Manifesto Jamaica launches festival

Mark Beckford, Staff Reporter

For an organisation, which by all definitions is just a 'babe', Manifesto Jamaica has been making giant strides during its almost one-year existence. Its latest step will culminate in a four-day festival - ART'ical Empowerment - from October 14-17.

The festival, which is being staged in collaboration with the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, will be a combination of genres and styles.

On Wednesday afternoon, the launch of the festival at the Bob Marley Museum on Hope Road in St Andrew highlighted that mixture that attendees of the festival might experience.

Manifesto Jamaica, according to its bio, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to youth empowerment and nation building through arts and culture.

Exposing talent

Speaking at the launch, Manifesto Jamaica's founding members Lesley Ann Welsh and Peter Wright said the festival is well set to achieve its goal of exposing and empowering talent.

"It's overwhelming, the response that we are getting from everyone. It's something that Jamaica needs," Welsh said.

A sample of this response was on hand as a number of representatives from the communities, such as August Town, Belvedere, and Seivright Gardens, in which Manifesto Jamaica has held events were on hand to praise the initiative and the upcoming festival.

Africa Thompson, a Social Development Commission officer in eastern St Andrew, said the work the group had been doing had been building the capacity of youth in different communities.

"They (Manifesto Jamaica) are exceptional people. What they can achieve we can't see it right now, but trust me, it will be a powerful thing," she said.

The festival, over its four-day period, will showcase exhibitions, dance competitions, film screenings, cooking showcases, live performances from a surprise top dancehall artiste and top reggae artiste, workshops, and more.

Guest speaker for the night, veteran broadcaster Keith Brown, commended the work of Manifesto Jamaica, even though he had only been aware of the organisation for three weeks.

During his speech he advocated for the blueprint, which Manifesto Jamaica brings, to be adopted around the country.

"Jamaica is not the same as when I grew up. The problems that face our inner-city youth are immeasurable and daunting. We need to spread the concept of Manifesto Jamaica," he said.

Tarrus Riley, Tifa, Protoje, Jah 9, Kabaka Pyramid, No-Maddz, and 5 Steez, are just some of the performers confirmed for the four-day festival.

For more information about the festival visit www.manifestojamaica.com.

  CAPTION: From left: Reginald Bell, Travis Graham, Natalie Reid, Lesley- Ann Welsh, Shane Morgan, Janine 'Jah9' Cunningham, Kareece Lawrence, Gavin Hutchinson during a visit to Tower Street to have an 'Art'ical reasoning'. - Contributed