Smashing The Box Bahamas (STBB) is a newly formed creative arts group that is advocating for the re-establishment of a viable and sustainable performing arts industry in The Bahamas.

They are calling on successive governments to be accountable for promises made to theperforming arts industry over the decades, the most recent being the announcement of aperforming arts school during the Parliamentary budget debate, as well as during the PrimeMinister’s visit to the United Kingdom for the coronation of King Charles.

The arts community is anxious to hear the details surrounding the establishment, location,infrastructure, and timelines proposed for such an entity.

Data collection would be a necessary starting point to determine the number of Bahamianspresently involved in the industry, and their immediate needs. Proper legal groundwork, suchas enforceable copyright and intellectual property laws and infrastructure, is also crucial for theprotection of the industry’s artists, creators, and performers.

Funding is always a major challenge in the performing arts industry, as well as viable jobopportunities. Unfortunately, scores of talented Bahamian performing artists are forced to leavethe country in order to make a living in their field.

When BTC was sold in 2014, the PLP government stated that a BTC Foundation would beestablished with a trust-type structure in order to make donations to various Bahamian socialand community projects. The Foundation was developed to invest in projects "aimed atincreasing and improving access to, and enjoyment of, telecommunications technology as wellas other important civic projects". A 2017 news report revealed that the BTC Foundation hadaccrued 1.3 million since its creation with Royal Fidelity as its custodian.

STBB is calling on the government to provide the public with details about the status of thisFoundation and its funds.

The group is also calling upon the opposition to explain what became of the proposedmulti-million dollar “Culture Fund” that the Minnis-led FNM government promised, stating thatgrant applications would be reviewed by a panel of members throughout the country’s artcommunity. A local publication in March 2019 stated that “Such projects may include: writing abook, putting on a play, or an exhibition, making a film, or documentary, a community artactivity, or setting up writing workshops, which may produce poetry, stories and other writtenmaterial.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fred Mitchell, eloquently expressed at an October 2022 Meeting ofthe Economic Commission of Latin America and The Caribbean, that Culture and investment inthe orange economy is clearly something that has benefits for countries. Entertainers fromaround the region help to promote their countries. It helps to inspire people to greater things.

Minister Mitchell pointed out how Bob Marley’s estate is the third highest earner in music, valuedat $500,000,000 and he also noted the positive effect that it has on Jamaica. He stated that it isimportant for the government to invest in sports and culture.

Smashing The Box Bahamas is prepared to hold the promises of successive governmententities to account, by asking them to demonstrate their commitments with concomitant actionsso that this generation of Bahamian creatives have the opportunities to thrive within a positiveBahamian Orange Economy environment.

For more information on the STBB, visit their page on the Creative Nassau website atwww.creativenassau.com and if you are a creative, please complete the short Orange EconomySurvey on the site.