Support for the arts

“The soul requires the nutriment both of religious experience and of the arts… In thinking of the nutriment derived from the arts, I should like to quote Pablo Picasso. He said ‘Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life’.” – Sir Courtney Newlands Blackman, founding Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados.

Held to coincide with the Chinese New Year, the Fish and Dragon Festival is a celebration of diplomatic relations between Barbados and the People’s Republic of China. The annual event is sponsored jointly by the Bank and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China.

The Central Bank of Barbados in conjunction with the Frank Collymore Hall provides support for the arts through strategic sponsorships. These include the Frank Collymore Literary Endowment and its prestigious literary competition that is held annually. Additionally there are sponsorships for the annual Crop Over Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition. There is also the Youth Pan Programme, run during the summer for children. The centrepiece is the Frank Collymore Hall itself and the related performing arts and exhibition spaces. Added to this is the Exchange Museum located in the former Masonic Lodge building. It will feature, exhibitions devoted to numismatics, commerce in Bridgetown, education and the Masonic Lodge in Barbados.

The Exchange Interactive Centre is the Central Bank of Barbados’ museum.

From the building that houses its interactive galleries to the exhibitions themselves, which depict the evolution of currency, trade, education, and Freemasonry, the Exchange Interactive Centre is steeped in Barbadian history. Visitors can immerse themselves in these stories through videos, audio recordings, and other interactive elements, all of which make for an engaging family visit.