Bahamian Ethan Knowles selected as resident writer for prestigious arts and culture programme

Bahamian Ethan Knowles selected as resident writer for prestigious arts and culture programme
Ethan Knowles.

Caribbean Linked VI to launch virtual edition

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamian writer, photographer and multimedia documentarian Ethan Knowles has been selected as the resident writer for the sixth iteration of Caribbean Linked, a residency programme that brings together artists and cultural workers from across various linguistic territories in the region.

A flyer for the virtual edition of Caribbean Linked VI.

The 23-year-old creative genius hails from New Providence, having previously been head boy and valedictorian at his alma mater, Queen’s College.

But he also possesses a wealth of education and experience from abroad.

Knowles has ventured through the United States and even as far as Rome, Italy, where he continues to gain experience in his field through ongoing studies and while working as a writing tutor as well as a film and digital media assistant.

A highly awarded individual, Knowles has had his writings published both abroad and locally at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) and in The Nassau Guardian newspaper. He has also had exhibitions at NAGB and the United World College of the Adriatic.

Dominique Hunter, Caribbean Linked IV 2016 participating artist. (DAVID KNIGHT JR)

The regional residency Caribbean Linked VI, Knowles’ latest accomplishment, will be held virtually for this edition. Co-managed by Ateliers ’89 (Aruba), The Fresh Milk Art Platform (Barbados) and ARC Magazine, it has changed its focus this year in light of the severe impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has brought upon the lives of artists regionally.

Caribbean Linked VI will be conducting all of its programming and support virtually from July 30 to August 31, 2021, with live public conversations between the artists taking place on Wednesday, August 11 and Tuesday, August 31 from 4pm to 5pm AST on each day.

The residency’s programming supports creatives across the French, Spanish, English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean. Participating artists for include Claudio Arnell of Saint Martin; Taisha Carrington of Barbados; Romelinda Maldonado of Aruba; Akley Olton of St Vincent and the Grenadines; Susana Pilar of Cuba; John Reno Jackson of the Cayman Islands; Sarabel Santos- Negrón of Puerto Rico; Samuel Sarmiento of Aruba/Venezuela; and Béliza Troupé of Guadeloupe.

Samuel Sarmiento, Caribbean Linked VI 2021 participating artist. (SAMUEL SARMIENTO)

The residency will allow the participants to be exposed to the practices of other emerging Caribbean artists, providing an opportunity to strengthen regional connections and cultural understanding.

This edition of Caribbean Linked is being conceptualized as a bridging year, with participating artists still scheduled to meet physically in August 2022 at Ateliers ’89 in Oranjestad, Aruba. The preliminary remote encounter is focused on provisioning artists with dedicated studio time to make new works, while reinforcing the value of Caribbean artists’ practices and enabling their growth and development.

The writer in residence for the virtual edition will be Knowles, the emerging scholar and writer from The Bahamas currently studying in Rome, Italy. This year’s specially invited curators will be Sofia Olascoaga, an academic curator at Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo — UNAM (MUAC) in Mexico City, where she coordinates Campus Expandido an academic programme of critical theory; and Miguel A López, former chief curator of TEOR/éTica turned independent curator living and working in Lima, Peru.

“La Linea en la Memoria” by Irvin Aguilar, Caribbean Linked V 2018 participating artist. (SHARELLY EMANUELSON)

The month-long residency will be supported by the generous funding provided by BankGiro Loterij Fonds, Mondriaan Fonds and UNOCA.

For more information, please contact the Caribbean Linked team at caribbeanlinked@gmail.com and visit their website at caribbeanlinked.com.

For more information about Ethan Knowles and his work, please visit his website ethandanielknowles.com.