JCDC Stages Developmental Workshop

A developmental workshop on wardrobe planning and basic make-up application, was held by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), on February 24, at the Ridgemount United Church, in Mandeville, Manchester.
Twenty-seven participants representing schools and businesses from the JCDC’s Central Region, comprising Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elizabeth, were taught how to groom and care for the skin, build a wardrobe and dress successfully; business etiquette and professionalism, social graces and etiquette, by Business Consultant, Beverly Corke.
The participants were also given tips on how to care for the skin and how to apply basic make-up.
Special Projects Co-ordinator at the JCDC, Dorrett Thaxter, told JIS News that developmental workshops were introduced seven years ago and stemmed from the workshops that were conducted for participants of the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition.
“The Co-ordinator of the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition thought that it would be a good idea to have similar workshops to the ones we have for the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen participants, in order to honour our mandate for development and training, and so the workshops were open to females 18 years and older,” she said.
Ms. Thaxter, who also co-ordinates the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition, said that one of the objectives of the workshop is to attract potential contestants for the competition.
“From time to time we add other things, such as last year we looked at career path, especially in drama and theatre. We also looked at speech and diction, business areas, and other areas that would build the total person,” she said.
Ms. Thaxter informed that a workshop on elements of design, production and costume construction would be held on March 5 at the same venue.
“We feel that it is our responsibility to develop our young dressmakers and designers in our parishes. We decided that there are certain elements that people need to be aware of as a young designer or as a young dressmaker, so we decided to work with GARMEX, Singer and Jamaica Business Development Corporation and we put on a workshop each year to guide them into the elements of designing evening wear and costumes,” she said.
She pointed out that the JCDC, if contacted, would also make arrangements to stage developmental workshops for employees, students and church groups at a subsidised rate.