Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands —Invest Turks and Caicos Islands Agency (Invest TCI), in partnership with Salterra Resort & Spa and Solar Sands Glassworks, successfully concluded the Solar Sands Glass Sculpting Immersive Workshop held in South Caicos from 12–15 May 2026.
The initiative was spearheaded by Salterra Resort & Spa as part of its commitment to repurposing glass waste generated through its resort operations. Through collaboration with Invest TCI and Solar Sands Glassworks, the programme creates an opportunity to transform waste glass into locally made, marketable craft products while supporting sustainability, entrepreneurship, creative industry development, and tourism-linked product opportunities in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Delivered by Solar Sands Glassworks’ internationally recognized instructors, Amber Cowan, Charlene Foster, Olivia Foss, and company co-founder James McLeod, the workshop introduced participants to flameworking and glass-sculpting techniques, with a focus on jewellery production, beadmaking, chain making, and small-scale sculptural craft using both borosilicate and recycled glass.
A total of twenty-seven (27) applications were received from across the Turks and Caicos Islands, with eleven (11) participants selected from South Caicos, Providenciales, Grand Turk, and North Caicos. The final cohort included business owners, jewellery makers, artists, educators, and creatives already involved in locally made products, tourism-linked experiences, and sustainability-focused enterprises.
Five spaces were specifically reserved for South Caicos residents to ensure meaningful community participation. The initiative also included student engagement sessions with Marjorie Basden High School, where students were introduced to sustainability-focused creative practices and entrepreneurship concepts through live demonstrations and hands-on pendant creation activities. Additionally, members of the Salterra Resort & Spa team were also given opportunities to participate in workshop sessions, further strengthening the collaborative and community-focused nature of the initiative.
Two Welcome Cocktail Demonstrations hosted at Salterra Resort & Spa also enabled resort guests, community stakeholders, and participants to observe the glass-sculpting process firsthand and interact directly with the Solar Sands team.
Camilo Arado Lilleslatten, Director of Sustainability at Salterra Resort & Spa, reflected on the initiative, stating:
“We are deeply grateful to Invest TCI and Solar Sands for making this inspiring experience possible. Bringing together students from Marjorie Basden High School, local TCI artisans and entrepreneurs, and our staff and guests to collaborate with the extraordinarily talented Solar Sands team at Salterra was nothing short of unforgettable. We can’t wait to see where this first connection leads – proving that there is a pathway in TCI for the reimagining of discarded materials that can give rise to something beautiful.”
Adam Moore, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Solar Sands Glassworks, was overwhelmed by the programme’s immediate impact.
“Our time in South Caicos was truly extraordinary. From the local teenage students who spent just a few hours learning about glassmaking for the first time to the seasoned artisans and educators who spent two days immersed in the craft, I have never witnessed such pure joy and authentic engagement. With our visionary partners at Salterra and Invest TCI, our stated goal was to provide a first-of-its-kind, hands-on skills development for local creatives while supporting sustainable artisan practices to create a collaborative model for future creative-industry programming within the Turks and Caicos Islands. And based on the resounding success of the past week, we are thrilled about what comes next.”
Dawn Higgs, Director of the Business Support Unit (BSU) at Invest Turks and Caicos Islands, expressed appreciation to both Salterra and Solar Sands for their collaboration and commitment throughout the initiative.
“We were extremely pleased to partner with Salterra Resort & Spa on this initiative and support an experience that brought together sustainability, creativity, entrepreneurship, and community engagement in such a meaningful way. The Solar Sands team was incredibly patient, accommodating, and genuinely invested in helping our local creatives continue developing the skills introduced throughout the workshop. The enthusiasm from participants clearly demonstrated the strong interest and potential that exists within the Orange Economy and creative industries sector in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Participant feedback following the workshop was overwhelmingly positive, with many participants publicly sharing their experiences through videos, photos, and social media content. Several participants also expressed interest in continuing their training and exploring opportunities to integrate glass sculpting into existing businesses, studios, educational initiatives, and tourism-linked product development.
Commenting on the experience, Lucie Winton-Stubbs of Driftwood Studios stated:
“From start to finish, it was truly amazing, and I feel so grateful for everyone’s enthusiasm, energy, and eagerness to learn. The team from Solar Sands were truly exceptional, and I was blown away with the knowledge they have for their craft.”
Levenia Bishop of Indigenous praised the collaboration, noting:
“The Solar Sands Glass Sculpting Workshop was a beautiful and inspiring experience for Indigenous. We enjoyed learning new glass-working techniques while exploring our creativity. What made the experience especially meaningful was learning how waste glass can be repurposed into beautiful pieces of art, encouraging more sustainable and environmentally conscious practices within the creative industry in the Turks and Caicos Islands.” She further noted that the workshop sparked fresh inspiration for future additions to the Indigenous product line and expressed appreciation to Invest TCI for continuing to create opportunities for local creatives to grow and explore new possibilities.
Invest TCI is currently undertaking post-event follow-up activities, including participant questionnaires, media content development, and the creation of resource materials to support participants interested in continuing their development in glass sculpting and flameworking. Discussions are also ongoing regarding future creative industry initiatives, advanced training opportunities, and continued collaboration with stakeholders.
Invest Turks and Caicos Islands extends sincere thanks to Salterra Resort & Spa, Solar Sands Glassworks, Marjorie Basden High School, community stakeholders, and all workshop participants who contributed to making the initiative a meaningful and memorable success.
For more information on Invest Turks and Caicos Islands and upcoming business support initiatives, follow Invest TCI on its official social media platforms or visit www.investturksandcaicos.tc.
ENDS
About Invest Turks and Caicos
Invest Turks and Caicos is the Islands’ Investment Promotion Agency, responsible for enhancing the economy through the attraction, growth and retention of overseas investment; and supporting the growth of local businesses.
We provide a free and confidential service to overseas businesses looking to expand and will work with a company project team throughout the investment process, providing advice and support. This can include:
– Information on the local business climate;
– facilitating contact with relevant Government Departments throughout the investment process;
– advice on Government incentives and concessions to investors;
– introductions to local service providers/suppliers;
– advice on work permits and permanent residency procedures;
– ongoing support following set up.
We also work actively to support the growth of local businesses, including the management and delivery of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise programme which provides concessions and reliefs to locally owned businesses.
