Home of the late film director Perry Henzell and family, 10A West Kings House Road in St Andrew, has become a meeting place for creatives through capacity-building fora as Spotlight, says Nneka Jackson, art curator.

Henzell is director of the cult classic The Harder They Come which is celebrating its 50th year. He died on November 30, 2006.

Jackson shared her reason for hosting Spotlight.

“As a legal and creative professional living in Jamaica, I am keenly aware of several gaps in the creative ecosystem. And Spotlight is only one of my intended contributions to developing the capacity of creative practitioners in Jamaica, while supporting the journey toward being more robust and profitable to benefit all players, especially the talents,” said Jackson.

Spotlight had its inaugural staging at the venue on August 9. The occasion saw Los Angeles-based artist Adee Roberson speaking on the topic of how fine artists can position themselves for the global market.

Roberson, in a question-and-answer session with Kerry Chen, said local artists need to be a part of an international community.

“I have done so by applying to residencies or reaching out to people via social media, like Instagram,” Roberson shared.

A social media connection fostered the development of a relationship that resulted in Roberson exhibiting in Lagos, Nigeria.

“I had to pay my way there, but when I got there, I had a place to stay and supplies to use. I even did a performance and was able to collaborate on projects with people I met. We, as artists, can network in casual or formal ways. This approached has seen me conversing with academics and writers which has made me realise that my work is ‘diasporic’ at its core, as I seek to find my identity. It may sound odd to say that I don’t feel like there’s a place I truly belong. I belong to many places. I belong to the diaspora,” Roberson added.