Durrant Pate/Contributor

Jamaica’s creative community is lauding the LASCO Chin Foundation for its recently launched Cultural Entrepreneurship Programme (CEP), the newest pillar in the foundation’s strategic framework, representing an innovative development and commercialisation of creative and cultural ideas, leveraging heritage and artistic expression for income generation.

The programme harnesses the rich cultural assets of Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, transforming traditions, stories, and artistic talent into sustainable business ventures.

It encourages vulnerable groups, especially at-risk youth, to channel their creativity into legitimate, income-generating opportunities and empowers young people to build sustainable livelihoods while deepening their appreciation of Jamaica’s heritage and the contributions of our national heroes. The initiative is well aligned with their mission, which is to uplift and inspire through education and entrepreneurship. 

CEP merges entrepreneurship training with cultural education

The programme merges entrepreneurship training with cultural and historical education, which is the vision and work of the late LASCO chairman, Lascelles Chin, in whose honour the foundation is named. The launch, which took place last September 8, was also used to announce the playwright selected to bring to life a theatrical production honouring the life and legacy of National Hero Sam Sharpe. 

Twelve-time Actor Boy Awards winner and playwright David Tulloch was announced as the winner. Attendees were able to get a glimpse of the play, where actors Jomo Tafari Dixon, Oraine Meikle, Sabrina Thomas and Sherando Ferril brought to life an excerpt from the play. 

Earlier this year, the LASCO Chin Foundation invited creatives to submit proposals for an original theatrical play honouring Sam Sharpe. In her presentation, programme manager at the foundation, Anna-Kay Richards, highlighted the link between their entrepreneurial program and Jamaica’s culture and creativity. 

According to her, “This initiative emerges at a time when our nation is navigating complex social and economic challenges, particularly among our youth. Many young people face limited access to meaningful employment, rising mental health concerns, and a growing disconnect from their cultural identity. In this moment, it is more critical than ever for the LASCO Chin Foundation to respond with programmes that not only equip the vulnerable with economic tools, but also affirm their sense of self, community, and purpose”.

Guest speaker, actor, comedian and educator, Owen ‘Blakka’ Ellis spoke about the importance of corporate entities like the foundation and its partners partnering with creatives to build the Jamaican creative economy.  

He made a call encouraging other corporate entities to see the cultural and creative sectors as business ventures and as valuable investments that they can tap into, which will, in return, build the Jamaican creative economy and the Jamaican economy at large. 

For his part, foundation chairman James Rawle echoed Ellis’ sentiments, stating how the collaboration of both corporate Jamaica and Jamaican creatives can partner together to help build the country’s creative economy. Rawle’s showed that the LASCO Chin Foundation has done its research about the creative economy and how much of a powerful global impact it has, and how much it could positively build the Jamaican economy. 

There was a video presentation by foundation CEO Professor Roselea Hamilton, who brought awareness about, established to give every Jamaican the opportunity to thrive and about how all their initiatives, such as supporting vulnerable and at-risk youths, are funded by the LASCO-affiliated groups and local, regional and international partners.