Freeport, Grand Bahama — June 10, 2026 — As part of its ongoing effort to encourage artisans to draw on authentic personal experiences and Bahamian heritage in their work, Crafters Academy recently hosted its latest workshop, “Block n’ Roll”. Rooted in the textile arts, the two-day fabric printing workshop helped local artisans and MSMEs develop skills to create culturally authentic, high-quality products for both resident and visitor markets.
The two-day Crafters Academy training began on Wednesday, June 3, as part of the ongoing series of entrepreneurial development workshops led by the Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA), through its Invest Grand Bahama Small Business Bureau.
The workshop is already being described as one of the Academy’s most enjoyable and informative sessions to date, second only to last fall’s highly praised Crafting Couture workshop.
While many Crafters Academy workshops are geared toward entry-level crafters, “Block n’ Roll” targeted intermediate crafters with experience working with fabrics, paints and handmade products. Each attendee received materials and hands-on instruction to create original printed designs on cloth samples, then moved on to create their finished products on cotton tea towels and canvas tote bags.
The session drew strong participation from both emerging and established entrepreneurs. Of those participating, 85 percent were already operating small businesses that sell craft souvenirs, while 25 percent were already incorporating some fabric-printing techniques into their product lines.
Featured instructor and Creative Director of Crafters Academy, Lisa Codella, led the workshop. Her instruction focused on design technique, product quality, creative confidence and market readiness.
Fatima Zahra-Kaboub, Chairman of ArtLucaya, Freeport Fashion Week and Crafters Academy, said the workshop reflects her deep appreciation for Bahamian culture and her commitment to helping local artisans turn creative talent into sustainable business opportunity.
“As someone who has been welcomed into this community, I continue to be inspired by the richness, warmth and creativity of Bahamian culture,” Kaboub said. “There is something very special here, and my hope is for more people — residents and visitors alike — to experience it, understand it and love it as much as I do. Through Crafters Academy, our focus is to help artisans strengthen their skills, refine their products and understand the business side of their creativity, so they are not only making beautiful, authentic Bahamian pieces, but also building brands, increasing income and becoming more competitive in the marketplace.”
Veteran crafter Tirzah Carey also praised the session, noting that Crafters Academy continues to be an empowering platform for small artisan start-ups. She said the training is helping to create space for more authentic Bahamian gifts and souvenirs within the local artisan industry.
The workshop also carries a clear economic development purpose. With Grand Bahama preparing for nearly four million annual cruise visitors by late 2026, GBPA is working to ensure local vendors are better positioned to capture a stronger share of visitor arrivals and daily spend.
LaShawn Dames, GBPA Business Development Manager, said the initiative is directly tied to strengthening vendor capacity, improving product quality and authenticity, and preparing local entrepreneurs to meet the growing demand expected from major tourism developments across the island.
“The nearly $1.8 billion in new tourism-related investments and the continued growth of cruise tourism on Grand Bahama will only deliver meaningful impact if local entrepreneurs are equipped to participate fully in the opportunities being created,” Dames said. “Our focus is on helping vendors scale from small-batch creativity to market-ready production while preserving the authenticity, craftsmanship and cultural identity that make Bahamian products unique. By investing in skills development and product readiness now, we are building stronger local supply chains, increasing economic participation for MSMEs and ensuring more artisan businesses benefit directly from the island’s tourism growth.”
The “Block n’ Roll” workshop was designed to encourage greater authenticity, elevate product quality and promote collaboration within the artisan community, helping increase the production of culturally relevant, market-ready Bahamian goods.
Crafters Academy is a small business development initiative of GBPA and the Invest Grand Bahama Small Business Bureau. The programme supports artisan training, product development, entrepreneurship and market access for local creatives.
Through workshops like “Block n’ Roll”, Crafters Academy continues to strengthen Grand Bahama’s creative economy by helping artisans develop the skills, confidence and market-ready products needed to grow sustainable creative businesses.
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