Press Release: Introducing The 242 Artist Network!
Press Release
“The creative economy, as defined by John Howkins, includes all the sectors whose goods and services are based on intellectual property: advertising, architecture, crafts, design, fashion, film, games and toys, music, publishing, research and development, software, TV, radio, video games, visual and performing arts”, (The Orange Economy, 2020).
The 242 Artist Network was formed in 2018 with groups on Whatsapp and Facebook. Also pages on Instagram & Tik Tok in addition to our popular Youtube channel. Our projects include The Nuryz Mixtape, Artjoy Concert Series, Speakfayahself Podcast, and Roots Market; all of which provide creatives with tangible spaces to earn an income and to present local art to the community at large. The 242 Artist Network is a movement of creatives dedicated to the promotion of Bahamian Artists & their global collaborations; Bahamian creatives uniting to form live & digital platforms, working diligently to build the entertainment sector in order to enhance economic growth.
Our ventures include:
The Speakfayahself Podcast: The ‘Speakfayahself’ Podcast helps to serve the needs of the local creative community by providing a platform in which listeners can enjoy interviews and exclusive Bahamian content from our Visual artists and musicians of various genres.
Artjoy Concert Series: As Seen on Tempo Networks; It began as an open mic/live music showcase at Studio Cafe & Starbucks. It was re-launched in 2020 as a ‘quarantine’ live performance event at Bay Teas Bush Tea Garden’s in Stapledon Gardens. The creatives involved in production include Don Dadda Media, Ju Byron, Bey Chaino, Lyric (Grace Records), Tracy Stubbs (Big Tune Machine), Anku Sara, Bobo Stall, Ubuntu, The Motion Band, Shon Pennerman of Jam Session Band, Zavaan, Evanya, Taye, & Shian.
Artists Featured: Mystro, Bobo Ike, Princess Fire, Yah Doctrine, KAiROS, Honestee, Guidance, Philandru, Tony Fyah, Rhymes B Authentic & Bahamian Trae.
Nuryz Mixtape: A collaboration with Lady_Mprez in Atlanta but originally from Florida; founder of The Suntian Nazion. This international mixtape release features hit music from various Bahamian artists and their global collaborations.
Roots Market:
-As seen on ZNS Television; Vendors, performances, art, craft, music, natural products, food and drink.
-Launched as a collaboration with Ms. Dnette Morris aka Honestee of First Glance Media.
Social Media Groups: Facebook, Whattsapp
Social Media Pages: Instagram, Tik Tok, Youtube.
Visit: https://linktr.ee/242artistnetwork to like, comment & subscribe!
Since the pandemic, creatives have had the opportunity to nurture their talents, and as a result there are a great deal of new releases. We believe that the entertainment sector of the economy has the potential to grow in tandem with the art being created, as the local industry has far from matured to its full potential. It has been noted by many that even popular well established artists find themselves seeking employment outside of entertainment to make ends meet.
Allowing the musical diversity of The Bahamas to speak for itself is our goal. We believe the Bahamian people should be allowed to experience the impressive portfolio our creatives have to offer; in addition to Goombay, Junkanoo and Rake & Scrape, Bahamian performers have mastered a plethora of musical styles and genres. Namely, Jazz, Afrobeat, Neo-Soul, R & B, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Soca, Calypso, Dancehall, Blues, Rock & Roll and Pop & Country etc. The creative community consists of a diversity of professions, all of which require widespread marketing and increased investments. Traditionally, artists earn most of their income from performances. Today online streams and downloads have skyrocketed past physical sales! Online Radio and Podcasts have also proven themselves to be effective marketing tools, allowing independent artists to access the masses.
In 2011 the global Orange economy was valued at 4.3 Trillion dollars. Taking this statistic into account one could argue that there is enough revenue for all people on planet earth, yet alone the creative community of the Bahamas. If well planned, a significant majority of local creative professionals can earn a sustainable income in the years to come.
Ones goal in any profession should be to utilize our talents for the betterment of society at large. It may be thought that because artists experience a great deal of mental and spiritual fulfillment from doing what they love, earning a sustainable living from art is seen as an exception granted to a few. I.e. If you're not signed to a major label, or a well established independent one, wealth or significant income is not really expected. However, to the contrary, to the artist, their art is not merely a hobby, but rather a profession, a labour of love, a source of income based on one's talents.
While creating art is rewarding in and of itself, having the opportunity to build generational wealth is also important. Investment, promotion and public support are at the core of developing economic sustainability for the Bahamas’ creative community. Art requires a great deal of marketing which is expensive. The Bahamas has an immense catalog of music and a great deal of artistic talent in general. Many artists have done a great job popularizing their work. Still when local art finds itself in competition with corporate interests for advertising space or airplay the scale becomes unbalanced. The reason is because the average independent artist does not have a budget to compete with the major’s.
To combat this issue, the 242 Artist Network serves the needs of the creative community by providing an exclusive space to present the rich diversity of Bahamian art.
Thank you for your time and consideration! We are available to meet at your convenience. or contact Devlyn ‘Yah Doctrine’ Stubbs at 1-242-818-9731 or 242artistnetwork@gmail.com.
Yah Doctrine
Coordinator
242 Artist Network
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