Island Girls Rock!

We’re currently working on a UK-based gathering at the end of November to amplify, support, and raise funds for relief efforts in Haiti and Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa. We’ll be aligning with communities we already know and trust,people and organisations who have been doing vital, grounded work on the islands for years. We’re, however, still looking to connect with verified grassroots organisations in Cuba or within the Cuban diaspora who are actively supporting relief efforts on the ground. If you know of any trusted groups we can help amplify and channel resources toward through this event, please reach out. It’s important to us that Cuba is included in this effort. With gratitude, Island Girls Rock

Ten years on, and our commitment to care hasn’t changed. Our very first Island Girls Rock gathering, back in 2015, was a fundraiser for Dominica after Tropical Storm Erika. A decade later, we once again find ourselves rallying together, this time as Hurricane Melissa impacts Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and, potentially, parts of Cuba and The Bahamas. Over the years, we’ve learned a few things about responding in times like these. We take the time to vet the organisations we recommend for donations, prioritising those already working on the ground and trusted by their communities. Global groups play an important role, but lasting care often comes from grassroots, heart-led organisations that know their people intimately. While larger networks mobilise their resources, our focus is on community-led efforts, those guided by local leadership, relationships and long-term commitment. We’re currently mobilising diaspora think tanks across the Caribbean, UK and US to coordinate relief actions through gatherings, creative activations and supply drives, always in partnership with trusted local groups. As ever, we remain guided by care, transparency and solidarity. If you have verified information to share, please reach out at hello@islandgirlsrock.com. #HurricaneMelissa #Caribbean #CommunityCare #IslandGirlsRock

Season 2 of the Island Girls Rock Podcast is here! We’re opening the new season with writer Cleyvis Natera, author of Neruda on the Park and The Grand Paloma Resort. In this episode, Cleyvis reflects on her journey as a storyteller shaped by her Dominican roots and experiences living between cultures. Together, we talk about identity, belonging, community, and the importance of collective healing through story. The Grand Paloma Resort is also our Let’s Get Lit book pick for October. Grab your copy and join our online discussion at the end of the month. Listen now on all major podcast platforms, or directly on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e5YB67iF #IslandGirlsRockPod #IGRPodcast #CleyvisNatera #TheGrandPalomaResort #LetsGetLit

We’re excited to share that Season Two of the Island Girls Rock Podcast premieres tomorrow, Thursday, October 9th! 🎙️ As we celebrate 10 years of Island Girls Rock, this new season feels especially meaningful — 10 episodes, 10 years, and a vibrant mix of conversations with Caribbean girls and women who continue to inspire, challenge, and uplift. From heartfelt reflections to laughter-filled exchanges, each episode is a reminder of the power of our stories and the beauty of connection across generations. You can find us wherever you get your podcast fix. 🎧 Subscribe, share, and join the conversation. #IslandGirlsRockPodcast #PodcastSeason2 #IslandGirlsRock #CaribbeanWomen #PodcastLaunch #WomenInPodcasting #CaribbeanCulture #CaribbeanVoices #PodcastCommunity #CaribbeanDiaspora #Storytelling

Island Girls Rock Celebrates 10 Years: Our First Founders Day Soirée This November 15th marks ten years since Island Girls Rock’s very first official gathering—a cold autumn day in 2015 at the Canvas Café in Shoreditch, London. That inaugural event was a fundraising brunch supporting Tropical Storm Erika relief efforts in Dominica. It featured films by women of Dominican heritage, spoken word from Niquelle Latouche, readings from Dominican authors, and a performance by singer-songwriter Michelle Escoffery—a heartfelt beginning to what would become a vibrant, intergenerational Caribbean community spanning islands and diasporas. A decade later, we are proud to introduce Founders Day—an annual celebration that will take place in a different location around the world each year, honouring Caribbean girls and women everywhere. Our first Founders Day Soirée will be held on November 15, 2025, at 4:00 PM in Nevis, hosted by L’Escale, a long-standing supporter of our work on the island. In true partnership, L’Escale will host this special evening and donate 10% of proceeds to Island Girls Rock to support our ongoing creative, wellness, and leadership initiatives. Guests will enjoy a French Caribbean three-course meal, an Island Girls Rock signature cocktail or mocktail, a silent auction, and a commemorative gift from Island Girls Rock. Attendance is by reservation only – $65 USD per person To reserve: Island Girls Rock: +1 869-667-4027 L’Escale: +1 869-662-1891 As we celebrate a decade of connection, creativity, and community, we invite our global network to join us in marking this milestone—honouring the journey of Island Girls Rock and the Caribbean women and girls who continue to inspire it. #IslandGirlsRock #FoundersDay #CaribbeanGirls #CaribbeanWomen #NevisEvents #CaribbeanDiaspora #WomenInLeadership #CommunityImpact #CreativeCaribbean #IGRSoirée

Thank You for Supporting Our Zine Lab! 🌸 Island Girls Rock is deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed to making our Zine Lab a reality. Your support is helping us create a space where girls can tell their stories through art, writing, photography, and other creative forms, nurturing Caribbean girlhood with care, creativity, and intention. While we haven’t quite reached our fundraising goal yet, we’re excited to share that the Zine Lab will still be starting this month. We’re moving forward in good faith, trusting that with continued support, we’ll be able to raise the remaining funds and sustain this important programme for our girls. If you would like to contribute, every donation helps, and there are flexible ways to support: you can donate via our GoFundMe, or if that doesn’t feel right for you, please reach out to us directly at hello@islandgirlsrock.com or via LinkedIn, and we can provide other ways to give. Thank you for helping us make space for girls’ voices, stories, and creativity,we couldn’t do this without you! #IslandGirlsRock #ZineLab #CaribbeanCreativity #GirlsVoicesMatter #YouthEmpowerment #CreativeEducation #SupportTheArts #CaribbeanGirls #Storytelling #CommunityImpact #WomenAndGirls #ArtsForChange #NonprofitCommunity #CreativeSpaces https://lnkd.in/e3bEtVpj

Caribbean-led initiatives with global reach. Island Girls Rock merchandise does more than look good — it sustains our year-round mentorship, wellness, and creative programs that empower Caribbean girls and women. We’re proud to see our tote bags traveling the world with leaders like Chief Probationary Officer of Anguilla, Jocelyn Johnson , pictured here in Montenegro. Every purchase directly supports initiatives such as: • Bloom Where You’re Planted mentorship program • The Island Girls Rock podcast • Our film and book clubs • Wellness-focused events and collaborations Explore our merchandise and help us keep these programs thriving: www.islandgirlsrock.com

Island Girls Rock is an intergenerational community rooted in the Caribbean and grounded in six guiding pillars: Creativity, Wellness, Sustainability, Joy, Leadership, and Community. These pillars are more than values. They are the framework that ensures our programmes, partnerships, and projects remain aligned with our mission: to support Caribbean girls and women in shaping futures with strength, imagination, and care. Creativity We honour creativity as heritage and healing, woven into how we tell stories, make space, and imagine differently. Wellness Wellness, for us, is communal, cultural, and caring.We affirm rest, grounding, and balance as birthrights, not luxuries. Sustainability Sustainability is a way of living and loving our land, our culture, and each other, guided by ancestral knowledge and conscious choices. Joy Joy is resistance, medicine, and celebration. It is not something extra, but part of how we move through the world. Leadership We nurture leadership rooted in listening, care, collaboration, and courage, creating space for girls and women to lead in ways that feel true to them. Community Island Girls Rock is, at its core, a community. Intergenerational, Caribbean, and grounded in shared care, we learn from each other, lift each other, and grow together. In 2025, these pillars have continued to guide our journey. From building regional collaborations, to supporting creative projects that centre Caribbean girlhood, to strengthening intergenerational mentorship and networks. They remain the anchor of our work and the vision we carry forward. #IslandGirlsRock #CaribbeanDevelopment #CreativeIndustries #Wellness #Sustainability #Leadership #Intergenerational #CaribbeanIdentity #ArtsandCulture #CommunityBuilding

The World Around Us With creativity as one of our six pillars, Island Girls Rock was honoured to support an Island Girl in film through this project. The short film follows a young Nevisian woman navigating her voice and place within the white-dominated field of philosophy. Directed by Ayeley Hudson, a London-born filmmaker of Kittitian and Nevisian heritage and a philosophy student at Cambridge, the film amplifies underrepresented voices and presents Black people as philosophers, challenging conventional representation in the field. Island Girls Rock collaborated with Ayeley by assisting with location scouting, making key connections, and featuring members of our intergenerational network as cast. This project reflects our commitment to building a creative ecosystem that celebrates Caribbean girls and women in film. You can now watch the full film on our YouTube channel #IslandGirlsRock #CaribbeanWomenInFilm #GirlsInFilm #CreativityPillar #Storytelling #IntergenerationalCreativity #WomenInFilm #RepresentationMatters

Island Girls Rock is turning 10 this November, and as part of our 10 for 10 book review series, we’re celebrating stories that speak to our Caribbean girlhood and womanhood. 📚✨ Our second review in the series features Adia Meade, a member of our Bloom Where You’re Planted writers’ cohort, who teamed up with her mother, Shana Howell, for a joint review of Sweetness in the Skin by Jamaican author Ishi Robinson. This beautifully written novel follows Pumpkin, a young Jamaican girl navigating identity, beauty, and belonging. Adia and Shana explore how Robinson’s evocative storytelling captures not just the realities of colorism and body image, but also the universal journey toward self-love. Read their full review here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eDRmjZ3w #IslandGirlsRock #10for10 #CaribbeanStories #BookReview #SweetnessInTheSkin #IshiRobinson