When 17 emerging music creatives from Jamaica and Canada gathered at Tuff Gong Studios last week the mission extended beyond making music. It was an opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from established industry figures, and explore the possibilities that can emerge when two music cultures meet.

The creatives, 10 from Toronto and seven from Jamaica, were taking part in the Gupta Family Foundation Toronto-Kingston Music Experience (TKME), an international exchange developed through a partnership between The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and The Gupta Family Foundation.

Over the course of the week participants collaborated on original music while engaging in industry discussions, mentorship sessions, and conversations exploring songwriting, music business, artiste development, and the work required to build a sustainable career.

The Kingston leg followed the programme’s Toronto experience in July, bringing the inaugural year of the exchange full circle with a week immersed in Jamaica’s musical landscape.

For the participants, the setting was significant. Tuff Gong Studios, closely associated with the legacy of reggae icon Bob Marley and the global reach of Jamaican music, provided a fitting environment for conversations about creativity, cultural identity, and the possibilities of international collaboration.

The programme also offered access to established industry professionals, including Steve “Urchin” Wilson, long-time manager of dancehall star Sean Paul, and JUNO Award-winning Jamaican artiste Naomi Cowan.

Wilson and Cowan explored artiste identity, networking and branding, giving participants an opportunity to consider how creative talent can be developed and positioned within an increasingly connected music industry.

Other masterclasses were led by industry figures Mikey Bennett, Sarah Hsia, and Abby Rowe. The experience was further enriched by studio guests DJ Mac, Jesse Royal, Lila Iké, Jahlil, and producer Uni.

For Aamina Mohammed-Edoo, Toronto programme lead, closing the exchange was a memorable experience.

“Wrapping up the inaugural year with a week in Jamaica was surreal,” she said, describing the island as “beyond welcoming”. Mohammed-Edoo said she particularly valued watching participants learn from industry guests and share ideas with fellow creatives in a place that has had a profound influence on Toronto’s cultural landscape and the global music scene.

“Witnessing the incredible talent within the programme and connecting with our studio guests and speakers has inspired me to explore future programming that supports music industry professionals through community-building, knowledge-sharing, and increased access to resources,” she said.

For Jamaican artiste Indie Allen, the experience was both creatively stimulating and professionally rewarding.

“The Toronto-Kingston Music Experience was an inspiring and rewarding journey that helped me grow creatively, strengthened my understanding of the music business, and connected me with talented creatives across cultures,” Allen said.

The Jamaican leg reinforced the importance of collaboration and relationship- building, lessons Allen intends to apply to artistry, songwriting, and production while pursuing opportunities to take the music to a wider international audience.

“The experience in Jamaica reinforced the power of collaboration and the importance of building bridges in the industry,” Allen added.

For Canadian Afro-soul artiste Osé, the exchange arrived at a time when inspiration had been difficult to find.

“Before arriving in Jamaica, I was struggling to find inspiration, but this trip proved to be exactly what I needed to reignite my creative spark,” she said.

That renewal reflects one of the programme’s central aims: To give emerging artistes and producers room to experiment, strengthen their craft, and develop relationships that could extend beyond the duration of the exchange.

Lauren Watkis, who coordinated the Kingston leg, said building confidence, craft and community were deliberate priorities.

“As Jamaica programme lead for the Toronto-Kingston Music Experience (TKME) I was intentional about creating a week where these artistes and producers could grow in confidence, craft, and community and watching that happen in Kingston was truly special,” she said.

Working alongside Toronto programme leads Charlie Wall-Andrews and Mohammed-Edoo, Watkis said she valued the opportunity to have some of Jamaica’s prominent reggae and dancehall artistes and producers share their knowledge with the cohort.

The week culminated in a listening session showcasing music created during the exchange, bringing the participants’ collaborative work into focus and providing a tangible reflection of what the cross-cultural experience had produced.

For Watkis, however, the listening session marked the beginning of what she hopes will be a lasting relationship between the two music communities.

“My hope is that TKME becomes a lasting bridge between Toronto and Kingston, and that we can build on this foundation for future cohorts,” she said.