Creative Nassau (CN), along with members of the Downtown Nassau Partnership, proudly unveiled the Official UNESCO Creative City Logo for the City of Nassau which obtained its designation as a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Arts on December 1, 2014 from Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, who welcomed the City of Nassau as a member of the prestigious Creative Cities Network comprising 69 Creative Cities all around the world. The brief ceremony was held in Pompey Square as a part of the monthly Creative Nassau Market and during the Launching of Bahamas Revisited, a new Bahamian excursion company headed by young entrepreneur Steven Cartwright.
“This is another proud moment for Creative Nassau’s members: Dr Nicolette Bethel, John Cox, Dr Davidson Hepburn, Patricia Glinton-Meicholas, Paulette Mortimer, Quentin ‘Barabbas’ and Maureen Woodside, Rosemary Hanna, Royann Dean, Sonia Farmer, Vaughn Roberts and Yvette Rolle and myself” stated Co-Founder Pam Burnside, “and an amazing accomplishment for the City of Nassau as well as for all of the citizens of The Bahamas who can benefit from the development of a Creative Tourism model which will provide the opportunity to place creativity at center stage in order to:
- enhance awareness, appreciation and celebration of our arts, culture and heritage
- encourage entrepreneurship and pride in what we do and produce
- develop self empowerment and employment at all economic and social levels
- strengthen the economy and increase Bahamian exports.
This success is also a fitting example of the power of the people – we, the people – to make positive things happen without government assistance if we will belief in ourselves, insist on honesty and excellence and continue to work together as a community to make things happen. We applaud these amazing artisans and entrepreneurs that are out here today, and the thousands of others in our country, as we carry out our mission statement to “promote and celebrate Bahamian Art, Culture and Heritage from the Inside Out”
We would also like to thank our partners through this 6 year journey: His Excellency, Sir Arthur Foulkes, Dr Leon Higgs of the Bahamas National Commission for UNESCO, our Mayor, Gevon Moss and the members of the Downtown Nassau Partnership, Silbert Ferguson of The Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence.
We extend thanks over the oceans to the following fellow Members of the Creative Cities Network who also endorsed our application from the Cities of Santa Fe, New Mexico and Paducah, Kentucky U.S.A.; Kanazawa, Japan; Aswan, Egypt; Fabriano, Italy; and Icheon, Korea, and to our many supporters both here and abroad who have constantly encouraged and assisted us in our efforts, particularly Clare Sands of The Plait Lady and Beverly Taylor of Harl Taylor BAG. We are most grateful to such sponsors as Cable Bahamas Cares Foundation, The Counsellors Ltd, Kevin Turnquest of Vaudio Productions, and Charles Carter of Island FM 102.9.
We encourage the public to “light the stick of Creative Nassau fire” and pass it on to others to keep our Bahamian creativity burning bright, from person to person, from community to community, from island to island, from the country to the world! Please keep abreast of Creative Nassau’s development plans and activities on our website www.creativenassau.com and our facebook page and tune in to our weekly Radio Show on Tuesdays at 7-7.30 pm on Island FM 102.9. THANK YOU!
