The IDB Cultural Centre’s Development Programme 2009 has announced an award of US$6,500 to the Guyana Women Artists’ Association to fund the project ‘Art: Remembering and Preserving our Heritage.’

In a press release the IDB said the objective of the project is to stimulate interest in the visual arts and encourage creative efforts through the sharing of ideas in the form of seminars, workshops, exhibitions and publications. The IDB’s Cultural Center is honoured to collaborate with the women artists to support “a worthy project…that will strengthen the development of artistic and cultural talent in the IDB member country.”

Created in 1992, the IDB Cultural Centre seeks to advance the concept of culture as an integral component of development. The Center has two primary objectives: to contribute to social development by administering a grant’s programme for small-scale cultural projects in the Region with positive social impact and to promote a better image of the IDB member countries with emphasis on Latin America and the Caribbean, through their cultural expressions.

Since its establishment, 10 institutions have benefited from grants from the Centre: the University of Guyana in 1996, the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports in 1999, the Guyana Women Artists’ Association in 2002, the Varqa Foundation in 2003, Dayspring Guidance Centre in 2004, the Region Nine Development Association in 2004, Conservation International Guyana in 2005, the Arts Forum Inc in 2006, the Guyana Teacher’s Union north branch in 2007 and GuyberNet last year.

The grant is awarded annually. More information and guidelines about the Cultural Development in Field Programme is available at the IDB website located at http://www.iadb.org/cultural. Persons can also uplift documentation at the IDB’s 47 High Street, Kingston office or contact Ava Yarde at email address avay@iadb.org.