The top envoys from Germany, France, Belgium, and Canada to Jamaica on Monday pledged their continued support to the major mural project now under way in the often-troubled west Kingston community of Tivoli Gardens.

The diplomats were all smiles during their time in the tough community as they gave a collective thumbs up to the work being done under the Tivoli Mural Project which started in 2022.

German Ambassador Jan Hendrik Van Thiel told the Jamaica Observer that the project is a wonderful one which his embassy is supporting because of its great value to community development.

“It is an arts project and it is an international project that brings together artists from around the world. They are creating networks, a common platform of expression. They are working together, creating beauty — and that is something we really, really want to support. As a diplomat, this is diplomacy at its finest: Bringing people together, bringing positive energy together to create something positive and something beautiful, and to develop the community. I am very proud to be associated with this project and I am very happy about the results,” said Van Thiel .

Belgian Ambassador Ellen De Geest was similarly enthused to be associated with the Tivoli Mural Project.

“It is impressive the amount of murals they have, and the level and the quality is really good. We made a contribution to the project; we sponsored three Belgian artists to come here and do their work. Unfortunately, due to the hurricane they couldn’t travel but we still maintain our contribution and so we are here to see the work — and hopefully some other artists, or the same ones, can come here next year because it is really impressive. It is a really good project,” De Geest shared.

Marianne Ziss, the French ambassador to Jamaica, expressed hope that skateboarding, which goes almost hand-in-hand with wall paintings and art, could be spread throughout Tivoli Gardens and other communities as another avenue to keep youth active and out of trouble.

“I am here because we support Jamaica Skate Culture and they organise free skateboarding classes for kids, including in Tivoli. That is how I met the Tivoli Mural Project team, and on the tour today I think the murals are just amazing. Street art is a part of skate culture, so, for us, what we did is fund a mobile skate park that was built and can be deployed in various communities. So far, our support was to the skate culture part of the street art. It is like a combination of atmospheres in the communities,” said Ziss.

“Now that I see the beautiful murals I would like to develop cooperation with some muralists from France and maybe Guadeloupe, for instance. On Sunday there was skating in Tivoli Gardens. It was short-term but why not develop it? Skating is also a component of urban development because it makes the city more beautiful and it makes the community actually be able to actually enjoy the European architecture with the skate park. We would like to further explore what we can do on this side,” Ziss added.

Oniel Coke, one of the main organisers of the project, said it was a great feeling to see the mission experience growth.

“It started by brethren and brethren linking up, wanting to impact change. The seed was planted and it has grown for other people to see it blooming. They look at the flower and gain interest in the flower until it spread to a community. When you see it reach a level where other nations see it fit to participate, it is awesome, man.

“Inner-city communities overall are marginalised; a lot of things go against these communities. In the past, a lot of people would look at Tivoli as the mother all garrisons. [Now,] we embrace being the mother of transformation. Things always change. Look at Montego Bay and St Elizabeth, if you visited after the hurricane you couldn’t believe that something could happen for those places to look the way they look now. Before it happened it was unimaginable. We celebrate growth,” Coke said.

One of the giant murals in Tivoli Gardens forms an impressive backdrop as German Ambassador to Jamaica Jan Hendrik Van Thiel (left) discusses the Tivoli Mural Project with O’Neil Coke, one of the main organisers of the project, while Manuel Gerullis, founder of Meeting of Styles, looks on during a tour of the project by diplomats on Monday. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

O’Neil Coke, one of the main organisers of the Tivoli Mural Project, greets French Ambassador to Jamaica Marianne Ziss after her arrival with other diplomats for a tour of the project on Monday.

French Ambassador to Jamaica Marianne Ziss is pleased as she walks by this mural in Tivoli Gardens on Monday.