KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Kingston Creative to continue the redevelopment of downtown.

Mayor of Kingston, Senator Councillor Delroy Williams said the MOU will further advance the vision to transform and reimagine downtown Kingston.

“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,” he said.

Kingston Creative is a non-profit arts organisation founded in February 2017 with a vision of transforming the nation’s capital into a creative city.

It believes in collaboration and work with a public-private and third sector partnership, a team of organisations committed to empowering creative people and transforming downtown Kingston.

Mayor Williams noted that the MOU is a symbol of the commitment to bring change to Kingston through partnership.

“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,” he added.

Stakeholder and Manager of Kingston Creative, Tavia Benjamin, noted that the MOU will create great opportunities for creatives.

“The agreement will see the continued development of the city as a UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation]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.

The organisation hosts 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.

-JIS