New production hub aims to elevate creative industry

The creative industry received a major boost on Tuesday with the launch of The Space — a purpose-built production hub designed to support homegrown talent and equip content creators, filmmakers and artists with professional resources.

The Space, developed by On Brand Global and located at Landsdown, Christ Church, features production studios, podcast rooms and collaborative workspaces.

Co-founder and Managing Director Dana Best said The Space was built to give creators access to the tools and infrastructure they often struggle to afford.

“Talent is everywhere, but opportunity needs infrastructure,” she said. “The Space exists to be that infrastructure; practical, professional and proudly Barbadian.”

Best explained that the hub will also focus on community partnerships, skills training and providing mentorship opportunities for emerging creatives.

“We want to help people move from concept to completion, to take an idea and actually produce it in a professional environment.”

She outlined her vision for The Space over the next 12 months.

“Within a year, I want The Space to be known as the place where creatives come to collaborate, learn and launch their work,” Best said. “We’re building a community that shares knowledge, supports each other and produces content that can stand shoulder to shoulder with anything in the region.”

In its first year, The Space plans to host workshops on digital storytelling, sound engineering and brand strategy, as well as networking events connecting talent with regional and international partners.

“By next year, we want to have a full calendar of training and production activity,” Dr Best said. “We also intend to create a digital platform to showcase the work produced here, helping our creators reach global audiences.”

Senator Shantal Munro-Knight, minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for culture, commended Best and On Brand Global for their investment and foresight in developing The Space, describing it as a “timely and transformational” step for Barbados’ creative economy.

“I want to congratulate Dr Best for having the vision and the courage to create something like this,” she said. “This is not just a building, it is a platform for possibility. It says to creatives across Barbados that your work matters, your ideas matter, and you now have a space that validates your contribution to national development.”

Senator Munro-Knight said initiatives like The Space demonstrate that the creative industry is ready to move beyond conversation to meaningful action and opportunity.

“This is what progress looks like, when people invest in creativity, collaboration and community.”

She added: “The Space represents a new chapter for our creative sector, and the government is proud to see this kind of leadership emerging from within.”

Best hopes The Space will become a catalyst for a new wave of Barbadian creativity rooted in collaboration and excellence.

“This is about changing the narrative of what’s possible for creatives in Barbados,” she said. “We have the talent, the ideas and the drive, and now we finally have a home to bring it all together.”

(LG)