Entries Invited For “Vybzing” Animated Music Video Challenge

The country’s young animators are being invited to submit their creative work for the Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) animated music video challenge.

The competition is part of the CDB’s youth outreach programme dubbed ‘Vybzing’, and is open to Jamaicans ages 16 to 29.

It is being organised as part of the CDB’s Board of Governors Meeting to be held in Jamaica from May 16 to 20.

Operations Officer in the Private Sector Development Unit of the CDB, Lisa Harding, told JIS News that every year, within the Board of Governors meeting, there is a specific focus on youth.

“This year there is a special challenge called the animated music video challenge, which shows that the CDB is recognising animation as one of the emerging sectors as well as the fact that it is also trending now with the youth,” she said.

She explained that the competition is a combination of animation and music, which are two of the priority sectors in the creative industries.

“The theme for the competition is ‘Beam Me Up with ICTs’ and is meant to encourage thought on how ICT can transform the cultural, economic, social and educational lives of youth in Jamaica,” Miss Harding explained.

Entries will be judged based on musical composition; message content; appropriateness to theme; originality; video presentation and impact.

There are attractive cash prizes of US$2,000 for first place; US$1,550 for second place and US$1,250 for third place.

There will also be a People’s Choice Award of US$250, based on the submission with the most votes on the VYBZING Facebook page. Online voting takes place during the period April 25 to May 9, 2016.

All entries must be submitted through the VYBZING Facebook page www.facebook.com/CDBVYBZING/.

Interested persons should submit registration forms by April 11 to tbarnes@mysc.gov.jm. The music videos should be submitted by April 24  at midnight Barbados time, which is one hour ahead of Jamaica. Preliminary judging will be done from April 26 to 28 and final judging May 2.

The animation competition comes on the heels of CDB’s recent efforts, which gave 16 persons from across the Caribbean the opportunity to participate in the 2016 KingstOOn Animation Conference and Film Festival, held recently at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston.

Vybzing is being held in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

The programme provides a platform for youth engagement with emphasis on youth empowerment and participation in the development process.

It facilitates communication between young people and the CDB on social and economic development issues and challenges that are impacting their lives.