Kingston, Jamaica- The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) takes pride in honoring the top performers of this year's Festival of the Performing Arts Competition through a series of Excellence Awards ceremonies. This prestigious event, coordinated in each parish, commenced on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, and will culminate on Friday, May 31, 2024. These ceremonies showcase outstanding performances from the season and extend special recognition to top participants, trainers, institutions, and sponsors whose contributions have been integral to the programme’s success.
Marjorie Leyden-Kirton, Director of Community Cultural Development Services Division at the JCDC, underscores the importance of recognition and motivation in boosting creatives as she encourages public support for the events. "The Excellence Awards Ceremonies are a crucial aspect of the JCDC's approach to ensuring participants feel valued and inspired," she explains. "Through them, we celebrate excellence at the grassroots level, recognizing that this is where the journey begins for many aspiring artistes. We have developed various awards to keep them motivated, including awarding trophies and, where resources permit, providing cash prizes."
Leyden-Kirton further emphasizes the role of the JCDC’s Festival of the Performing Arts in nurturing Brand Jamaica. "This is where we find the up-and-rising talents and feature them in all the events and functions during the independence celebration period," she elaborates. "It's how we preserve our culture by constantly finding, training, and developing the youth. For example, traditional Folk Forms are kept alive as we pass on these norms and practices through the performing arts."
Three parishes have already hosted their events, including St. Thomas on May 1, Kingston and St. Andrew on May 2, and St. Catherine on May 7.
Reflecting on the recent JCDC Kingston & St. Andrew Parish Office Evening of Excellence and Performing Arts Parish Awards, Leyden Kirton remarked, "The event held on Thursday, May 2, was fabulous. It provided parents and well-wishers the opportunity to witness the best gold medal performances from the parish in an awards ceremony concert format. It serves as motivation for children, inspiring them to enter and participate."
She further shared her personal experience, saying, "I was happy to take my granddaughter, Tamelia Paris James, with me to the event. She has a good voice, is very dramatic, and exhibits creativity in visual arts. However, she tends to be shy. During the event, a little boy sang 'Never Enough', a song she has performed to much praise, but she refuses to perform it publicly. She watched the little boy sing, and as I looked over at her, she gave me a little smile. I said, 'See, you can do it.' Competitions and events like these serve as motivation for the audience, inspiring children to participate and excel."
The next Performing Arts Parish Excellence Awards Ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Portland at the Port Antonio High School Auditorium beginning at 6:00 p.m. For information on upcoming events, interested individuals may visit the JCDC website at www.jcdc.gov .
Photo: Jonathan McLaughlin (left), Speech & Drama Teacher of Ardenne High School, and Mr. Ojea Sheckford (right), Music Teacher, both from Ardenne High School, proudly receive the Overall Categories trophy from Marjorie Leyden-Kirton, Director of Community Cultural Development Services Division at the JCDC. The occasion was the JCDC Kingston & St. Andrew Parish Office Evening of Excellence and Performing Arts Awards held on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre. Ardenne High School also secured other prestigious awards, including the Institution Award for the High School Category with the most points, the Subject Category with the highest points in Speech, Drama, and Music, as well as the outstanding teacher awards in Speech, Drama, and Music.
