The expression, ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’, aptly describes Danijah Taylor’s resolve to engage young Jamaicans in literacy and the written word, so as to chart a path for their upward mobility. The St. Catherine native has coined the term ‘penpowerment’ (empowerment through the pen) and has, so far, touched the lives of dozens of students through his...

St. Joseph’s Teachers’ College is singing the praises of the Culture, Health, Arts, Science and Education (CHASE) Fund, after becoming one of the most recent beneficiaries of its Music in Schools initiative. The College received a $2-million grant in the 2021/2022 financial year, and Acting Principal, Winsome Francis, says the money was used to purchase much needed musical instruments, including...

Developing a digital ecosystem in collaboration with private and public stakeholders will help to advance digital transformation in Jamaica. This was supported by Corporate Vice President and Chief Digital Officer for Microsoft, in the US, Jacky Wright, during the recently concluded hybrid diaspora conference, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in downtown Kingston. “We can't do...

For 20 years, the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund has been assisting Jamaican writers in highlighting the nation’s historic and cultural achievements. Through the Fund’s Policy on Literary Works, documentaries, biographies and autobiographies of celebrated Jamaicans, works on parishes and places of historical significance have received support. Fifteen per cent of the Fund’s resources are channeled towards...

The Office of the General Secretariat, Organization of American States (GS/OAS) in Jamaica has announced winners of this year’s Art and Poetry Competition. In the Art category, student at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Western Jamaica Campus, Sashane Smith, took first place for her piece, ‘Abandon Ship’, while former student of the St. Andrew High School for Girls,...

When visual arts student Jaevon Vassell heard about the opportunity to hone his skills through participation in the Ministry of Culture, Gender Entertainment and Sport’s internship programme for young creatives, he did not hesitate to apply. The third-year student at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston, who majors in painting, says he is always...

From an early age, Neko Kelly knew that he wanted to be a creative, working in fashion or entertainment. He recalls introducing himself to his first-form class at Clarendon College at age 11 and being laughed at when he stated his career goal. “I stood and said ‘My name is Neko Kelly. I am coming from Old Harbour Bay Primary...

When Andreen Rose-Cephas got pregnant at age 16 while attending a prominent high school in Kingston in 1987, she was devastated. “I didn’t know what to do, where to turn and a lot of things kept going through my mind initially when I found out,” she recalls in an interview with JIS News. Mrs. Rose-Cephas, who is the youngest of...

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...