Two Shores, One Legacy, Endless Opportunity
Reconnecting the creative landscapes of Africa and the Caribbean.
We are a registered non-profit organisation in Trinidad & Tobago, building cultural and trade bridges between Caribbean and Africa - through Music, Dance, Film, Theatre, Textile, Fashion, Visual and Culinary Arts.
Africa
The source of Pulse and Rhythm
Drums, Percussion, Storytelling, Masks and more - Africa carries knowledge and techniques that Caribbean creatives inherited, adapted and through resiliance, have brought back as innovation.
The Caribbean
Where the Rhythm was reinvented
Trinidad & Tobago answered with the Steelpan, Calypso, Soca, Carnival, Tamboo Bamboo, Moko Jumbie and so much more. — an inheritance turned into an original creative industry, and an export.
What we do
Culture first, then Trade
Our work starts with Creatives meeting each other and ends with agreements that keep the exchange running long after the stage lights go down.
Exchange
Bringing Caribbean and African Creatives into the same room to perform, teach and learn from one another as peers.
Capacity
Workshops, Masterclasses and Residencies that transfer real technique into new and improved skills.
Opportunity
Turning those relationships into working pipelines so creatives on both shores earn from what they make.
Current mission
Burkina Faso, 2027
Trinidad & Tobago has been invited as the Special Guest Country to the second edition of AFRO NIGHT, held as part of the 30th edition of FESPACO — the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou, and Africa's largest and oldest cultural festival.
We are taking a delegation of Steelpan soloists, Traditionalists, (Moko Jumbies), Vocalists, Designers and Filmmakers to Ouagadougou to perform, teach and open a lasting exchange.
Read about the mission
Africa is the future — and the time to invest in that future is now
Sponsors, Partners and Donors make this mission possible.
About us
A Gateway between Two Creative Worlds
TransAtlantic Arts & Cultural Gateway (TAACG) is a registered non-profit organisation in Trinidad & Tobago. We exist to reconnect the creative landscapes of Africa and the Caribbean — not as a one-off exchange, but as a working relationship between artists, artisans, creatives and institutions on both shores.
Registered non-profit organisation in Trinidad & Tobago
Our purpose
Vision
To unite the creative pulse of Africa and the Caribbean — inspiring a vibrant ecosystem where ancestral heritage powers innovation and collective prosperity.
Mission
To reconnect the creative landscapes of Africa and the Caribbean by bridging tradition with innovation, restoring shared heritage, and cultivating opportunities for mutual economic growth.
Board of directors
Who we are
Carla Louis
Founder & Executive Director
Paula Louis
Director
Lisa Baptiste
Director
Current project
Burkina Faso: "Opening the Gate to Rhythm, Textile and Film"
Trinidad & Tobago is the Special Guest Country to the second edition of AFRO NIGHT, held as part of the 30th edition of FESPACO in Ouagadougou.
Why the stallion
The horse that carries the whole story
The Stallion is Burkina Faso's national symbol. It belongs to Princess Yennenga, the warrior rider of Mossi tradition whose journey gave rise to the Mossi people — and whose horse stands cast in bronze at the heart of Ouagadougou.
It is also the highest honour in African cinema: FESPACO's grand prize is the Étalon d'or de Yennenga, the Golden Stallion of Yennenga. When we arrive in Burkina Faso, we arrive under that emblem — a symbol of departure, return and a journey that changes both places it touches.
Burkina Faso — the Land of Upright People
The festival
FESPACO
FESPACO — The Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou — is Africa's largest and oldest cultural festival. It draws over 100,000 international visitors, Filmmakers and major media networks to Burkina Faso every two years, and serves as the continent's premier hub for cultural diplomacy, reaching audiences across Europe, the Americas and Africa.
The 30th edition runs 20–27 March 2027.
The invitation
AFRO NIGHT, second edition
AFRO NIGHT is a major cultural event held over three days of festivities, celebrating the symbolic return of Afro-descendants to Burkina Faso, the Land of Upright People. Its second edition will be held as part of the 30th edition of FESPACO — a significant milestone in its Pan-African and diasporic ambition.
Trinidad & Tobago attends as Special Guest Country, with a dedicated headline feature — Trinidad & Tobago Night — on the third night of the event.
Special Guest Country · Trinidad & Tobago
Project outline
What Trinidad & Tobago brings
Performance Showcase
- Ancestral Traditionalists — Moko Jumbies and a traditional Rhythm section of Iron Percussion, Drums and Tamboo Bamboo.
- Featured Artists — Steelpan Soloists, Ensemble Musicians and Vocalists.
- Film Screening — Local Short Films.
- Trinidad & Tobago Night — A headline feature on the third night of AFRO NIGHT.
Capacity Building & Value Chain
- Music Masterclass — "The Evolution of Pan": a technical fusion of Drums, Tamboo Bamboo, Balafon and Steelpan, "Film Scoring" demonstrating the versatility of the Pan.
- Textiles & Fashion Masterclass — "From Cotton to Couture": Tie-Dye, Batik, Fabric Painting and Cutting Techniques.
- Fashion Presentation — Using garments made from Burkinabè Cotton.
Content Assets
- Premium Content Creation — Professional Filming of the Masterclasses and performances for Documentary Features.
- Heritage Preservation — Archiving and Digitising performances for Future Generations.
Cultural Exchange
- Sacred Traditions — An invitation to take part in a traditional Water Libation Ceremony grounding the mission in shared heritage.
- Inbound Delegates — Hosting a Burkinabè Balafon Percussionist, two fashion designers and models for reciprocal exchange.
- Bilateral Collaboration — Direct, Peer-To-Peer work between Trinbagonian and Burkinabè Artisans.
Meet Our Teams
Project Leadership
Leadership & Strategic Advisory Team
Carla Louis
Strategic Director, Head of Mission
Artist & Creative Director, Fmr. Assistant Secretary and Board Member of the Art Society of Trinidad & Tobago
Asha Lovelace
Creative Director & Advisor,
Film Curator
Film Maker, CEO & Festival Director, Regional Secretary for the Caribbean Diaspora at FEPACI
Franka Phillip
Media Advisor
Media Founder and Strategist with 30 years' experience building new platforms across Radio, Podcasting, Digital Publishing and Food Culture
Leandro ‘Leo’ Michalandos
Logistics Advisor & Coordinator
Entrepreneur and Business Development Manager
Dr. GA Gardner
General Advisor
Creative Fine Artist and Fmr. Art Professor. Founder of GARTSY and THRUARTS
Operations
Project Operational Support Team
Kimmy Stoute-Robinson
Delegation Manager & Coordinator
Cultural Producer and Creative Director experienced in Delegation Management, Show Programming, Carnival, Stage Management and Event Production
Paige De Leon
Music Masterclass Moderator & Coordinator, PR Specialist
Entertainment Industry Specialist with a deep background in Public Affairs and Diplomacy
Teneisha Cephas
Textile Masterclass Moderator & Fashion Presentation Coordinator
Creative Strategist, Producer, Actress, Host/Moderator, Founder of West Rock Global
Petra S Bindoo
Administrative Specialist
Executive Operational Support Coordinator.
Jo-Ann Rojas
Strategic Organiser & Coordinator (On The Ground - Burkina Faso)
Herbalist, Retired Nurse & Midwife, Capacity Builder-Security Sector, currently doing missions work in Burkina Faso
Partners
The people making it possible
Sponsors, Partners & Donors who have contributed to our work.
Sponsors, Partners & Donors
Sponsors
Partners
Donors
Collaborating institutions
The festival and host organisations we work alongside in Burkina Faso.
Contact us
Let's talk
Whether you're an artist, an institution, a funder or a journalist, we'd like to hear from you.
- Phone
- 1 (868) 737-7915
- info@taacg.org
- Web
- taacg.org
- Based in
- Trinidad & Tobago
TransAtlantic Arts & Cultural Gateway is a registered non-profit organisation in Trinidad & Tobago.