The Department of Creative Economy Expands Pathways forEmerging Talent Through Project Xport: New Faces
The Department of Creative Economy continues to advance its mission of creating sustainable pathways for local creatives through Project Xport, an initiative designed to bridge the gap between potential and global opportunity for emerging talent across the creative industries by identifying, preparing, and positioning creatives from St. Kitts and Nevis for regional and international exposure, professional training, collaboration, and long-term industry advancement.
While Project Xport spans multiple creative sectors, Project Xport: New Faces focuses specifically on modeling as a performance-based creative discipline.
On May 16th, 2026, the Department of Creative Economy hosted a casting call at the St. Johnston Community Centre, where forty (40) registered participants appeared before an esteemed panel of judges and industry professionals.
More than a traditional casting call, the audition served as a developmental platform aimed at strengthening professional readiness within the local modeling industry while exposing participants to industry standards and expectations.
Throughout the process, participants were assessed using a structured digital scoring system that evaluated competencies including runway walk, confidence, poise, presentation, professionalism, adaptability, camera awareness, stage presence, and overall market potential.
The first beneficiaries of Project Xport: New Faces are Liberty Woodley, first runner-up in the most recent staging of the Miss St. Kitts and Nevis National Carnival Queen Pageant, and, Nashanti Perkins- first runner-up in the 2025 staging of the Miss White Sands Swimsuit Competition.
Miss Woodley is attached to Movado Modelling Agency in St. Kitts, while Miss Perkins is signed with The Elites agency based in Nevis. Both ladies will travel to New York later this week to participate in the internationally acclaimed Coco Rocha Model Camp (CRMC), scheduled for June 6th-9th, 2026.
Coco Rocha is a leading voice in fashion education and talent development. An internationally acclaimed supermodel, entrepreneur, and talent development expert, she is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in contemporary fashion.
Over the course of her career, she has collaborated with some of the world’s leading luxury fashion houses, including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Marc Jacobs, and Balmain, while appearing in numerous international editions of Vogue and other prestigious fashion publications.
Often referred to as the “Queen of Pose,” Coco has become renowned not only for her mastery of runway presentation and movement, but also for her transformative contribution to model development and talent cultivation within the global fashion industry.
Beyond her success on the runway, she serves as Partner and Brand Director of NOMAD MGMT and is the founder of the globally recognized Coco Rocha Model Camp. Through mentorship, education, and intensive professional training, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the careers of both emerging and
established talent across fashion and entertainment.
Her influence extends to some of the industry’s most recognizable names, including Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Winnie Harlow, Leomie Anderson, and Kylie Jenner, among many others who have gone on to establish successful international careers.
Director of the Department of Creative Economy, Roberitine Webbe, described Project Xport as a strategic investment in the future of the Federation’s creative industries.
“Project Xport represents our commitment to intentionally creating opportunities for creatives in St. Kitts and Nevis to access training, visibility, and professional development beyond our shores. We have extraordinary talent within this Federation, and initiatives like New Faces are about ensuring that talent is not confined by geography, but instead positioned to compete, grow, and thrive within regional and international industries.”
The judging panel for the audition featured a diverse cross-section of respected industry practitioners and talent developers, including:
Winnielle Pereira – Founder of Winnielle Model Management and former model
Jason Amory – CEO of Movado’s Model Agency
Treasa Wyatt – CEO of Unchained SKN
Tariq Drew – Pageant and runway coach
Tyanna Richards – Runway coach and CEO of Model Maker
Devaughn Browne -Pageant and runway coach
Eusha JohnsonCEO of Catwalk SKB
Joy Wilson-Browne – Former model
The audition also created opportunities for participants to engage directly with agencies actively involved in the development of the local modeling landscape, including Catwalk SKB, Movado’s Model Agency, Unchained SKN, and Model Maker.
As a result, several participants who were not formally selected by the Department may still benefit from recruitment, mentorship, and future developmental opportunities through the agencies represented at the audition.
Project Xport began earlier this year with a focus on music, through Project Xport: Soundcheck which saw DJ Tero and AkaiiUSweet travel to Ghana in April to perform at Karnival Kingdom. The initiative formed part of the Department’s broader effort to expose local music talent to international audiences while creating opportunities for cultural exchange, industry networking and global
creative visibility.
The Department notes that such ventures are essential to strengthening the Federation’s creative economy by developing talent pipelines, increasing industry access, and creating systems capable of moving local creatives from raw potential to sustainable opportunity.
Additional Project Xport initiatives are expected to be introduced as the programme continues to expand across multiple sectors within the creative economy.
Further updates on Project Xport and other upcoming Department initiatives will be shared via our official channels.
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