Port-au-Prince, September 2, 2025.- The Art Center provided the Office of the Organization of American States (OAS) with an alarming review of the situation of artists in neighbourhoods affected by insecurity. Almost 70% have lost their workspace, more than 80% have no secure place to create. Invited to Panel Magic on September 2, the executive director Allenby Augustin detailed the dramatic consequences of the crisis and advocated for lasting support.
À l’occasion du vernissage de l’exposition « Créer malgré tout : l’art pour réparer les liens « , le Centre d’Art a présenté les résultats d’une enquête menée en 2025 dans le cadre du projet « Ann Kwape Tout Fòm Vyolans avèk Lakilti « . L’étude, réalisée auprès de près de 200 artistes et artisans des communautés de Bel-Air, Grand-Rue, Noailles et Carrefour-Feuilles, dresse un constat inquiétant :
66.9% of artists had to leave their workspace;
68.5% reported losing equipment;
82% do not have a secure place to create;
65.2% consider insecurity and the political crisis as the main obstacles to their activity.
At the microphone of Panel Magic, Allenby Augustin denounced a "cultural asphyxiation" that pushes creators to exercise in precarious conditions, at the cost of their safety and sometimes their mental health.
The artists interviewed call for:
direct financial support (creating funds, microcredit);
access to resources and the market, including via stable digital platforms and distribution channels;
as well as secure and equipped spaces to work.
Beyond the emergency, the Art Center calls for long-term support: continuous training, administrative support and structuring of activities. For Augustine, this is an essential condition for the survival of artistic communities and the reconstruction of the social fabric in a country torn by violence.
W.A.
