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JCDC performing arts national finals unfolds at Little Threatre

Published:Monday | April 3, 2023 | 12:46 AM
Students from the Mandeville Primary School in Manchester perform their entry in the JCDC performing arts competition.
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Students from the Mandeville Primary School in Manchester perform their entry in the JCDC performing arts competition.

The 2023 staging of the Festival of the Performing Arts National Finals will take centre stage at the Little Theatre, on Tom Redcam Drive, starting this morning and wrap up on Thursday, April 27. The event is open to the public, free of cost.

Organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), an agency of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, this signature cultural showcase will see gold medal performers from the parish finals compete for a chance to take home a national title in the areas of traditional folk forms, drama, speech, music and dance.

On April 3 and 4 the stage is set for outstanding performances of the rich and historical heritage of the traditional folk forms such as maypole, quadrille and binki-mini. In the second week, April 13 and 14, movements and rhythm will be on show when the dancers take the stage. The speech performances will be delivered on April 17 to 19, followed by music on April 20 and April 21 and concluded on April 24. The final week of the National Finals will see the dramatic pieces on display from Tuesday, April 25 to Thursday, April 27. The National Finals will see the return of deaf dance and drumfest in the month of April as well.

Director of Arts Development and Training at the JCDC, Andrew Brodber, shared that brush-up workshops and the Parish Finals really set the stage for the excellent performances that are expected in the coming weeks.

“We are beyond happy to have the return of the most highly anticipated competition at its full capacity. The JCDC stages the Festival of the Performing Arts annually to unearth, develop, showcase, preserve and promote the creative talents and expressions of the Jamaican people,” Brodber said.

He added, “Jamaica has set the standards for performing arts on the world stage and is well known for its creative expressions and talents in areas of music, dance, speech, drama and traditional folk forms. The JCDC National Festival of the Performing Arts provides an excellent pathway for the nation’s most talented to showcase their talents and for patrons to enjoy a dynamic entertainment showcase.”

The Festival of the Performing Arts National Finals welcomes performers as young as four years old to professionals and sets the stage for the JCDC signature events leading into the Independence celebrations.