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In an effort to accommodate people affected by Hurricane Melissa, the closing date for entries for the National Festival of the Performing Arts was extended from December 22 last year to January 15. Minister of Culture, Gender, and Entertainment & Sport Olivia Grange, advised that the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) had made some changes to the modality to be used this year. In addition to the adjusted deadline for entries to be submitted, there is a pivot to virtual pre-competition workshops and virtual parish auditions.
The National Festival of the Performing Arts Competition, the island’s foremost and most venerable cradle for the development of the performing arts, features dance and deaf dance, drama and theatre arts, traditional folk forms, music and speech.
“These changes will ensure that students, schools and community groups, especially in the hardest-hit parishes, are still able to participate. The Category-5 hurricane severely affected St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James and Trelawny, causing widespread damage to venues and disrupting electricity and telecommunications services. These challenges have made traditional face-to-face parish auditions impossible for the upcoming season, prompting the need for a revised approach,” a December press release stated.
Minister Grange said ensuring participation from affected communities remains central to the Commission’s plans.
Entrants will be required to submit a performance video of the item being entered. These videos should be uploaded to the JCDC’s online portal www.jcdc.awardsplatform.com. The videos will be used for the virtual staging of the parish auditions.
Parish finals
Executive director of the JCDC, Lenford Salmon, outlined that although the entry deadline is January 15, participants will have an additional week to upload their performance videos to the online platform.
“If performers are experiencing difficulties, they are encouraged to contact or visit the JCDC office in their parish for assistance. We are here to assist them and to ensure a smooth process,” Salmon emphasised.
Once uploaded, a panel of adjudicators will review the videos, and selected pieces will advance to the parish finals scheduled for March. The format for parish finals is still under review. A final decision will be made closer to the date and will be determined by prevailing conditions at that time.
Minister Grange also pointed out that the decision to proceed with the Festival reflects the important role of the arts in national recovery. “In times of national hardship, the arts have always provided Jamaicans with a source of comfort, expression and healing. Many families are still trying to recover from the impact of Hurricane Melissa, and we believe creative engagement can play a cathartic role in helping our children and communities cope. That is why, after consulting with our stakeholders, we agreed that continuing the Festival of the Performing Arts is both necessary and meaningful at this time.”
The Jamaica Festival of the Performing Arts Competition is held annually to unearth, develop and showcase the creative talents of Jamaicans from all walks of life. Over the years, the programme has benefitted thousands of participants through training, exposure and recognition, allowing them to contribute meaningfully to the creative and cultural industries and to the building of Brand Jamaica. It provides cadre of entertainers for a number of national events related to the annual Emancipation and Independence celebrations.
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