For the second year running, the British Council is partnering with the music festival Rebel Salute with its live music skills training programme for young people — Backstage to the Future: Caribbean.

This year, 12 trainees will be offered the opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge in stage management, lighting and sound, through on-site teaching of technical skills and hands-on shadowing, at Rebel Salute’s annual live music event slated for January 18-19, at Grizzly’s Plantation Cove in Priory, St Ann.

“We have expanded the scope of the programme this year, increasing the number of Jamaican participants to five. In addition to the Green Moon festival in San Andrés, Colombia, and Rebel Salute here in Jamaica, we’ve added the Havana World Music Festival in Cuba as a third event at which these young professionals will receive additional training. We also recognise the importance of contributing content and are supporting the participation of top international Reggae act, Dawn Penn, at the festival,” shared British Council country director, Olayinka Jacobs-Bonnick.

“This partnership underscores the commitment of the British Council towards creating opportunities for cultural exchange that support social and economic development, through the arts and the creative economy, in Jamaica. Rebel Salute provides an excellent training ground for the future generation of festival professionals. We are very pleased to support the growth and development of youth in Jamaica and the Caribbean by contributing to the continuing professionalisation of the live-event sector, building bridges between Jamaican festival professionals, the UK and international markets, as well as creating jobs through self-employment.” Jacobs-Bonnick outlined.

Backstage to the Future: Caribbean is a skills training programme for live music events that was launched in San Andrés, Colombia, in August 2017, during the 30th anniversary of the Green Moon Festival. The programme is designed to develop and nurture future live-event producers and technicians in San Andrés and Providencia (Colombia), Cuba, Jamaica and Venezuela, with a focus on building technical and soft skills.

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.