Where Culture Lives · The six islands · Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten

St. Maarten recorded the highest funding challenge figure at 55%. In St. Maarten, several schools provide music education through choirs, bands and annual cultural presentations that introduce students to both local and wider Caribbean traditions.

75 respondents55% funding challengeJollificationEnglish
Waving flag of Sint Maarten
Sint Maarten · Flag
75Survey respondents55%Funding as a challenge — highest250Dance students trained per year23%Cite government support as a challenge2Sides of one island12.9%Share of total 581 respondents75Survey respondents55%Funding as a challenge — highest250Dance students trained per year23%Cite government support as a challenge2Sides of one island12.9%Share of total 581 respondents
WCL Artist Prize · Sint Maarten

The artists of Sint Maarten

Each piece offers its own reflection to the question 'Where does culture live?' The works offered an impression of cultural life, highlighting everyday practices, identity, memory and different forms of expression.

Petals On The Ground by KYRO
Spoken wordKYROPetals On The Ground

A winning submission to the Where Culture Lives Artist Prize. For the full work and description, visit www.wcla.com.

Jocselyn Mora – Heartbeat of the Rainbow
Photography seriesJocselyn MoraHeartbeat of the Rainbow

A winning submission to the Where Culture Lives Artist Prize. For the full work and description, visit www.wcla.com.

Watch the work →
We From Here by Graveyard Verses
PoemGraveyard VersesWe From Here

A winning submission to the Where Culture Lives Artist Prize. For the full work and description, visit www.wcla.com.

See all sixteen winners →
Cultural Practices & Activities

What people practise on Sint Maarten

Survey data from 75 respondents on the cultural practices and activities most present on Sint Maarten.

Practices done in the past 12 months

WCL survey · n=75 · % of respondents

WCL survey 2026 n=75. Singing and music lead cultural practice on Sint Maarten.

Activity most active in

WCL survey · n=75 · % of respondents

Singing & music is the primary area of active engagement for Sint Maarten respondents.

Focus Group Conversations

Six cultural domains on Sint Maarten

Focus group participants shared their experiences across six cultural domains. Below is the key finding from each domain as reported in the Sint Maarten validation session.

Domain 1 — Arts Education

Cultural Education (Formal)

Arts enrolment is growing on Sint Maarten but remains heavily dependent on individual teachers rather than institutional structures.

Domain 2 — Amateur Arts

Amateur Arts and Talent Development

A rich landscape of amateur arts organizations exists, including Indisu, NIA, Axum and others, contributing to a vibrant cultural scene.

Domain 3 — Intangible Heritage

Intangible Cultural Heritage

Living traditions are sustained primarily through the individual commitment of community members rather than formal institutional support.

Domain 4 — Cultural Activities

Culture and Heritage Participation

Carnival is the most important cultural institution on Sint Maarten, celebrating 55 years and anchoring the island's cultural calendar.

Domain 5 — Civil Society

Supporting NGOs and Government

A robust NGO sector supports cultural life, including organizations such as SMDF, CCF and UNESCO-affiliated bodies.

Domain 6 — Creative Economy

Creative (Orange) Economy

Strong tourism potential exists for the creative economy, but it lacks the structural conditions needed to translate this into sustainable livelihoods.

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The six island profiles

ArubaBonaireCuraçaoSint MaartenSint EustatiusSaba

Download the WCL report

Detailed data per island are provided in the appendices of the final report. Survey breakdowns, focus-group transcripts and the full WCL recommendations are included therein.

Download the report (PDF) →