By Latrishka Thomas
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Local artisans have been challenged to elevate their craft to world-class standards as the country prepares to welcome thousands of visitors for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November.
Chairman of the National CHOGM Task Force, Ambassador Clarence Pilgrim, delivered the feature address at the Ministry of Creative Industries’ Craft and Artisanal Production Workshop yesterday, describing craft as far more than the making of objects.
“Craft is memory made visible. It is identity given form,” Pilgrim said, adding that the workshop comes at a critical time as the nation looks to showcase its cultural confidence to the Commonwealth and the wider world.
Pilgrim said visitors should encounter products that “could unmistakably come from nowhere else,” stressing that the “Made in Antigua and Barbuda” label must represent more than just a tag.
“It should present quality, authenticity, imagination, and professional presentation, which is the purpose of this workshop,” he said, noting that customer service, merchandising, branding, pricing and cultural authenticity all matter. “A beautiful product poorly presented loses value. A culturally significant product without its story loses meaning.”
Pilgrim closed his address with a direct charge to the artisans in the room. “Do not make simply things. Make things that speak. Let Antigua and Barbuda speak through you,” he said at the training at the John E St. Luce Conference Centre.
The Task Force Chairman announced that the Ministry is advancing plans for a national cultural industry symposium, which will bring together practitioners and stakeholders from across the creative economy to identify opportunities, strengthen collaboration, and establish priorities around training, standards, financing, intellectual property protection and market access.
Director of Culture Khan Cordice, who also addressed participants, said the workshop forms part of a broader national initiative as the country prepares to host thousands of Commonwealth visitors.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for us to showcase not only the beauty of our twin-island nation, but also the talent, creativity, and the cultural prowess of our people,” Cordice said, noting that the ministry hopes the sessions will strengthen artisans’ skills and better position them to compete in regional and global markets.
Cordice said the ultimate goal is for the creative industries to translate into “opportunity, sustainable livelihoods, and economic success” for citizens, and encouraged participants to use the workshop to “learn, exchange ideas, build relationships” and consider how the training could elevate their businesses.
The workshop comes as government continues preparations for CHOGM which takes place from November 1st to 4th.
Cabinet this week received an update on the renovation and retrofitting of the Performing Arts Centre on High Street, which will host the Opening Ceremony and related meetings. Minister Rawdon Turner reported that the project remains on schedule, with handover to government expected by September 30, ahead of the summit.
Officials say progress includes completed ceiling and lighting works in the main hall, seating installation currently underway in the upper-level area, and technical infrastructure, including audio-visual systems and large LED screens, advancing toward completion.
Artisans Urged to Make Products That ‘Speak’ for CHOGM 2026
