The idea has been brewing since 2009. Edjean, an artist/singer, understood the feeling of many artists in Aruba whose work is undervalued and lacks a real platform for promotion.
As a result, many artists find themselves working in unrelated jobs to survive. The term 'artist' here refers to a wide range, including singers, sculptors, dancers, comedians, tailors, designers, painters, software developers, and more. In 2017, Edjean and Arthur founded GO CULTURA, the first step in elevating culture as an industry in its own right.
The goal of GO CULTURA is to create more platforms and opportunities for Aruba's creative industry. We believe this sector needs to be better understood and supported by the community, commerce, and the government to achieve this." Large events like the recognition of Etty Toppenberg, Maybeline Arends-Croes, Jossy Brokke, and most recently, Robert J’eandor with the Crioyo di GO CULTURA.
They execute these events so beautifully that spectators may not realize the frequent challenges they face, such as lack of funding or support. This is precisely what Edjean and Arthur aim to achieve with their foundation—to make every entity understand and see the potential that our culture offers. This model has been successfully implemented in countries like Colombia and Barbados, where Edjean and Arthur have visited to see how it is done.
A simple example is when there's a concert, people buy tickets to attend, purchase outfits, get their hair/nails done, use gasoline, go to the event, buy drinks at the event or eat out afterwards. On the other hand, posters are printed, digital ads created, staff hired for service and/or security, and air conditioning is used, etc., so the positive and fruitful impact of events touches different sectors of our community.
In Aruba, for instance, our tourism sector, where the Aruba Tourism Authority does nothing without data to know the impact of each plan or campaign. This is what we also need for the cultural sector of Aruba. With data, we can clearly show how important this creative industry can be and thus develop and formalize it to diversify our economy. Additionally, the human richness this will bring is very significant and will draw attention to the value of Aruba's culture as a destination.
One of the challenges Edjean and Arthur emphasize is the need for more 'empowerment' and investment to help build and expand artistic capacity. "Many artists may not know, but there are opportunities to request funding for specific projects from organizations like UNOCA, Vertegenwoordigen van Nederland in Oranjestad, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied, and RijksCultuurFondsen in the Netherlands, etc. You write a detailed proposal and receive funding for your project. High-level proposal writing is needed to gain attention and financial support. This led GO CULTURA to create workshops to improve our artists' ability to write proposals and access these available funds.
We want to help our artists develop, grow, and be part of these opportunities. Sometimes it feels overwhelming because we cannot work thinking that the support and funds are there for everything we do and want to do. The reality is that we need to seek funding and create projects at the same time."
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