St. Martin Creatives Guild Holds First Annual General Meeting and Sets Clear Path for 2026

GREAT BAY--The St. Martin Creatives Guild successfully convened its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at the Government Administration Building. The meeting marked an important milestone in the Guild’s organisational development, with members in attendance engaging in key governance discussions and confirming priorities for the period ahead.

Attendance at the meeting was modest, a reality acknowledged by members and the Board in light of the Christmas season, which represents one of the busiest and most commercially active periods for creatives. Many practitioners were engaged in markets, performances, commissions, and other income-generating activities, underscoring both the timing challenges and the economic importance of the sector the Guild was created to support.

During the AGM, the founding Board provided a status update on the foundational document package developed for the Guild, which includes the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, a two-year operational plan, an organisational development roadmap, a communication strategy, and related planning instruments designed to guide the Guild’s formal establishment and early operations. Together, these documents reflect a deliberate focus on building a structured, accountable, and member-driven organisation, while laying the groundwork for future governance, program delivery, and partnerships.

Members were also informed about the Let’s Act Project, a USD 13,000 initiative successfully secured by the founding Board to support the Guild’s early operational phase. The project focuses on membership recruitment, advocacy support, and capacity-building actions that are critical to positioning the Guild as a credible representative body for creatives across disciplines. This initial funding provides an important springboard for activating engagement, strengthening visibility, and advancing the Guild’s transition toward formal incorporation and sustainability.

The AGM further resulted in the ratification of key governance and structural elements, including the Bylaws, with agreement to refine the definition of Corporate Membership and create an additional category for NGO’s, the confirmation of other membership categories, and the establishment of working groups aligned with the Guild’s strategic priorities.

Reflecting on the significance of the meeting, outgoing President Suzette Moses-Burton stated, “This first AGM was about setting a solid foundation for what comes next. We are building the Guild with care, clarity, and purpose, ensuring that creatives have a platform that truly represents them. This work, led by creatives and shaped for creatives, will continue to expand as the Guild grows.”

Before closing, members agreed on a series of immediate next steps to be undertaken following the AGM, including the re-publication of the membership call, the launch of calls for board nominations, committee registration, and a logo design competition. These actions will lead to an extraordinary general meeting scheduled for January 31, 2026, at which board elections will be held and the Guild’s official logo selected.

The St. Martin Creatives Guild remains committed to building an inclusive, transparent, and representative platform for creatives working across visual, performing, literary, digital, culinary, fashion, craft, and design disciplines, contributing to the sustainable growth of Sint Maarten / St. Martin’s creative and cultural economy.

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