CHASE Fund

The CHASE Fund extends its proud commendations to the organizers and participants of the 18th annual Charles Town Maroon Conference and Festival. By anchoring this year’s staging on the theme “Resilience: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” you actively safeguard a vital pillar of Jamaica’s national identity. The preservation of Maroon heritage is not merely an act of remembering. It is a profound responsibility that ensures our ancestral triumphs continue to fortify our future.

Our mandate at the CHASE Fund is deeply rooted in the promotion of arts and culture, serving as the bedrock for national identity and community empowerment. We recognize that documenting, celebrating, and sustaining our indigenous arts and cultural heritage is essential to keeping Jamaica's rich legacy alive.

We stand firmly with the Charles Town Maroon community in this noble endeavour. May this festival inspire a renewed commitment to cultural continuity, unity, and strength for generations to come.

W. Billy Heaven, OD, JP
CEO, CHASE Fund

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Tourism Product Development Company Limited

The Charles Town Maroon Village is a powerful symbol of the preservation of Jamaica’s African heritage. As one of the principal Windward Maroon settlements, it continues to safeguard the traditions, stories, music, and customs that are central to Jamaica’s identity. The International Charles Town Maroon Conference and Festival provides an important platform to celebrate this heritage, bringing together Jamaicans and members of the diaspora to learn, reflect, and connect.

The Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo.) is pleased to once again partner in this fundamental event. Over the years, our relationship with the Charles Town Maroon community has been strengthened through Community Tourism Development initiatives, including TEAM Jamaica, Tour Guide Skills, Customer Service training, and heritage interpretation and content development projects aimed at enhancing the visitor experience.

Community tourism empowers communities to share their own stories while benefiting directly from their cultural and natural assets. Charles Town is a strong example of this in practice, offering visitors a living cultural experience rooted in history and resilience.

TPDCo remains committed to supporting authentic cultural experiences that preserve heritage, strengthen communities, and enhance Jamaica’s tourism product.

Wade Mars
Executive Director, TPDCo

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