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Free admission at Emancipation Jubilee

Published:Monday | July 23, 2012 | 12:00 AM
'Prof I and the Nyabinghi' perform at the launch ceremony of the 2012 Emancipation Jubilee. Among the features of the 2012 celebrations are free admission and an Expo Village. Emancipation Jubilee, a tribute to the African ancestors, takes place at Seville Heritage Park, St Ann on July 31. - Contributed

The Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) will be suspending the cost for admission to this year's Emancipation Jubilee celebration at the historic Seville Heritage Park in St Ann.

The annual Emancipation Jubilee is a major national celebration organised by the JNHT in honour of the African ancestors and their contribution towards the free society that Jamaicans enjoy.

The event which includes an all-night vigil, featuring the performance of traditional rites, will begin at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 31, and will continue through to Emancipation Day on August 1.

The executive director of the JNHT, Mrs Laleta Davis-Mattis, said the decision to allow free admission to Emancipation Jubilee was made by the Trust and the Ministry of Youth and Culture in celebration of Jamaica 50.

First major activity

Davis-Mattis explained that Emancipation Jubilee would be the first major activity during the main celebratory period for Jamaica 50 (August 1-6) and would be staged under the theme 'A Nation on a Mission: Movement of JA people'.

Addressing the launch ceremony for Emancipation Jubilee at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort, Spa and Conference Centre in Ocho Rios, St Ann recently, Davis-Mattis said, "Emancipation was a seminal achievement which had inspired many significant accomplishments in the life of our nation, including Independence."

According to her, this year's production would "highlight, in various ways, the cultures of all the diverse peoples who have settled in Jamaica and have built our nation".

She said the programme would "track and highlight the movement of our people from Africa, and various other places, to Jamaica on their mission to build our wonderful country".

The JNHT has sought to partner with several corporate entities to offset the cost of this year's event.

The major sponsors are: Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort, Spa & Conference Centre, Jamaica National Building Society and The Cardiff Hotel and Spa.

Despite being a free event, the JNHT will issue tickets for entry to Emancipation Jubilee.

The issuing of tickets is a crowd management tool.

Tickets will become available to the public as of Wednesday at the offices of the JNHT and the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission.