The CB Facey Foundation (CBFF) will open its grant application process on Maurice Facey Day, today, on the official website www.cbfaceyfoundation.org.

The foundation has commemorated August 12, the birthday of its founder and the founding chairman of PanJam Investment Limited, for the past five years.

During the three-month-long window, the foundation wants to connect with charities, projects, and schools in the mandated areas of arts, education, and the environment.

“We are happy to make available up to $1 million in grants to each successful candidate,” said Anna Ward, the newly appointed executive director of CBFF. “The new and existing partnerships, however, must fall within the mandated areas of focus.” Candidates may also not receive the grant in the full amount requested.

Last year CBFF engaged 26 new and returning grant partners.

They included: Debate Mate Jamaica; Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts; University of Technology, Jamaica; the National Gallery; Philharmonic Orchestra of Jamaica; Jamaica Junior Theatre; Missionaries of the Poor; the Salvation Army; Friends of Mona Rehab; Rise Life Management Services; Violence Prevention Alliance; Peace Management Initivative; Wortley Home for Girls; Jamaicans for Justice; Jamaica Association for the Deaf; St Andrew Parish Church; Global Shapers Kingston Hub; Scout Association; Girls’ Brigade; Jamaica Environment Trust; Downtown Kingston Music Theatre; Sigma Corporate Run; as well as hurricane and climate relief efforts across the Caribbean.

For the Downtown Kingston Music Theatre (DKMT), the $650,000 grant from CBFF secured two once-in-a-lifetime experiences for its students.

“The CB Facey Foundation grant in 2017 covered the cost for sending two students to attend the I Theatrics Musical Theatre Festival in Atlanta Georgia,” said Enith Williams, conceptualiser and developer of DKMT. “Our students entered as part of the Uptown Music Theatre group from New Orleans, which was led by Delfeayo Marsalis. That team eventually won the trophy for Best Overall Performance, for the sixth time.”

Williams went on to explain that the funding also supported the DKMT Summer Camp and end-of-camp performance.

“The summer camp is an intensive camp that met five days per week throughout July. During the camp, the students worked on learning a script, as well as building the set and making costumes for an end-of-camp production,” Williams shared.

The students were also led through a three-day boot camp by Marsalis and a team of theatre professionals from New Orleans. The team comprises a vocal coach, a choreographer, and an acting coach/director to work with the local tutors to polish the production for the performance.

For that show, the DKMT collaborated with the National Youth orchestra of Jamaica. The Orchestra also benefited from intensive instruction and rehearsals with Marsalis, who in addition to being a world-renowned solo professional, also leads and directs an award-winning Jazz 0rchestra.

The CBFF grant applications will be open until Friday, October 12, 2018. More information can be found at www.cbfaceyfoundation.org.