SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Where Culture Lives research project, commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and carried out by Lemonade & partners (Jorien Wuite, Ludmila Duncan, Gregory Richardson and Elton Villareal), concluded with a symposium on Caribbean cultural practices in The Hague.
Organized by OCW, the event brought together policymakers, researchers, cultural organizations, knowledge institutions, artists and stakeholders from across the Kingdom.
The project delivered the first baseline study on cultural practices in Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten, offering new insights into how culture is practiced, experienced, transmitted and sustained throughout the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.
More than 580 survey respondents, 131 key informants, over 100 validation participants and 32 artistic submissions contributed to the research.
A Special Program for Caribbean Artists
A distinctive feature of the project was Lemonade’s Where Culture Lives Artist Prize, inviting creatives to answer a simple yet profound question: Where does culture live on your island?
The six winning artists (Principio/Genesis from Curacao, Dillon Rannou from Bonaire, KYRO from Sint Maarten, Rhea Courtar from Statia, Angelita Peterson from Saba and Ariadne Wever from Aruba), supported by OCW, participated in a special program surrounding the symposium, enriching broader conversations on identity, creativity and belonging while demonstrating the value of art as both cultural practice and knowledge.
Major Conclusions & Recommendations
Ludmila Duncan presented the survey results indicating: "What the data shows is that culture is supported in different ways across our islands. Some communities contribute through strong volunteer networks like on Saba and cultural associations on St. Maarten, others through creative entrepreneurship and income generation like in Curacao.
All are essential parts of our Caribbean cultural ecosystem." The study confirmed opportunities to strengthen the connections between culture, creativity, tourism and economic development while safeguarding authenticity and community ownership.
It also highlighted the need for deeper insights into the orange economy and future research.
Gregory Richardson emphasized that "sustainable cultural development requires three complementary interventions: continued monitoring, stronger connections between cultural education and talent development and ultimately enhanced regional collaboration among cultural institutions, practitioners, and policymakers."
Continuing the Conversation
Elton Villareal noted that “the validation sessions demonstrated that cultural research is strengthened when findings are returned to communities for reflection, interpretation and real dialogue”.
OCW is preparing translations of the report to enhance accessibility across the islands. At the same time, Lemonade is developing an interactive digital platform that will make research findings, artistic contributions and comparative data more widely available to cultural practitioners, policymakers, educators and researchers.
Gratitude and Looking Ahead
The project team extends its sincere appreciation to all respondents, cultural practitioners, artists, island coordinators, surveyors, knowledge partners, advisory members, NGOs, focus group participants and government representatives who contributed to this research and collective effort.
Although Where Culture Lives has formally concluded, the collaboration it fostered continues. Lemonade and its partners are exploring a broader Caribbean consortium dedicated to cultural mapping, collaborative research, knowledge exchange and regional cooperation, with an initial focus on further research into the orange economy while supporting wider cultural development across the region.
Jorien Wuite: "This report is hopefully not seen as an endpoint, but as the foundation for a shared Caribbean framework for cultural knowledge, cooperation and future monitoring across our region. We remain committed to supporting future initiatives that strengthen cultural and heritage practices on the islands”.
