AWARDEES
sUPPORTING PEOPLE WHO KEEP CULTURE ALIVE!
Belize Culture
fund
AWARDEES
sUPPORTING PEOPLE WHO KEEP CULTURE ALIVE!
Belize Culture
fund
AWARDEES
sUPPORTING PEOPLE WHO KEEP CULTURE ALIVE!
Belize Culture
fund
AWARDEES
sUPPORTING PEOPLE WHO KEEP CULTURE ALIVE!
Belize Culture
fund
AWARDEES
sUPPORTING PEOPLE WHO KEEP CULTURE ALIVE!
Belize Culture
fund
Belize Culture Fund
A small-grants programme administered by the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology.
BCF Grant Cycle 2023-24
Discover the people, organizations and cultural initiatives supported through the Belize Culture Fund in the 2023-2024 cycle.
Wilford Felix
The grant supported Mr. Wilford Felix in creating a cultural space for Kriol youth to learn Sambai drumming and Braming songs. Through financial assistance and organizational support, the initiative strengthens cultural transmission, encourages intergenerational learning, and celebrates the safeguarding of Kriol heritage through community engagement.
Antonio Beardall
This Digital Archaeology project empowers young people in Cayo and Orange Walk to document Belize’s archaeological heritage using accessible LiDAR technology. Through hands-on training in 3D imaging and video capture, the initiative promotes digital innovation, expands accessibility, and strengthens the preservation of archaeological sites for future generations.
Lucia Ellis
The Belize Culture Fund supported Mrs. Lucia Ellis in advancing the Belize Ancestral Veneration Project through the Numasa Wellness Center. Launched on 11 April 2024 with a workshop led by Araba Olatunjin Somorin, the project explores ancestral veneration and documents diverse cultural perspectives and spiritual practices through practitioner consultations.
David Smith
The fund has invested in capacity-building programs aimed at empowering local artists, artisans, cultural practitioners, and organizations. This grant was awarded to Mr. David Smith for his ongoing project “Inspire Academy”, a summer school program where Smith teaches animation techniques to aspiring young artists and as a part of this year’s project, it will be extended to adults. Mr. Smith is seeking additional funds through the film commission to extend his project.
NICH Dynamic Grants
Yaoling Lee
Supporting her project, ‘Urban Sketching Belize City in Watercolour’, which will result in a book showcasing all the sketches and a book launch to promote the work. Her future endeavours include workshops, training sessions, and mentorship programs for young artists to enhance skills and foster entrepreneurship in the cultural sector.
Pablo Cambranes
Through the Belize Culture Fund, Mr. Pablo Cambranes will advance his Locally Project with a mural competition celebrating the connection between coffee and Maya culture. In collaboration with Oxmul Coffee in San Antonio Village, the initiative promotes community participation, cultural expression, and public engagement through collaborative design and mural painting.
St. Peter Claver College Extension
The St. Peter Claver College Extension Night School’s Expressive Arts course empowered first-form students to explore their creativity through painting, mosaics, writing, drawing, and photography. Celebrating their achievements, CCE hosted a public art exhibition at Punta Gorda Central Park on May 4, 2024, showcasing their emerging talents.
Katherine Karas
Karas’ photographic exhibition seeks to safeguard Mopan Maya cultural heritage while documenting her family’s experiences across Belize’s colonial and postcolonial history. Centered on her family roots in southern Belize, the project aims to share these stories and celebrate cultural identity through exhibitions in Belize and New York City.
Ethan Velasquez
The DYFA International Shaka/Sisira Competition promotes the safeguarding of the Garifuna sisira, a traditional percussion instrument. Through a dedicated workshop, the project raises public awareness of its cultural significance, encourages participation in the competition, and supports the transmission of Garifuna musical heritage to future generations.
Gloria Cruz Petillo
The grant supports Mrs. Petillo’s Di Pikni Aat Akademi, nurturing children’s creativity through expressive arts in Roaring Creek Village. Funding provided essential equipment and supplies for summer art camps in Belmopan and Roaring Creek, laying the foundation for a sustainable after-school programme that expands access to arts education and creative opportunities.
Reginald Hamilton
The project aims to modernize herbal medicine production by investing in improved machinery to reduce manual labour, increase production capacity, and streamline processing. This advancement will support larger production, improve market readiness, and expand the reach of traditional herbal products.
BCF Grant Cycle 2024-25
Discover the people, organizations and cultural initiatives supported through the Belize Culture Fund in the 2024-2025 cycle.
Stanley Peck
The Mopan Culture Mentors and Apprentices Project bridges generations by connecting elders and youth to safeguard Mopan Maya heritage. Through intergenerational learning and documentation, the project preserves traditional embroidery, basket making, oral narratives, and the Mopan Maya language, ensuring valuable knowledge and cultural practices continue to thrive for future generations.
Hugo Carillo
The Óoxlajun Ka project digitizes museum collections to safeguarding and promote Belize’s cultural heritage through accessible digital exhibits. Partnering with NICH’s Institute of Archaeology, the initiative will engage students and communities in Orange Walk through educational campaigns on artifact preservation, heritage laws, and archaeological awareness, inspiring stewardship for future generations.
Guillermo Paz
Aims to create a new eco-exhibit that will serve as a replica of the historic Blake home, a pivotal cultural symbol in San Pedro. This exhibit will not only pay homage to this historic site but also integrate our ongoing eco-exhibit theme, creating an immersive and educational experience for visitors.
Damian Moore
An eight-month initiative engaging Form 2 and 3 students in transforming Belizean oral histories into linocut prints. Through research, hands-on workshops, and creative storytelling, students engaged in preserving elders’ narratives while developing artistic and entrepreneurial skills. The project culminates in an exhibition featuring their prints, journals, and a short documentary.
NICH Dynamic Grants
Juan Caal
Maya Culture Belize, in collaboration with Maya Mountain Records, will produce Kok Che Son, an album featuring seven traditional Maya harp melodies performed by Mr. Jose Chun & Sons. This six-month initiative safeguards and promotes Maya musical heritage through digital platforms, culminating in an official album release and promotional campaign.
André Habet & Lee Mcloughlin
This documentary explores how Maya communities in southern Belize are adapting traditional milpa farming and fire practices amid climate change. Through community perspectives, it highlights Indigenous ecological knowledge, farming challenges, and wildfire impacts, promoting awareness of cultural heritage and environmental resilience.
Kenrick Gonzales
The Sustainable Organic Advancing Production (S.O.A.P.) project safeguards Garifuna heritage by revitalizing traditional natural soap-making and passing ancestral knowledge to younger generations. Using indigenous ingredients such as neem, turmeric, aloe vera, moringa, and sage, participants explored its cultural and environmental significance while fostering sustainable practices and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Ellington E. Cayetano
The publication From Numbers to Arts to Colors promotes safeguarding and appreciating the Garifuna language as a vital expression of cultural identity. Designed for preschool and lower-primary learners in Belize, it introduces numbers through picture recognition, tracing, counting, and colouring activities, nurturing early learning, cultural awareness, and intergenerational language transmission.
Claver College Extension
This project safeguards Garifuna heritage by revitalizing traditional natural soap making and passing this ancestral knowledge to younger generations. Using indigenous ingredients such as neem, turmeric, aloe vera, moringa, and sage, participants explored the practice’s cultural, environmental, health, and entrepreneurial value, promoting sustainable traditions and new economic opportunities.
Current Cycle
Discover the upcoming projects and cultural initiatives anticipated through the Belize Culture Fund’s current funding cycle, celebrating Belize’s diverse heritage and creativity.
BCF Awardees 2026-27
Safeguarding Living Heritage
Supporting projects up to $5,000 that transmit Belize’s living heritage to young generations through workshops, mentorship, and after-school programmes.
Digital Archaeology
Funding Belizean-led digital innovation projects up to $5,000 to preserve, promote, and protect archaeological heritage while benefiting communities and students.
Making Museum Vibrant
Funding projects up to $5,000 to enhance museum experiences through conservation, digitization, exhibitions, marketing, and infrastructure improvements.
Digital Creative Arts
Funding digital arts projects up to $5,000 that celebrate Belizean culture through innovative, creative, and compelling storytelling.
Dynamic Micro-grants
Supporting projects with grants up to $2,000 to strengthen existing cultural initiatives through flexible funding and co-investment.
Habayan Uwarani Garifuna Cultural Club (Dorina Castillo)
Afeduhei Wamalali Winwanti”: Celebrating Our Living Voices Through Traditional Songs
Home of Indigenous Art Belize
Living Heritage Museum in Action: Preserving Culture, Empowering Artisans
Dynamic Grants
GAMAE International
Garifuna Creative Arts Capacity Building & Youth Theatre Development Project
Gulisi Community Primary School Management
Creative Indigenous local content: Preserving Garifuna Heritage through music language and culture
Felicita Cantun (Northern Maya Association of Belize)
Reviving the Ancient Art of Ancestral Maya Ball Making
Jenelle Roberts
Safeguarding Belize’s Cave Heritage: A Comparative Assessment of Tourism Impacts on Cave Ecosystems
Melanie Blanco (Belize High School of Agriculture)
Keeping Our Heritage Alive: Safeguarding El Día de la Mestizada Through Traditional Food, Dance, Knowledge and Pok-ta-Pok
Nyasha Laing/OneIsland Media
The Forest Remembers Soundscape and Fairweather Wilds