The Bermuda Arts Council (BAC), the Department of Culture's main external funding body, is pleased to announce the second-quarter recipients of its 2026 grants, highlighting the organisation’s continued dedication to supporting local artists and cultural institutions. The awardees reflect a diverse range of disciplines and stages of creative development, showcasing the depth of talent within Bermuda’s arts community. These grants aim to empower creatives in delivering meaningful projects that enhance the island’s cultural landscape.
Minister of Tourism & Transport, Culture & Sport, the Hon. Owen Darrell, JP, MP, said: “Bermuda’s artists and cultural practitioners play an important role in how we express, preserve, and share who we are. Through the Bermuda Arts Council’s grant programme, we are providing meaningful support to creatives as they develop new work, engage our communities, and bring Bermuda’s stories to life. I congratulate the second quarter of awardees and look forward to seeing the impact of their work across our cultural landscape.”
Bermuda Arts Council Chair Shanna Hollis said: “These grants reflect the strength and diversity of Bermuda’s creative community. We are proud to support artists whose work preserves our heritage, sparks important conversations, and brings new creative perspectives to our island.”
The following individuals and organisations have been selected for the following grant categories:
Stewardship & Production Grant — $3,000
Giavonna Dupree — Educator, spoken-word artist, and community activist focused on literacy, creative expression, and equitable education. Her project, Truth in Time, Stories in Rhyme: The Bermuda Theatre Boycott, explores the history of the 1959 Theatre Boycott through an illustrated educational book.
Kali Bean / Bellydance Bermuda — Founder of a community-based dance initiative expanding North African and Middle Eastern dance in Bermuda. The group is developing a 2026 stage production featuring folkloric, classical, and contemporary dance styles.
BAC Project Grant — $3,900
Stephan Johnstone — Bermudian poet, writer, and filmmaker whose work explores identity, heritage, and island life. His project, “Thoughts” Music Video, is a poetry-film collaboration with poet Yesha Townsend celebrating Bermudian storytelling and culture.
Onion Bulb Grant — $1,000
Nhuri Bashir (HAQQ) — Mixed-media artist whose work explores cultural symbolism, ancestral memory, and contemporary identity. His project, in collaboration with Bermuda Walls, The Bailey’s Bay Local Artist Community Mural, celebrates the legacy of the Bailey’s Bay community through collaborative public art.
Sion Symonds — Bermudian writer and actor whose work explores Afro-Caribbean politics, feminism, Blackness, masculinity, queerness, and belonging. His most recent project, Babylon Cya Stop We Music, examines these themes through a scripted theatrical performance.
Sarah Vallis — Bermudian artist and writer studying Critical Studies at The Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam. Her conceptual art project, In Anticipation, explores the act of taping windows before hurricanes as both a physical and psychological form of preparation.
To learn more about each of the BAC grants, please visit www.artscouncil.bm.
