Bahamas News
Culture Meets Couture at GBPA’s Crafters Academy Training
Freeport, Grand Bahama – July 22, 2025 – The latest Crafters Academy workshop, “Crafting Couture”, took place in Freeport, Grand Bahama July 17-18, 2025 much to the delight of local crafters and enthusiasts of traditional straw work. An initiative of The Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited (GBPA), Crafters Academy was created to strengthen the island’s crafts sector and build a strong community of artisans who can be ready, equipped, and confident to take advantage of the growing economic opportunities that are opening up in the sector.
“Crafters Academy represents our commitment to economic diversification, cultural preservation, and environmental stewardship at the
most opportune moment in our island’s history,” noted LaShawn Dames, GBPA Business Development Manager with responsibility for the Invest Grand Bahama Small Business Bureau. “With Celebration Key transforming our tourism landscape, we’re ensuring our artisans are equipped to capitalize on this unprecedented opportunity. By supporting programs that transform renewable resources into luxury goods, we’re not just creating jobs—we’re building a sustainable creative economy that honors our past while protecting our future, scaled to meet the demands of 2 million new visitors annually.”
“Crafting Couture” challenged participants to look at the art of straw plaiting from a fresh perspective. Lisa Codella, Creative Director at Crafters Academy said “We reminded participants of the deep cultural heritage that straw plait represents. This is a traditional craft that’s rooted in African ancestral knowledge and shaped by the resilience and adaptation of enslaved Bahamians in a colonial context. Bahamian straw plaiting is a blending of skills from our African forebears and those from new world family like the Seminoles who sought freedom in Andros. Straw designs and uses have evolved incrementally, and this workshop is yet another reminder to our local artisans that they, too, can and should express their contemporary artisanship onto the canvas of this traditional craft.”
This alchemy of blending traditional crafts with couture is the vision of Fatima-Zahra Kaboub, the Founder and Chairman of Freeport Fashion Week and ArtLucaya. According to Kaboub, building connections between traditional artisanship and contemporary luxury fashion will be a powerful engine to drive economic empowerment and share cultural pride while proving that authenticity, sustainability, and innovation can coexist beautifully.
“We’re not just teaching skills; we’re reclaiming our narrative of authenticity while championing environmental responsibility,” declared
Kaboub, a French-trained designer with valuable insights into global luxury markets. “Each straw bag tells the story of our island, our people, and our resilience. It was very important for us to have Grand Bahamian fashion designers Anthea Bullard for Hardour, Dominic Russell aka Pastry Boy, and Edilzabeth Newball for Bella Vissi participate in Crafters Academy. Their experience in the world of high fashion combined with the historic craftsmanship inherent in Bahamian straw work honors straw work’s legacy while exploring fresh, fashion-forward expressions. Their designs inspired attendees to take a fresh look at the possibilities of straw work, and everyone created bold designs that are truly runway-ready. All this while proving that luxury and sustainability are not mutually exclusive.”
Cacique Award recipients, veteran straw artisans, business partners, and sisters, Vernetta Frith and Roganna Wilchcombe of Strawtacular Designs were on hand to lend their vast expertise in creating premier quality straw bags. Frith, who has worked with straw for decades, gave participants an overview of the intricate process of traditional straw plaiting. “Straw is nature’s gift that keeps giving,” she explained. “Unlike synthetic materials that harm our oceans, straw grows back, biodegrades naturally, and carries the soul of our islands in every fiber.”
The free workshops, hosted by GBPA’s Invest Grand Bahama Small Business Bureau, represent a circular economy in action. Participants learn to transform naturally renewable straw into high-value products while mastering their niche within the value chain—whether learning about the delicate art of straw plaiting, constructing foundational bag structures, or adding finishing touches that command premium prices.
In a world increasingly dominated by fast fashion’s environmental toll, Grand Bahama’s artisans are proving that tradition, when properly nurtured and sustainably positioned, can command premium prices while preserving our planet. With Celebration Key’s opening promising to reshape the island’s economic landscape, Crafters Academy hopes to ensure that Grand Bahamian artisans are positioned to ride the wave of economic growth as the demand for straw goods continues to grow.
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.
The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap
from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.
With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.
Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.
Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.
Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!
After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.
The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before
their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.
At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.
Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.
Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.
The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.
Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.
Bahamas News
The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed
their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.
As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.
Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole,
with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’. Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.
Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.
Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the
listening booth.
Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.
For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification
attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.
Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.
The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members. Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.
Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine. To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.
On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking
in the comfort of the chic lounge. In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.
The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.
Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.
To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.
