Kim Vasquez named as the substantive Director of NICH’s Institute of Creative Arts

Screenwriter, Kim Vasquez has been the acting Director of the Institute of Creative Arts for a couple of years and since November 1, she was officially named the substantive director of the institute. By most accounts, it’s a step in the right direction for the body and Love News had a chance to speak to her today about her role in the organisation. 

Kim Vasquez, Director, Institute of Creative Art: “It feels great. I’m humbled. It’s an honor for me to serve the institute in this capacity. As you mentioned I’ve been holding over for a couple years now through a very trying period of the pandemic and we’ve managed to sustain the momentum and now we want to build and move forward.”

Reporter: How do you see your being the substantive leader of the organization transforming this organization let’s say the next five, ten years ?

Kim Vasquez, Director, Institute of Creative Art: “For me it is to not only continue to create that enabling environment wherein we recognize and value artists and creatives for their cultural contributions but that we also continue to move towards that creative economy, towards developing that creative sector where it can be sustainable for them and that we continue to expand especially to decentralize out of Belize City and that we make sure that artist, cultural workers, cultural creatives also receive the training, the opportunities again not only in Belize district but across the country.”

In terms of a vision for the organisation, Vasquez is hoping that the institute can open up spaces to allow for the inclusivity of artists from all walks of life and to catapult those creatives into regional and global opportunities. 

Kim Vasquez, Director, Institute of Creative Art: “It taught us certainly that we need to be prepared for shocks, for any other future shocks that might come to the creative sector. It taught us the need to be more fluid, to be able to pivot and adapt and I think any type of training that we do will have to take into account the direction that we see creatives moving again the use of digital platforms for example, the more regional and eventually global community of artists that we need to tap into. The need to collaborate and the need to rely on partnerships as well I think is very important not only for ICA but for the wider creative community.”

Vasquez’s achievements also include writing work on various programs including “No Matta What” and “Livin’ Mi Life”, a Belizean sitcom.