The National Cultural Foundation is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament in 1983. Its mandate is to oversee the cultural landscape of Barbados.

In the first two years of its operation, 1984 and 1985, it was housed at Culloden Farm. In 1986 it was re-located to West Terrace, St. James in the two buildings specially constructed for CARIFESTA 1981.

In 1984 and 1985 the National Cultural Foundation worked in areas of community development and culture at a time when the island was divided into seven zones:

Welcome to the National Cultural Foundation’s (NCF) website.

Awaiting you is a journey into the heart of what makes Barbados unique - our culture.

You will find this site very much like our culture, exciting and diverse.

The NCF’s two major roles are: developmental and commercial. In its developmental role, the Foundation uses culture as a tool for national development fostering and supporting the various art forms and new cultural products. In its commercial role, the Foundation is responsible for the promotion, production and hosting of cultural festivals and associated events that are considered economically viable or socially acceptable. A key part of this function now includes the responsibility for the staging and execution of major governmental and national events.

The developmental and training Programmes in the Arts represent the core functions of the Foundation’s Operations department. The results of these training programmes are perhaps best manifested in projects and events emerging from the Business Development Department as well as the composition of the three hallmark Festivals.

Operations

The NCF is fully engaged throughout the year not only with its regular programming, but also in the assistance it provides and the collaborations with various entities. For instance, the Foundation provides production and technical support for a number of local Festivals, national events and holidays such as:

The Commission for Pan-African Affairs (CPAA) is an agency within the Ministry of Community Development and Culture. Established in 1998, the CPAA is mandated by the Government to address and rectify that deficiency in Barbadian institutions and national life which is manifested in the relative dearth of relationships, exchanges and interactions with the nations, population groups and institutions of the continent of Africa and the world-wide African Diaspora.