Antigua and Barbuda Students Take Part in Art Exchange with Jersey

Three students from the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS), accompanied by their art tutor Mark Brown, Head of the Department of Fine Arts and Creative Studies, are representing Antigua and Barbuda in a collaborative art exchange with Jersey, using creativity to build connections between young people and celebrate the culture and identity of both islands.

Joyce Murray-Watkins, Trinity Hughes and Tse Pigott are working alongside artists on a public mural at Elizabeth Marina under the theme “Safe Haven Across the Sea”. The first phase of the exchange runs from 19 to 24 July, including collaborative mural work, cultural activities and community engagement.

In October, the Jersey artists will travel to Antigua and Barbuda to work with their counterparts on a second mural ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026 and Antigua Art Week. The exchange aims to strengthen artistic development and cultural understanding while exploring shared ideas of identity, community, belonging and island life.

The initiative is the latest exchange of a relationship between Antigua and Barbuda and Jersey that has continued to grow across education, skills development, sport and culture.

This has included a hospitality work and training partnership established in 2022; the Leadership and Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme (LEAP), through which young Antiguan and Barbudan women have participated in leadership and entrepreneurship development in Jersey; two youth cricket tours to Jersey; and musical exchanges that have seen young musicians from the Jersey Music Service travel to Antigua and Barbuda to perform alongside the Antigua and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra (ABYSO). The relationship was further strengthened through a new Memorandum of Understanding signed in Jersey on 8 November 2024 by the Honourable Daryll S. Matthew, Minister of Education and Jersey’s Deputy Kirsten Morel, who at the time served as Jersey’s Minister for Sustainable Economic Development..

The Honourable Daryll S. Matthew, Minister of Education, said:

“Education flourishes when it is enriched by culture, creativity, and collaboration. This partnership between ABCAS and Jersey demonstrates our shared commitment to preparing the next generation through meaningful international engagement and artistic excellence. I am delighted to see Joyce, Trinity and Tse represent our country through their creativity.”

Her Excellency Karen-Mae Hill, High Commissioner of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Kingdom, said:

“This art exchange demonstrates how the relationship between Antigua and Barbuda and Jersey continues to deepen and create meaningful opportunities for our young people. From leadership and sport to education and now the visual arts, these partnerships are allowing young Antiguans and Barbudans to share their talents, broaden their experiences and build lasting international connections”.

James Tyson, Head of Programme at ArtHouse Jersey, welcomed the exchange as a continuation of the growing friendship between the two islands:

“This wonderful exchange is the continuation of a growing friendship between Antigua and Barbuda and Jersey that has provided opportunities for people from both islands, whether in music, sport or art, to meet together and to celebrate our respective cultures.”

Mark Brown, Head of the Department of Fine Arts and Creative Studies at ABCAS, said:

“This collaboration offers our students an exceptional opportunity to engage with fellow young artists, broaden their creative perspectives and build meaningful international connections. We are proud to represent Antigua and Barbuda and look forward to sharing our culture while learning from the rich artistic heritage of Jersey.”

The exchange has been made possible through the support of its partners, donors and sponsors, including ArtHouse Jersey, the Government of Jersey, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, ABCAS, the Antigua and Barbuda High Commission (London), Ambassador Sami Al-Mufleh, Ann Chapman-Daniel and her daughter Shiri Daniel of the Galleon Foundation, and the JCG Foundation.

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