100 YUTE members present history

Over 100 young persons involved in Youth Upliftment Through Employment's (YUTE) pre-skills training programme will be showcasing the history of their communities through dance, drama and poetry today.

The event, dubbed the YUTE/JA 50 Legacy Showcase, will be staged at the Louise Bennett Garden Theatre on Hope Road. Showtime is at 6 p.m.

The showcase is the culmination of an intensive eight-week programme consisting of preparatory sessions and technical skills workshops.

Participants researched the history of their communities from Independence to present, translating these events into song, dance and dramatic presentations.

Among the communities represented are Jones Town, Trench Town, Waterhouse, Rose Town, Rockfort, Denham Town, Parade Gardens and Mountain View.

YUTE participant Stephanie, from Parade Gardens, said she "has learnt a lot from the workshops, including the importance of teamwork".

As an aspiring dancer, Stephanie voiced appreciation for the technical workshops, which introduced her to the fundamentals of professional dancing.

Maureen Webber, YUTE programme manager, commented that "the showcase represents an opportunity for unattached youth to become positively connected to their culture, and to share their reflections on what Jamaica 50 means to them".

The YUTE/JA 50 Showcase is sponsored by the CHASE Fund, Australian Aid, and the Jamaica Money Market Brokers Limited. The initiative benefits from the kind support of the Ministry of Youth and Culture, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, Dynamic Life Foundation, and volunteers from the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.