“Creative Knowledge and Cultural Enterprise: The Know Your Art Workshop and the Future of Caribbean Creativity.”

The piece explores a recent workshop held in Barbados that brought together international speakers, entrepreneurs, and young creatives to discuss the growing role of the creative industries in economic development, education, and youth empowerment across the Caribbean.

In a workshop room in Barbados, young artists, entrepreneurs, and aspiring media professionals

gathered to confront a question that increasingly shapes the Caribbean’s cultural future: how

can creativity become a sustainable career?

The event, titled “Know Your Art,” brought together a group of international speakers,

entrepreneurs, and creative professionals under the banner of KWEST International, a nonprofit organization working with youth, artists, and creative communities. Through practical

discussions on media production, entrepreneurship, travel, branding, and innovation, the

workshop explored how cultural talent can evolve into professional opportunity.

At the center of the workshop was Karlos Cobham, founder and president of KWEST

International, whom I spoke with briefly during the event.

Cobham is a multifaceted creative professional whose work spans music, filmmaking, writing, acting, and media production. As a Grammy-considered and Billboard-charting artist, he has developed a career that bridges artistic performance with entrepreneurship and creative leadership.

Through KWEST International, Cobham has developed initiatives aimed at equipping artists and youth with both technical skills and personal development opportunities. The organization

operates within the music, film, and media sectors, offering services such as audio and visual

production, artistic design, branding, social media development, and media strategy.

At the heart of the organization’s mission lies a simple but powerful belief: creativity can serve

as a tool for both personal transformation and community development.

At a time when cultural industries are receiving renewed attention across the Caribbean and

Latin America, the gathering highlighted an important shift. Creativity is increasingly understood not only as cultural expression, but also as a pathway toward economic development, global collaboration, and youth empowerment.

Across the Caribbean, music, film, design, and digital media have long served as powerful

cultural exports. From reggae and calypso to emerging Caribbean cinema and digital

storytelling, the region has shaped global cultural conversations for decades.

Yet despite this cultural influence, many young creatives still face significant barriers. Access to

professional training, funding networks, and industry mentorship remains uneven. Increasingly,

regional leaders, universities, and cultural organizations are recognizing the need to strengthen the creative economy through education, entrepreneurship, and international collaboration.

Workshops such as Know Your Art reflect this emerging movement. By connecting aspiring

artists with experienced professionals, the event focused on helping participants understand not only the artistic dimensions of creative work, but also the strategic and business foundations required to build sustainable careers.

One of the workshop’s featured speakers was filmmaker and media executive Tirrell D. Whittley, founder and CEO of the brand marketing agency LIQUID SOUL.

Since founding the agency in 2001, Whittley has built LIQUID SOUL into a respected firm

specializing in advertising, publicity, and brand strategy within the entertainment industry. The

company has contributed to marketing campaigns for major global productions, including Black Panther and Game of Thrones.

In addition to his work in marketing, Whittley has produced documentary projects such as

COPWATCH and the Aretha Franklin documentary Amazing Grace. His contributions to media

and entrepreneurship have earned him numerous recognitions, including a NAACP Image

Award and the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Atlanta Business League.

For participants attending the Barbados workshop, Whittley’s insights offered a rare glimpse into the global entertainment industry and illustrated how storytelling, branding, and strategic

communication intersect in contemporary media production.

Another dimension of the workshop focused on the relationship between travel, cultural

exchange, and entrepreneurship.

Travel and business entrepreneur Kristen Whittley, founder of Kennedi-Taylor Travel, shared

how international experiences can shape both personal and professional development. Born

and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Whittley is a graduate of Florida A&M University, where she

earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

After more than two decades as a stay-at-home mother, she transformed her passion for travel

into a business specializing in mid-to-luxury group travel experiences for families, organizations, churches, and professional communities.

Through her work, Whittley encourages individuals to view travel not simply as leisure, but as a powerful tool for cultural exploration, education, and personal growth. Working through PlanNet Marketing, she now mentors others interested in entering the travel industry as independent entrepreneurs.

Her message resonated strongly within the Caribbean context, where tourism remains a

cornerstone of many national economies. Exposure to international cultures, she explained,

expands perspective, builds confidence, and often inspires new entrepreneurial ideas.

The workshop also explored the importance of leadership, financial literacy, and strategic

decision-making, themes presented by Eugene Poole, a senior healthcare executive with more

than three decades of experience in healthcare strategy and information technology.

Poole has worked extensively with major healthcare systems across the United States, including

initiatives for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). His work has included

developing information technology solutions connecting healthcare networks across all fifty U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Certified by the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) in the Patient Protection

and Affordable Care Act, Poole belongs to a select group of professionals recognized for

expertise in healthcare policy and regulatory compliance.

While his field may appear far removed from the arts, Poole’s presentation emphasized

principles that apply across every industry: independent business ownership, personal finance

management, organizational systems, and strategic thinking. For many creatives, these

foundations can be the difference between artistic passion and long-term professional stability.

Another key theme addressed during the workshop was access to capital, an obstacle

frequently faced by creative founders.

Entrepreneur Leif Hartwig, founder and CEO of the investment platform WealthVP, discussed

the importance of understanding investment ecosystems when building creative ventures.

Based in Arizona, WealthVP connects private companies and startup founders with accredited

investors and family offices. Founded in 2019, the platform combines digital technology with

human advisory support to streamline capital-raising processes.

Hartwig explained that many promising ventures fail not because of weak ideas, but because

founders lack access to financial networks and strategic investment guidance. For creative

entrepreneurs hoping to launch media companies, production studios, or digital platforms,

understanding how investment systems operate can be just as important as artistic talent itself.

Although the workshop took place in Barbados, its themes resonate far beyond the Caribbean.

Across Latin America, particularly in countries such as Brazil, creative industries have become

central to discussions about cultural identity, economic opportunity, and digital innovation.

Brazilian music, cinema, design, and digital content creators have demonstrated how cultural

production can reach global audiences while generating significant economic activity.

For Caribbean artists and entrepreneurs, these developments offer an important lesson.

The future of creative industries increasingly depends on international collaboration and cross-

regional dialogue.

Events like Know Your Art therefore serve not only local communities, but also contribute to a

broader conversation connecting the creative economies of the Caribbean and Latin America.

For many young creatives in Barbados and across the region, the path from artistic talent to

professional success can still appear uncertain. Access to mentorship, industry knowledge, and

entrepreneurial training remains essential.

Workshops such as Know Your Art demonstrate how collaboration between educators,

entrepreneurs, artists, and industry professionals can help bridge that gap.

In a region where culture has always been a defining force, the next chapter of Caribbean

creativity may be shaped not only by artistic brilliance, but also by entrepreneurship, strategic

thinking, and global partnerships stretching from the Caribbean to Brazil and beyond.

Photo taken by Kyle Ward from Blue Iron Media

Photo taken by Kyle Ward from Blue Iron Media

About the Author

Professor Knight Adrian Daisley KRMB, Chevalier, H.E., MBE is a Barbadian cultural

Ambassador representing the Solo Surakarta Hadiningrat Royal Heritage in the Caribbean

Region Europe and Africa, Profesor of Coaching and Skills Development, and global

relationship strategist dedicated to advancing international collaboration in higher education,

leadership development, and cultural diplomacy. He serves as Strategic Director of EBMAC –

European Business Management Accredited College and Associate Professor at the Global

Educational & Professional Excellence Academy.

Professor Daisley also serves as Head of Mission for the Sultanate of Solo Surakarta

Hadiningrat and adviser to HRH Princess Donna Dayu Kencana Soekarno. His academic

credentials include a Professional Doctorate in Personal Development, an LLB (First Class Honours), and an LLM.