one previously advertised title, Kevin Adams’ *Queen of Soca*, was ultimately not screened during the event.

    Organizational missteps contributed to the low turnout, attendees and organizers acknowledged. Full screening schedules for both days were only finalized and shared in the immediate lead-up to the festival’s opening day on Sunday, April 26, leaving many potential attendees unaware of the film programming timing. On day two, last-minute changes to the running order—an announcement that the short film block would be screened twice back-to-back before the feature presentation—created confusion for audience members who arrived without updated information, leading some to miss the feature screening entirely.

    Despite these logistical hurdles, the quality of the selected films demonstrated clear potential for the new program, with thoughtful curation that highlighted diverse voices and thematic perspectives from across the Caribbean. Charles’ *The Bench* centers on the experiences of adolescents navigating the complexities of coming of age in an increasingly digital world, exploring the harmful fallout of misuse of digital technology and the stabilizing power of human connection for young people. A core strength of the project is its commitment to elevating emerging young performance talent, giving emerging creators a chance to share their work on a public festival screen. Industry veteran Claudia Turner delivers a particularly memorable stand-out performance in the film. While the production does show minor technical flaws, most notably inconsistent audio levels, these issues do not overshadow the film’s core narrative; the low-budget, raw aesthetic aligns with the project’s independent, grassroots mission, so technical shortcomings do little to undermine the overall viewing experience.

    The strongest critical reception went to *Lettre La*, from writer-director and star Kyvon Edwin, who assembled a cast of creative talent from across the Caribbean, including artists from St. Kitts, for the project. Named for the iconic late radio show created by Juke Bois, the short film offers a intimate, raw portrait of the emotional upheaval that unfolds when a long-term romantic relationship nears its end. Edwin and his co-stars deliver grounded, compelling performances, paired with seamless, professional production quality that makes the narrative feel immersive and engaging from start to finish.

    Charles’ second short, *Voice of Reason*, takes a bold narrative approach to unpacking layered, complex topics ranging from family dynamics and public health to cultural heritage and alternative spiritual and medicinal practices. Like *The Bench*, the project’s greatest strength is its thoughtful, intentional storytelling, and it would reach an even higher level of quality with refined technical execution.

    Looking at the full debut of the Art and the City film program, the overall trajectory is a positive one: even with the logistical missteps that limited turnout and caused audience confusion, adding film to the festival lineup is a welcome, promising development for Caribbean creative industries. With more advance planning, clearer communication, and increased resourcing in future years, the film component has the potential to grow into a staple of the festival, providing a vital platform for emerging Caribbean filmmakers and supporting the continued expansion of the regional independent film sector.