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International Partnerships

Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the EU through Culture and Creativity

People at an open-air local cultural event.
©Unesco

Transcultura Programme seeks to harness diversity, build bridges between people and cultures of different linguistic areas, and foster the role of culture, heritage and creativity.

Objectives

The objective of the Transcultura programme: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union into the programme through Culture and Creativity to harness diversity, build bridges between people and cultures of different linguistic areas, and foster the role of culture, heritage and creativity, as well as sustainable development. The programme aims to deepen cultural integration in the Caribbean, strengthen cooperation between people, and exchange between the region and the European Union.

The Caribbean region features a myriad of cultures, traditions, habits and languages. The small size and limited capacity of the economies is challenging. Capacity-building will help boost the value chain of cultural and creative industries.

Implementation

The Transcultura programme consists of two elements: strengthening skills and capacities, and creating opportunities for the people of the region.

A Regional Cultural Training Hub is being established in Cuba as part of Transcultura programme. The Hub offers short face-to-face and online courses covering different areas of the cultural and creative industries. With a gender and inclusion perspective, the Programme provides scholarships to ensure that opportunities for access to the Regional Cultural Training Hub are equitable and reach the greatest variety of young people in the Caribbean.

The Hub provides also a space for cultural exchanges and coordinates activities to facilitate young people's access to new markets and funding sources, both within the Caribbean and in Europe. In addition, Transcultura supports cultural tourism enabling visitors to discover the heritage and artistic resources of the Caribbean.

Policy objectives

The Transcultura programme is in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals 8, 11, 16 and 17.

The programme is in line with the European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage and the Concept document ‘Cultural heritage in conflicts and crises – A component for peace and security in European Union’s external action’, adopted in 2021.

Expected results:

  • A regional Cultural Training Hub in Cuba, linked to relevant Caribbean institutions, established and capacities of culture professionals strengthened
  • Capacities for the development of new cultural projects, self-employment and start-up/scaling up activities strengthened
  • Joint actions and twinning for cultural exchange and cooperation in the Caribbean and between the Caribbean and the European Union promoted
  • Promotional mechanisms to support Caribbean Heritage Journeys within the different linguistic areas of the region and to generate opportunities for employment, income generation and regional integration created.

Key information

Project duration

01.01.2020 –30.11.2023

Project location

Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago

Total budget

€15,150,000

EU’s contribution 

€15,000,000

Implementing partner

UNESCO

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