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ArtsEtc has provided an extraordinary creative space for Caribbean writers to see our work featured, interrogated and in conversation.
— SHARMA TAYLOR, Jamaican writer and lawyer; author of the debut novel What a Mother’s Love Don’t Teach You
ArtsEtc came highly recommended and lived up to the hype.
The “Arts” I got immediately: the team of Robert Sandiford and Linda Deane possessed the knowledge and skills to guide me, a novice, to brave a new experience that resulted in Simply Teacher, a book described as “tastefully and tactfully written,” “well penned,” with “text that dances with life,” while also acing the cover, layout and design.
But it was the “Etc” that was really impressive…the understanding, the patience for a project that went on and on and…on. And the unswerving support which caused me to coin the phrase “hands held” to sign off on each piece of correspondence. I credit Robert and Linda for their professionalism and dedication, not only to the task, but to me as a client.
Congratulations on your 20th anniversary!
—HAZEL LINDO-CARRINGTON, educator and author of the biography Simply Teacher: The Life of Avis Carrington
…Let's hope that to each of us will come his/her 50
and remember that w/out the PUBLISHERS like ArtsEtc it wd not be
possible anyway, esp since we no longer have the collective tradition
of the GRIOTS <<..>>
— KAMAU BRATHWAITE via email to ArtsEtc, March 2017, in an exchange regarding the 50th anniversary of the publication of Rights of Passage
As someone who has been involved in the planning of Green Readings and who is also a true fan, I want to applaud ArtsEtc…. I hope the partnership will continue to grow, perhaps eventually becoming an ever present entity on this island in environmental commentary and journalism.
— KAREEM SABIR, Environmental Education Committee member, Ministry of Environment and Drainage, for the 2008-2016 period that Green Readings ran
Before knowing about ArtsEtc I always wondered where and how the artists of Barbados found the fuel to nurture themselves and their work. Seeing now, for some time, that this community is so welcoming and uplifting gave me well needed confidence to continue my work. Linda M. Deane especially, for encouraging me to explore the paths of my creativity. I’m honoured to be a part of this community and look forward to seeing its growth and recognition on our island, as our art and culture are vital to who we are.
— KAI MILLER (@decemberdemo), photographic artist whose work adorns the cover of two ArtsEtc Winning Words anthologies
For me it’s been the et cetera: et mentorship, et support, et kindness,
et professionalism, et molecularly Barbadian writing.
— AYESHA GIBSON-GILL, theatre practitioner, founder of StoryShyft and a former literary arts officer of Barbados’ National Cultural Foundation
ArtsEtc is a beacon of light shining brightly on those brimming boldly
with creativity, depth, wonder, and culture.
—SHAKEEL CLARKE, graphic artist and illustrator, former ArtsEtc intern
My experience at ArtsEtc was very fun but still extremely helpful for my education. The tasks I was assigned pushed me to think outside the box and be different with my way of doing things.
I enjoyed my short time working with ArtsEtc, and now I look forward to helping the company any further way I can.
— AKAILA ARMSTRONG, Barbados Community College graphic design student and former ArtsEtc intern
All the best with your milestone and celebration of this 20-year anniversary! That’s quite an achievement. — ANNALEE DAVIS, visual artist and curator
ArtsEtc and its principal actors, Linda M. Deane and Robert Edison Sandiford, have been pretty good elements in the growth and development of creative writing in Barbados. Linda and Robert have led by example through the quality of work they have produced as well as the level of exposure and promotion they have given to aspiring writers.
— P. ANTONIO "BOO" RUDDER, musician, former chair of the Frank Collymore Literary Endowment committee,
president of Barbados Copyright Agency (B-COPY)
The ArtsEtc Green Readings were like healthy lungs: they helped me to
breath words...into poetry...into life.
— KERRY ANDRE BELGRAVE, poet, educator, Green Reader & collaborator
