Businesses, Offices and Towns Encouraged To Decorate With National Colours

Businesses, offices and towns have an opportunity to showcase their creativity and decorative skills by adorning their space with the national colours, during the period of celebrations to mark Jamaica’s Emancipation and Independence.

Public and private sector organisations all have the chance to vie for prizes and gain the prestige of having the best dressed window; and the best decorated office or business complex.

Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), Stephen Davidson, told  JIS News that the competitions are new features that have been added to the list of celebratory activities for this year.

He noted that the idea is to get persons excited about their culture and to give everyone an opportunity to participate in the festivities.

Mr. Davidson said companies are encouraged to decorate their office or buildings using the national colours. They are also asked to use the fashion theme, which has been reintroduced this year – ‘Bandana wid Denim, Ketch di Fashion Riddim’ – in their decor.

“There is a prize given for the best business that incorporates the fashion theme and the national colours. Also, towns/parish councils are encouraged to decorate their town squares using the same national colours and the fashion theme and a prize will be given for the best decorated town,” he said.

Media houses are not to be left out. An award will also be bestowed on the media house that best displays the spirit of independence  in their programming, music and features.

“We are encouraging them to incorporate the theme for our Independence and Emancipation celebrations,  ‘Proud and Free…Jamaica 53’,  Mr. Davidson said.

In addition, awards will be given for the advertising agency that best utilises the Independence and Emancipation theme in their promotional campaigns.

“We ensured that we chose the festival song earlier in the year. Persons/ advertising agencies are also encouraged to use them in their campaigns during the months of July and August. The festival song will be the song that drives our Emancipation and Independence,” he said.

Members of the Jamaican Disapora are also being invited to demonstrate their involvement in the festivities. They are encouraged to send the JCDC a listing of activities and events that they are having for Emancipation and Independence.

“They are encouraged as well to send photographs and video clips by July 31 to jbdc.festival2015@gmail.com. We will review those photos and videos and they will be given an award towards the end of December,” Mr. Davidson said.

The prizes for the competitions include plaques and tickets to events for next year’s celebrations, he  informed, noting that another plus is added publicity.