$76,000 grant to support centre

EMERGING artists in Fiji can now learn and share their creative visions following the official opening of the Center for the Arts Suva (CAS) in Walu Bay yesterday.

The establishment of CAS has been made possible with a grant of $76,000 under the US Embassy’s Economic Recovery Grant program.

CAS Creative director and founder Peter Sipeli said the proposal to develop the first industrial creative space for young and emerging artists in Suva was welcomed by the US Embassy.

“We thank the US Embassy for providing a safe place for our young artists to be themselves,” he said.

“Our work is more focused in creating safe spaces for emerging artists and provide necessary skills training for them and when we run our programs in two weeks’ time we will employ 24 artists.”

US Embassy representative Venus Reyes said the US Embassy had always supported developments in Fiji and was proud to invest in projects that helped build resilient communities and economies.

“The embassy realised the need to have this particular center and the need to celebrate art and entrepreneurships,” she said.

“As we were reviewing applications this particular project stood out and we recognised there was a need for this kind of center in the country as this would be the first industrial creative space for young and emerging artist to take part in income generating activities.”

CAS co-founder Nakitia Irvin said the main focus of the space was getting artists into the center to learn and share their creative thoughts.

“The focus is trying to get young artists in here and really creating and enabling empowering space for them to share their creative visions in what thought it maybe whether it is photography, visual arts, dance and writing,” she said.

“This is one of seven exhibitions that will be open this year and this gallery is open to the public and we are just preparing for the classes to begin in two weeks and we just wanted to create an artist driven space for people to learn and also feel inspired.”

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