Woman Power | Vivien Morris uses art to make the world better

MANDEVILLE, Manchester:

AT THE mention of her name, the faces of many children whose lives she would have touched light up, the cultural industry nods in approval, the common man instantly acknowledges her warmth and a room graced with her presence comes alive.

Whether in her capacity as justice of the peace, educator, trained mediator, folklorist, cultural ambassador and consultant, community developer, or mother, among others, Vivien Morris has an unmatched passion for people and for helping them to achieve their highest potential, particularly through the performing arts.

With her imaginative mind as a young creative credited to her voracious reading, Morris credits her parents for giving her an opportunity to create and express, while maintaining a principled and disciplined home.

“I remember writing a song and I asked my parents if I could perform it for the family and they said yes. The song was called Consider the settings. I sang and everyone applauded… My mother, very pragmatic, after all of that said, ‘Now please go and consider the dishes’…” Morris recounted with a burst of laughter

VERY IMPORTANT

She continued: “But that was a very important moment in my development. My parents could have told me to go wash the dishes when I had a song to sing and killed my spirit. But they accommodated my performance, supported me, listened to me and then pointed me to the duty that had to be done.”

Currently, the speech and drama specialist and culture and protocol adviser at Christel House Jamaica, Morris said this work aligns directly with her vision for young people, making it easy for her to continue passionately fulfilling her purpose.

“Being at this school is a dream of mine. When I taught in the regular school system, I always did speech and drama as an extra-curricular activity. But it’s not just about getting up on a stage and entertaining people, it’s about using your communication gifts to share ideas and tell stories and change perspectives of those around you and around the world.”

Morris, having realised she was getting an opportunity to work with children from extremely challenged circumstances, said she opted out of retirement to help make possible the dreams of those with the potential to change Jamaica.

“Out of that decision, too, something amazing happened. I did not start out as a visual artist but I was asked to develop the art room and I asked God to take me through it. In November 2020, God gave me the gift of art…”

Since she first stepped into the classroom decades ago, Morris has moulded the minds of hundreds of students-who would have moved on to having their own children and grandchildren being taught by her.

With her brand transcending the nation’s borders and her works being awarded locally and internationally, Morris said some of her proudest moments involved the successes in using the performing arts to stimulate an interest in reading and combating illiteracy.

“At one of my previous schools, I got the children who were considered to be the least likely to be able to read and write and function efficiently. I used storytelling, and the performing arts to turn around the life of these children and today, I can proudly say that all of them are now doing well…”

Having led delegations in England to promote the positive impact of the performing arts in academic development, Morris said witnessing firsthand the evolution of children, whether in Jamaica or overseas, is what continues to drive her efforts.

HELPING HAND

During any given week, Morris can be seen preparing for and teaching her classes, extending a helping hand to others, emceeing an event, coordinating civic functions and completing tasks for her church, but this powerhouse said there is designated time for leisure.

“There is not a lot of time to rest, but I have an exciting life that keeps me young because I get a chance to laugh a lot and to share in what makes other people happy...”

The mother of one biological child, who is presently in university studying forensic science, said having lived so well and done so much, her greatest wish is now to embark on a cruise before she leaves this Earth and bear witness to the successes of her current students on stages worthy of note.