Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Kenny D. Anthony said that the government plans to improve the environment for the development of creative arts.

The Prime Minister spoke with Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan), His Excellency Ray Mou, on the occasion of Nobel Laureate Week.

With assistance from the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) government hopes to construct a new complex to serve as a nexus for performing arts.

The Prime Minister noted that the construction of such a facility, to replace the decades-old National Cultural Centre, is vital for the advancement of dance, drama and music, and will demonstrate the nation’s love and appreciation for its Literature laureate.

“Saint Lucia has a rich cultural heritage, a proud record of achievements in the creative arts," said Dr. Anthony. "For this heritage to flourish, our artists and performers must have a home to call their own. This government remains committed to building a modern National Centre for the Performing Arts.

“During my last conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), we spoke of advancing the design of the complex, which his government has graciously offered to assist us with. We have a likely location, and we now need to finalize the design. We also want the local cultural community to have some input in the final design, as it is intended that this will truly be their home. With that in mind, we are working with the designer to see if we can circulate the drawings, perhaps via social media.

“Our Nobel laureate for Literature, Hon. Derek Walcott, has long stated his desire to see this dream come to fruition, and we too want to see this happen. It is important that we celebrate not only our culture, but also that we honor our very own Saint Lucian icon,” Dr. Anthony concluded.

While the Government of Saint Lucia is committed to building a new centre for the arts, the administration has also paid substantial attention to the development of the existing network of Human Resource Development Centres, to enable their use as community creative arts centres.