Editorial feature · Barbados

Shell craft, meet animation

Barbados’ We Ting series turns to Sailors’ Valentines—and the Black Barbadian women behind the craft.

An octagonal sailor’s valentine with an intricate arrangement of shells — A sailor’s valentine, c.1875, in The Mariners’ Museum, Virginia. Context photograph, not a We Ting film still. Sailors Valentine — Neochichiri11 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and re-encoded; layout may crop. The image retains this licence. No endorsement implied.

The project

The National Cultural Foundation announced a new We Ting animation about the shell-decorated keepsakes and their makers. Paula Harper-Grant wrote and narrated it, Rommel Cumberbatch animated it, and Nicholas Brancker supplied the music. The NCF announced a 17 October release on its official channels. Follow its announcement for release details.

Announced 16 Oct 2026

Open the source ↗

National Cultural Foundation, Barbados · Checked 23 Oct 2026. Source dated 2026-10-16.

Paula Harper-Grant — Writing + narration
Rommel Cumberbatch — Animation
Nicholas Brancker — Music
Michelle Springer — Series producer

An n4mu editorial feature, not a member submission or a claim of representation. Photographs retain their stated rights; featured work is not licensed for third-party reuse here.

About The We Ting team ↗