Connecting Creative Trailblazers with Opportunity
Small businesses have always been at the heart of Belizean communities. While the Ta’Amay Centres are helping entrepreneurs build technical and trade-based skills, another European Union-supported initiative is opening doors for creatives and cultural practitioners to grow professionally and bolster their livelihoods.
Through the EU-funded Transcultura Programme, implemented by UNESCO, more than 100 Belizeans in the cultural and creative sectors have taken part in training, exchanges, art residencies and international exhibitions. These opportunities are helping artists sharpen their skills, expand their networks and build new pathways for professional growth.
One of them is Abdon Tzib of San Antonio, Cayo, whose photography captures the richness of Maya culture and Belize’s natural landscapes. In 2024, he participated in PHotoESPAÑA, a leading international photography festival in Madrid, Spain, where he connected with curators and other cultural professionals.
“My work has gotten international recognition and has opened new avenues for me in the niche community of indigenous professionals,” Abdon says. “I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunities granted to me by Transcultura and the EU.”
Abdon’s work highlights powerful scenes of everyday life, from family traditions passed down through generations to the beauty of Belize’s forests and wildlife. In 2025, he won the Transcultura Environmental & Landscape Photography Contest, earning the chance to exhibit his work at an international exhibition in Cuba and with persons from across the globe.
“It makes me very emotional,” he adds. “Because actually it allows me to change the narrative of the Maya way of life. You can freeze those moments and tell the same story over and over and over again with that one frame. The pictures that you’re going to see are the essence of what I believe the representation of my people should be.”
His experience has also inspired him to give back. Since joining the programme, Abdon has taught photography to more than 50 children, both independently and in partnership with the National Institute of Culture and History.
Also benefiting from EU support is Belize City entrepreneur Landee Longsworth, founder of Sol Clay Jewellery. Through an EU-funded scholarship, she was one of nine Caribbean artists selected to study jewellery making and ceramic art in Caltagirone, Sicily, a town known around the world for its ceramics.
“I felt seen being chosen by the EU and by the Transcultura Programme to be a part of this journey,” Landee says. “There were people in Italy who were impressed with the work that I was doing, and it’s been so sweet to see that I’ve inspired many young people to tap into something new.”
The experience helped Landee expand her business beyond handmade jewellery to include ceramic home accessories. She now also offers clay art classes in the summer, creating new ways to share her skills and earn an income.
Stories like Abdon’s and Landee’s show how EU support is helping Belize’s creatives build confidence, strengthen their craft and turn talent into opportunity. By investing in capacity building and professional development, the EU is helping artists and cultural practitioners grow as entrepreneurs while sharing Belize’s culture with the world.