Support For The Arts and heritage

Overview

The Central Bank of Barbados in conjunction with the Frank Collymore Hall provides support for the arts through strategic sponsorships. These include the Frank Collymore Literary Endowment and its prestigious literary competition that is held annually. Additionally there are sponsorships for the annual Cropover Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition.There is also the Youth Pan Programme, run during the summer for children.The center piece is the Frank Collymore Hall itself and the related performing arts and exhibition spaces.Added to this is the Exchange Museum located in the former Masonic Lodge building.It will feature, exhibitions devoted to numismatics, commerce in Bridgetown, education and the Masonic Lodge in Barbados.

Frank Collymore Literary Endowment

Exchange : a Place of Mystery & Discovery

The Crop Over Visual Arts Competition & Exhibition

The Crop over Festival Visual Arts Competition & Exhibition was first held in 1988 by the National Cultural Foundation in response to the urging of the local visual arts community.In 1994 the Central Bank of Barbados commenced sponsorship of this exhibition that takes place in the Grande Salle and other art galleries in Bridgetown.
This exhibition showcases fine arts, craft and photography produced by the Barbadian community and it provides an opportunity for artists to display and sell their work to the public.The exhibition has a competition element and contributes work to the Central Bank of Barbados’s art collection and the National Art Collection.It includes a series of special monetary awards.

YOUTH PAN PROGRAMME

A steelpan development programme is conducted annually for young people of school age.It is a collaborative effort between the Frank Collymore Hall and the National Cultural Foundation and supports the development of steelpan music as a cultural, social and economic option in Barbados.The programme was launched in 2002 as a community outreach project of the Central Bank of Barbados, when the Bank celebrated its thirtieth anniversary.It was initially termed Pan in the Plaza, after the open air concert held in the Cathedral Plaza at the culmination of the workshops.

The programme consists of an intensive three-week workshop, held during the summer holidays for students between the ages of nine (9) to eighteen (18) years.It teaches them the rudiments of steelpan music and performance.It culminates with a public concert.

YouTube video