A Sustainable and Innovative Future
The impact of the Barbados Heritage District will be significant, transforming the cultural sector into a driver of three main outcomes:
Economic Development: The District will create hundreds of new jobs and stimulate investment in infrastructure, hospitality, and tourism.
Cultural Tourism: The site is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors annually, strengthening Barbados' position as a premier destination for those interested in the history of the African diaspora.
Research and Education: The initiative will yield income-generating digitization projects, forging international collaborations and positioning Barbados as a leader in archival innovation.
The Barbados Heritage District will be substantially powered by alternative energy sources, ensuring environmental sustainability while pioneering cutting-edge digital humanities and archival technology. Responsibly sourced timber will feature prominently in the construction of the National Performing Arts Centre. The Digitisation Pavilion will offer services at scale, positioning Barbados at the forefront of digitization efforts across the Commonwealth—surpassing existing resources in Great Britain in sophistication and interoperability.
The District will serve as a global incubator for advanced research on Caribbean history and the African diaspora. It will also provide educational opportunities for Barbadian youth, ensuring that future generations engage deeply with their history and cultural identity.
The Barbados Heritage District will serve to protect the cultural inheritance of the nation, provide a home for the visual and performing arts, and offer Bajans and the world enduring insight into the resilience and creativity of the people of Barbados. It will open in stages beginning in 2025.
Condition reporting of records by Archive conservation team
Technician scanning a 17th century manuscript using a DT BC100, the world’s highest quality book scanner