Highlighting our national treasures
Culture is not a mere luxury. It is a pillar of national development, identity, and economic opportunity. In support of our local artists, sculptors, and creatives, we will mandate that all government buildings and publicly-owned properties must procure and display no fewer than 20 pieces of locally produced art.
These pieces will include paintings, sculptures, textiles, installations, and mixed media works that reflect the history, spirit, and diversity of Barbadian culture.
Through this policy, sustained income opportunities for Barbados’ creative sector would be created through guaranteed public procurement. It also helps us to further celebrate and preserve Barbadian culture by making local artwork visible and accessible to citizens and visitors alike. National pride is promoted, and cultural education occurs every day through public display of artistic excellence in government spaces.
As we strive towards modernization in places like our schools, clinics, courts, ministries, airports, and other public infrastructure, infusing our art and culture keeps our aesthetic truly Bajan, through and through.
We also propose the establishment of a national public art collection that archives and elevates the creative contributions of Barbadian artists.
Developing Our Distinctive National Dress
Our culture is ever-evolving, and we must actively facilitate opportunities for our contribution towards it. We currently have national costumes, but no official national dress. We will usher in the development of a national dress that uniquely identifies Barbadians’ cultural heritage.
This initiative will create the opportunity for a competition among our artistic creatives to conceptualize designs for the national dress, be it shirts, pants, head wear, dresses, blouses, or shoes.
Riding on these designs will be an aggressive manufacturing of these garments, creating opportunities for our seamstresses, dress and shirt makers, and tailors in Barbados.
Elevating Sports from Primary School to Professional Careers
The Culture of Sports has to change from an extra curricular activity and placed in its rightful position as “Big Business”—that shift has already happened on the global stage. That’s why we intend to create the atmosphere that Sports be treated as such and therefore it has to start at the entry level at our schools.
Our policy seeks to shift this mindset, positioning sports as a legitimate career option, comparable to fields like medicine, law, or finance. This would involve: government support, private sector investment, dedicated sports infrastructure and specialist training for coaches and educators.
It is therefore necessary to create a School of Excellence, an environment to train and equip those students that excel in any sporting discipline to be adequately prepared for the world of professional sports.
We are committed to fostering the next generation of world-class sporting talent by establishing a National Sports Academy by June 2030. This facility would offer: High-level coaching and mentorship, Academic flexibility tailored to athlete development, Access to international competition and exposure, nutrition, physiotherapy, and psychological support. This would ensure that students who show potential are given the tools they need not just to compete, but to excel on the international stage, be it in athletics, cricket, football, swimming, or any other discipline.
By formalizing sports as a viable career, Barbados can: Create new job opportunities in coaching, sports medicine, administration, and media. Encourage entrepreneurship in areas like sports tourism, apparel, and event management. Boost national pride and global recognition through competitive international representation.
