Kingston, 21 February 2024 - The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has said that Jamaica’s Creative Economy has the potential to exponentially grow the country’s economy and create jobs and is already an addition to traditional sectors which spur the Gross Domestic Product.

Minister Grange was speaking at the third edition of the Jamaica Creative Career Expo, staged by the Ministry through its Jamaica Creative Unit. The Expo was held at the Jamaica Conference Centre today (February 21).

The Minister’s Statement follows:

There is no doubt about the economic power of the local Entertainment, Cultural and Creative Industries (ECCIs). We can all recall that during the covid-19 pandemic, after much debate and having laid the ground rules for the safe and orderly re-opening, the sector was temporarily opened from June to August 2020. The Planning Institute of Jamaica figures for the second quarter of the 2020-2021 financial year indicated that Jamaica’s economy grew by an estimated J$17 billion in the quarter prior. The only thing that could account for the sharp increase was the temporary re-opening of the Entertainment sector.

Today’s Creative Career Expo targeted over one thousand high school and tertiary students interested in pursuing studies or businesses in the creative industries, as well as creative practitioners and entrepreneurs. We wanted students to leave the Expo feeling confident and encouraged about the future of the creative industry. There are numerous creative careers out there for them to explore and become a part of the Creative Economy.

This year, for the first time, the Expo included a Creative Business Village that showcased creative businesses, agencies, industry associations and creative training institutions. The idea was for students to walk through the village and become more knowledgeable about the various entities on show, and to seek more information regarding their own career paths.

Another highlight of this year’s expo was a creative conversation with Grammy award winner, Sean Paul, along with performers Lalee, Remone Watson and dancer, Rebel.

Thanks also to our partners in the Creative Business Village, including the CHASE Fund and the Cluster Office for UNESCO, who have always supported our work.

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