Basseterre, St. Kitts – From September 21st to 23rd, local songwriter and music performer Collin Wyatt and Registrar of the Intellectual Property Office of St. Kitts and Nevis (IPOSKN), Jihan Williams-Knight, represented St. Kitts and Nevis at the Cross Regional Forum for African and Caribbean Countries on Intellectual Property (IP) and Music, hosted by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Accra, Ghana.
Wyatt, a St. Kitts Music Festival alumnus known for popular songs such as “Most High Forever” and “SK Sweet”, and Williams-Knight, joined representatives from across Africa and the Caribbean for discussions and training focused on the business and commercial value of intellectual property in the music industry.
The Caribbean was represented by artistes and intellectual property office (IPO) representatives from Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago, highlighting the region’s shared interest in strengthening its creative industries and building partnerships with African counterparts.
The forum brought together musicians, producers, festival organizers, collective management organizations and intellectual property professionals to explore opportunities for stronger partnerships between Africa and the Caribbean and to identify ways to build more sustainable creative industries across both regions.
Participants engaged in training sessions covering topics such as “Creativity, Ownership and Building a Global Music Career,” “Structuring the Music Value Chain,” and “The Business of Copyright, Licensing and Music Revenue.” The sessions provided practical insights into how creators can protect their work, manage their intellectual property rights and generate income from their music.
The programme also featured fireside chats with renowned reggae star Roy “Gramps” Morgan and Ghanaian reggae and Afro-roots artiste Rocky Dawuni, who shared their experiences and insights with participating artistes, including Wyatt, through one-on-one interactions. These engagements provided an opportunity for emerging and established creatives to learn from accomplished musicians about their careers and experiences in the music industry.
As part of the programme, Wyatt also participated in a Co-Creator Sound Lab, where he collaborated with seven other artists and sound engineers from Africa and the Caribbean to produce two original songs. The collaborative experience provided an opportunity for participants to exchange creative ideas, explore new musical influences and build professional relationships across the two regions.
The participation of St. Kitts and Nevis in these initiatives reflects WIPO’s commitment to strengthening cross-regional partnerships through intellectual property, while underscoring the Intellectual Property Office’s ongoing efforts to provide training, resources and support to local creators and innovators.
Local creators and innovators are encouraged to visit the Intellectual Property Office of St. Kitts and Nevis’ social media platforms for updates on training opportunities, programmes and initiatives designed to support the growth and development of the creative sector.
