The Cultural Development Foundation through the Ministry of Tourism, Heritage and Creative Industries is spearheading a Cultural Mapping Project to develop an information tool that will facilitate growth in Saint Lucia’s creative industries.

The initiative, held under the theme “It’s Our Culture – Let’s Map It 2 Tap It!” is funded by the UNESCO International Fund for Cultural Diversity will be conducted in seven pilot communities: Anse la Raye, Monchy, Castries/Gros Islet, Soufriere, Laborie, Dennery North and Vieux Fort North/ Desruisseaux.

Cultural Mapping involves gathering information on tangible and non-tangible cultural assets such as practitioners (musicians, artists, crafters and writers), places (museums, shops, sites), traditions (La Woz, La Magwit, storytelling, dance), and events.

Team Map It (TMI) will visit the communities, and organize the information collected into a database which will be analyzed to show trends such as areas where certain traditions are thriving or dying out. This will guide policy makers on the value of the sector allowing for sound arguments to be made for funding for development. Further, it will inform immediate plans within the UNESCO project for capacity building work.

An online interactive map will also be produced that will allow buyers to locate producers and service providers; visitors to locate sites of interest, and customers to find shops and studios. The Online Cultural Map will give contact information and also include links to external websites, shopping portals, and social media.

The Cultural Mapping Project will be officially launched on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at the CDF Conference Room at 2 p.m., where the mapping team will be introduced.

CDF encourages the public to listen for subsequent radio and television ads as well as announcements informing of Team Map It’s scheduled visits.