KINGSTON, Jamaica — Entertainment Minister, Olivia Grange, says her ministry’s Entertainment, Culture, Creative Industries (ECCI) COVID-19 grants programme has been oversubscribed and has stopped taking new applications.

“We anticipated about 1,000 applications for the individual grants of $60,000 each to members…We’ve had a very good response in a very short time and we have now surpassed our target for applications,” said Grange in a statement on Saturday.  

The ministry announced the opening of applications for its ECCI COVID-19 grants on December 17, 2021. Since then, it has received nearly 1,400 applications from a wide cross section of the entertainment, culture and creative industries practitioners. They include sound system operators, musicians, singers, sound engineers, stage hands, film and video producers, writers, journalists, among others. 

“Up to yesterday [Friday] afternoon, 331 members of the entertainment, culture and creative industries had already received their grants which means that so far we’ve paid out more than $19 million. By Wednesday an additional 170 people should see the grants in their accounts. That would take us to 500 paid out. And then we would have another 800 or so applications left with the majority of those already processed and have met the criteria, and will be awarded grants,” Grange shared.  

The award of individual grants is being funded by the $19 million special support package for entertainment, culture, and creative industries practitioners. The special support package will also benefit organisations in the sectors.

The minister is expected to announce details of the support programme for organisations at a later date.