Jamaica’s 60th Independence Anniversary year-long celebrations will be held under the theme “Reigniting A Nation for Greatness”.
Kristen Laing (Public Relations Coordinator at Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, JCDC) tells JIS News that the entity will have many surprises for this year’s Diamond Jubilee.
These performances include guest artists who will be featured on the JCDC’s competitions list leading up to the big celebration on August 6.
“The JCDC and our programs will add entertainment to each final competition. Ms. Laing mentions that there will be guest artistes who will create excitement about the guest artistes closer to competition finals.
The Jamaica Visual Arts Competition and Jamaica Creative Writing Competition are returning favorites this year.
National Festival of the Arts: Drama, Music, Dance, Speech, and Speech
Jamaica’s 60th Independence anniversary year-long celebrations are being observed under the theme ‘Reigniting a Nation for Greatness’.
Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Public Relations Coordinator, Kristen Laing, tells JIS News the entity will be introducing several surprises for this year’s Diamond Jubilee.
These include performances by guest artistes who will be featured in the JCDC’s catalogue of competitions leading up to the grand celebration on August 6.
“In terms of the JCDC and our programmes, each competition final will have its own entertainment added to the show. There will be guest artistes to create more excitement around who our guest artistes will be, closer to the competition finals,” Ms. Laing notes.
Returning favourites this year are the Jamaica Visual Arts Competition, Jamaica Creative Writing Competition, Jamaica Gospel Star Competition, Jamaica Festival Song Competition, Jamaica Festival Queen Competition, Jamaica Culinary Arts Competition, and National Festival of the Arts: Music, Dance, Speech, Drama and Theatre, Traditional Folk Forms Competition.
Once again, performances by groups will be featured at the National Festival of the Arts: Theatre, Music, Speech, Drama, and Theatre.
Ms. Laing states that last year the group format was stopped in accordance with COVID-19 physical dissipating requirements.
“This year is different than last year, which we had called ‘The Year of the Soloist’. We were not accepting solo entries that met the requirements for national physical-distancing, as set by Government. These requirements were adjusted and we now accept entries from up to eight people in our group competitions,” she says.
The competitions will continue to be streamed as per COVID-19 protocols on YouTube and Facebook, as well as on the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport’s Facebook page.
“Pre-COVID we would have a large audience. She explains that we are currently working with Government’s COVID, physical-distancing protocols and she says so.
The competitions will take place mostly in virtual space. It may be broadcast on local TV or on free-to-air television stations, depending on the type of competition. These channels are where viewers can view the finals of the competition,” she says.
The Government’s COVID-19 regulations are limiting the possibility of a hybrid format.
Finals of JCDC 2022 competitions will be held concurrently with National Independence celebrations. Cash awards, medals, and trophies are all possible prizes.
The prizes given out in the competitions are different for each one. All of our top performers will be able to receive a trophy or medal, a merit certificate and a cash award. We will also have other prizes depending on the competition,” the JCDC official notes.
The Commission will host several events throughout the duration of the event, including workshops, conferences, and television/online events.
In the lead up to the Jamaica 60 Grand Celebrations, several social media ambassadors will be revealed by JCDC.
These ambassadors are, in addition to Russhaine Berry “Dutty Berry”, Berry and Juliet “Julie Mango”, previously announced social media ambassadors.
Celebrations of Independence are an integral part of national development. They also commemorate Jamaica’s culture and history.
The JCDC organizes activities each year to commemorate Jamaica’s emancipation and political independence.
These milestones in Jamaica’s history are celebrated with recognition of Jamaican culture.
