Festival Organisers Receive Cultural Skills Training

Organisers of festivals have benefited from a training seminar aimed at strengthening their capacity to stage such events.

The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport and the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) partnered with the British Council to host the one-day seminar, dubbed ‘Festival X’, at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston on Wednesday (June 13).

The event was held in response to the demand for cultural skills development and training locally.

The objective is to improve execution of local festivals through data gathering, knowledge dissemination, planning and monitoring, in order to boost the festival and experience economy sectors.

Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister, Hon. Olivia Grange, in her remarks at the opening session of Festival X, said the initiative is in line with the Ministry’s mandate to ensure that opportunities are made available for industry practitioners to be exposed to best practices, thereby improving Jamaica’s cultural product.

She noted that local festival organisers participated in the British Council’s International Festivals Academy (IFA) programme held in Edinburgh, Scotland, in April.

“It is very appropriate that we are all here today to discuss, collaboratively, how Government, international partners and the private sector can strengthen the Jamaican economy through the creative industries,” she said.

Miss Grange said the seminar is timely, as preparations are under way for two of the country’s biggest festivals – the Emancipation and Independence celebrations.

Country Director for the British Council, Olayinka Jacobs-Bonnick, said the training will serve to build capacity in creative and cultural skills and support policy dialogue, thereby enhancing the professionalisation of the cultural and creative industries in Jamaica.

“It is important that festival managers and professionals have the knowledge to increase sustainability and growth of festivals worldwide,” she pointed out.

Interim Executive Director for the JCDC, Orville Hill, for his part, said that Festival X “is making a contribution in the process to improve brand Jamaica”.