Starting next week, the stage at the little theatre in St Andrew will come alive with the staging of the national finals of the national festival of the performing arts.

The events which will run until May 4 are organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), and will see performers from across the island compete in Jamaica’s premier cultural showcase for a chance to take home a national title in the areas of traditional folk forms — drama, speech, music and dance. Performances will be held daily, beginning 10:00 am.

Performances of traditional folk forms will be staged from April 9 – 11; drama, April 12 – 13; speech, April 16 – 20; music, April 24 – 27 and dance April 30 – May 4. The annual Deaf Dance Festival, which showcases dance pieces from the deaf community across the island, will be held on Thursday, May 3, beginning at 4:00 pm. The 2018 staging of Drumfest — a purely percussion event — will also be held on April 23 at Emancipation Park in New Kingston, beginning at 4:00 pm.

The three days of industrial action staged by the island’s teachers in early March had an impact on the staging of parish finals in the performing arts. A total of 29 parish finals scheduled for March 12 – March 14, had to be rescheduled in light of the protest as schools form the lion’s share of entries for the annual event.

Director of marketing and public relations at the JCDC, Stephen Davidson, notes that the commission stages the festival of the performing arts annually to unearth, develop, showcase, preserve and promote the creative talents and expressions of the Jamaican people.

“Jamaica is well known for its creativity and talent in areas of music, dance, speech and drama and the Festival of the Performing Arts provides an excellent avenue for participants to showcase their talents and for patrons to enjoy wholesome family entertainment,” Davidson said.

In addition to the invaluable experience and talent development offered by these competitions, finalists have the chance to win attractive prizes including cash incentives, trophies and gift packages courtesy of sponsors, in addition to the opportunity to perform at national and celebratory events and private functions.