Downtown Kingston is set to look beautiful again through a deal struck between the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) and non-profit arts organisation, Kingston Creative, which is on a drive to make the location into an arts district, which  tourists and other visitors would want to come.

The two organisations recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to continue the redevelopment of downtown and will further advance the vision to transform and reimagine bustling commercial district of downtown Kingston.

Mayor of Kingston, Senator Delroy Williams commented, “we are also pursuing the transformation of Kingston into a tourism city. The transformation of the downtown space requires partnership with all stakeholders, and Kingston Creative has been very clear in what they want to do. They are a key stakeholder in the transformation process.”

‘MOU a symbol of commitment‘

He said the MOU is a symbol of the commitment to bring change to Kingston through partnership adding, “this MOU is demonstrating our understanding of that but also putting on paper and structuring our working relationship as we pursue giving the creatives the opportunities to explore their creative abilities and use those abilities in the transformation of downtown and the city.”

Tavia Benjamin, stakeholder and manager of Kingston Creative, emphasised that the MOU will create great opportunities for creatives.

“The agreement will see the continued development of the city as a UNESCO City of Music. It gives great opportunities for creative entrepreneurs, for those who also want to support the creative and cultural industries, just to jump in to be a part of this,” she added.

Murals that have been painted in downtown Kingston have now become a staple of the area. Over the past three years, Kingston Creative and its team of 100 volunteers have created a movement to transform the City and the lives of local creatives.

They host monthly art events like the Artwalk, Meetup and Market Street that have brought thousands of visitors and commerce to downtown Kingston. The team has developed 59 new murals through the Paint the City Project and trained hundreds via online and in-person sessions.

Kingston Creative was founded in February 2017 with a vision of transforming the nation’s capital into a creative city.