Kingston, Jamaica, December 13, 2024 – The deadline for entries for the National Festival of the Performing Arts competitions has been extended to January 10, 2025. This extension provides additional time for more participants to enroll in the annual event, which is organized by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC). The Festival invites both aspiring and seasoned performers to compete in a range of disciplines, including Speech, Drama and Theatre Arts, Music, Dance, Deaf Dance, and Traditional Folk Forms.
Despite a favourable response so far, the JCDC noted that feedback from its stakeholders has indicated that some performers will require some additional time to complete the entries for the 2025 season.
In addition, earlier this year the commission launched JCDC Awards Force, the on-line registration portal for all its competitions and a number of the stakeholders have requested additional time to become more familiar with the platform.
Executive Director of the JCDC Lenford Salmon noted that while the original deadline date of Friday, December 13, was met, the Commission wants to give all the interested persons a fair opportunity to submit their entries.
“This is the first season that we are utilizing the on-line registration platform in its totality. As with anything that is new it takes a while for everyone to become au fait with how it operates. This extension is just to capture the persons who are becoming familiar with the new platform, as well as anyone who, for whatever reason, were yet to submit their entries. ”
“I just want to appeal to performers to use this additional period to submit their entries. The National Festival of the Performing Arts is such a cultural institution that we want everyone to be included. Remember we don’t need a final product, whether it be a dance, or song, or poem to be ready at the time you are submitting your entry. It means that those wishing to participate can submit the names and titles of presentations they will be performing on the day of the parish Audition,” Salmon added.
Widely recognized as the Caribbean region’s leading national institute for cultural development, the JCDC will yet again be combing the length and breadth of Jamaica in search of talented Jamaicans in the creative industry. It stands on a very proud and enviable record of success, as evidenced by the renowned stalwarts who ‘cut their teeth’ on its annual Festival of the Performing Arts Competition.
Interested participants are encouraged to visit the JCDC website at www.jcdc.gov.jm to view the rules, guidelines, and to complete their registration on the JCDC’s digital platform at jcdc.awardsplatform.com. For additional assistance, participants can also contact or visit their nearest JCDC parish office.
