Performing Arts Programme Transforming Students at Godfrey Stewart High

The Godfrey Stewart High School family was left beaming with pride as the institution’s performing arts society took home a nominee prize during this year’s Marcus Garvey Awards for Excellence in the Performing Arts ceremony on October 1.

It was the second year the Westmoreland-based institution was being nominated for the prestigious award, instituted by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) to celebrate outstanding performers and teachers in the annual festival of the arts competitions.

Nominees are chosen, based on their cumulative scores and the quality of awards received in the competitions, which include pieces from speech, drama, music, traditional folk forms, dance and deaf dance.

The Godfrey Stewart Performing Arts Society (GSPAS) dominated the Westmoreland parish finals in March, securing 58 medals – 30 gold, 17 silver and 11 bronze.

The institution also earned 15 awards for its 27 entries in the national finals between April and May.

Although the GSPAS did not take home the Marcus Garvey Award for Excellence, with pride of place going to Ardenne High School, there was a sense of joy and accomplishment in being among just five institutions across the island which were shortlisted.

The nominee award is not only a tribute to the hard work of the students and teachers, but a recognition of the transformative impact of the GSPAS on the school over the years.

The performing arts programme, which engages students in music, dance, traditional folk forms and speech, is more than just a platform for students to explore their artistic talents.

It is an incubator for building confidence, unlocking creativity, nurturing confidence and self-expression and improving discipline and academic performance.

Principal of the school, Emily Lawrence-Ricketts, tells JIS News that the GSPAS has been instrumental in helping to build a culture of discipline among students.

“We have a number of students who… would need disciplinary intervention, and we realise that when they become a part of the society, they become more disciplined and organised,” she says.

Students also find a sense of purpose in the performing arts society, which motivates them to attend school regularly and excel in their studies.

Director of GSPAS, Selette Laing, notes that once students join, their academic performance is monitored.

“We don’t just focus on the performing arts, we ensure that their grades are up to par,” she says.

“When we have prize-giving, the performing arts society is one of those societies that boasts that most of the students who are on the Principal’s Honour Roll are from their area,” Ms. Laing adds.

Consequent on the positive impact of the performing arts, the disciplines have been integrated into the school’s annual sports day activities.

“The performing arts… have been bringing a lot of recognition to the institution and because of that, we [have] now started to have Eisteddfod,… where the students have to participate in the performing arts as a scheduled event every single year at the institution,” Mrs. Lawrence-Ricketts explains.

Shackieve Brown, a member of the GSPAS choir and an instrumental musician, says joining GSPAS has improved his social skills and exposed him to more career options.

“I’m able to speak to people relatively easy now. By being in [the] choir with so many people and so many varying personalities, I’ve learned how to deal with people on a general basis,” he tells JIS News, noting that he is now considering music as a possible career.

Lana Gaye Headley, past student and 2023/24 President of the GSPAS’ dance society, says being a member improved her confidence and social skills.

She tells JIS News that she was very shy. But working with the group helped her to become more self-assured, and with the newfound confidence, she was able to accept the leadership role.

Senior Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information’s Curriculum Unit and Head of the Performing Arts Division, Marlon Williams, says the Ministry recognises the transformative power of the arts.

“We are in the business of creating rounded individuals. We acknowledge that there are careers in the performing arts areas and… we’re preparing our students for the job market,” he tells JIS News.

“The Ministry is not just promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, we’re promoting science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM) education. So the arts [are] significant, and we put a lot into ensuring that our teachers are catered for in those fields,” Mr. Williams says.

The Performing Arts Division focuses on theatre arts/drama, music and dance, which are categorised under physical education.

A designated officer is assigned to each area and has the responsibility to provide professional development opportunities for the respective teachers, which are done through workshops and coaching sessions.

The Ministry classifies the performing arts as ‘curriculum drivers’.

At the lower secondary (grades 7-9) level, teachers are trained and encouraged to use the performing arts as a methodology in teaching.

There is also a designated curriculum for each art form, Mr. Williams says.

“So, just like how you have the math and the language curricula, there is one for drama, there is one for music as well, and there is one for physical education, which includes the dance. It just goes to show that the Ministry is serious about these art forms,” he shares.

The GSPAS boasts a legacy of producing successful alumni who excel as leaders, academics and social changers, and many of these graduates return to support the programme.

Among them is Jamar Grant, the 2023 University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus Valedictorian, representing the Faculty of Humanities and Education.

Mr. Grant is a pre-trained teacher of Literacy and Theatre Arts, and a writer and teacher for the GSPAS’ speech society.

For him, the most impactful aspect of the school’s performing arts programme is the bond that it fosters among students.

“We see [the students] gelling together. They have found a community, and it means a lot to us, as the teachers of the performing arts society, because we understand the potential of the arts to transform students. When we see it happening in front of our eyes in real time and… when we hold franchise in that happening, it is a really fulfilling feeling,” Mr. Grant tells JIS News.