The Caribbean School of Architecture (CSA) will be hosting an event this Saturday, May 11 outside the Ward Theatre; “Re-Ward LIVE” which will feature an architectural intervention by students of CSA, street theatre performance (including and open mic) and opportunity for community involvement in creating sidewalk chalk art.
The objective is to re-ignite interest and appreciation of the Ward Theatre.
They are calling for volunteers this week to help with the installation and are stationed at the Caribbean School of Architecture between 1PM and 10PM everyday, in room 4A2.
The installation is being made primarily out of recycled plastic bottles.
The overall project is called the “Re-Ward Project”, birthed from an Architecture and Community Elective. Ms. Jarrett, the class lecturer has formed ties with Music Unites Jamaica’s Rosina Moder and students of the Edna Manley College and the University of the West Indies.
Thanks to Steve Urchin for these photos of Bob Marley Beach in St. Thomas, Jamaica.
The parish of St. Thomas has some really nice secluded beaches. They are mostly black sand (which can be hot on the feet) but they are beautiful with dramatic views of the hills which fall right onto the beaches.
St. Thomas beaches are worth a visit for sure.
Doesn’t this photo just make you want to be there?
There’s no shortage of beauties on the beaches of Jamaica, but a trip to the vegetable garden can be just as exciting.
Stunning Marika Kessler founded her own 83-acre farm — tucked away up in Jamaica’s rough and rugged, northwestern Cockpit Country. And she did so after having studied fashion design in the US.
“I just got sick of that world,” she says. Kessler and her husband, Adam Miller — who grew up on a farm in Jamaica’s St. Thomas Parish and wound up studying the agriculture biz at LSU — broke ground on Potosi Farms in September 2011.
“Located in Jamaica’s Cockpit Country mountains, we offer the finest of sustainably grown produce delivered to your door.
Our passion is sustainable farming. This means producing without depleting Earth’s resources or polluting the environment. We follow Mother Nature’s lead in maintaining her best health, by employing a variety of environmentally sustainable methods to grow, care and nurture our farm.
Our mission is to narrow the gap between grower and consumer by providing freshly harvested earth to plate produce.
At Potosi Farms we reintroduce the lost comfort of knowing how, where, and by whom your food is grown”.
Check out Jamaican author Stephanie Saulter talking about her novel Gemsigns.
According to the author, “Gemsigns has been called political science fiction, social science fiction, a thriller (which it definitely is) and an example of old-fashioned storytelling….”
About Gemsigns
For years the human race was under attack from a deadly Syndrome, but when a cure was found – in the form of genetically engineered human beings, Gems – the line between survival and ethics was radically altered.
Now the Gems are fighting for their freedom, from the oppression of the companies that created them, and against the Norms who see them as slaves. And a conference at which Dr Eli Walker has been commissioned to present his findings on the Gems is the key to that freedom.
But with the Gemtech companies fighting to keep the Gems enslaved, and the horrifying godgangs determined to rid the earth of these ‘unholy’ creations, the Gems are up against forces that may just be too powerful to oppose.
After a well-received Jamaican premiere and 2-weekend run, director/producer fabian thomas and his onstage team of twelve return to the Pantry Playhouse for 3 final performances of In the Red & Brown Water, Part 1 of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s ground-breaking and highly praised The Brother/Sister Plays trilogy. The return engagement will be April 5 – 7.
In the Red & Brown Water tells the story of Oya, a young athlete who can run faster than anyone, but not fast enough to escape her fate.
When pressed to choose between her dying mother and her dreams of escape, she makes a life-changing decision.
Torn between 2 very different men and her all-consuming desire to have a child, Oya’s journey from the promise of youth to the complicated yearnings of womanhood is a joyous, raucous, moving and brazenly theatrical experience.
“As soon as I read the book, I knew I had to direct them!”, thomas shares, referring to McCraney’s The Brother/Sister Plays which have been described as “dangerous, modern-day stories of kinship, love, heartache and coming-of-age”, while it has been said that the young playwright “speaks with authenticity about a world that is gritty and lyrical, urban and mythic.
One of the most startling new American theatrical voices of the 21st century,”. The trilogy delves into the world of a Louisiana Bayou housing project, a landscape of hardship and dreams influenced by Yoruban mythology.
Tarell Alvin McCraney is the recipient of several awards including the New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award.
In addition to challenging himself, thomas has also challenged his actors to learn and adapt the Louisiana accent which the play’s script and location require.
Returning to tell this powerful tale on stage are Shanique Brown, Damian ‘DJ’ Shaw/Hanief Lallo, Sean Bennett, Ramone Gordon, Shawna-Kae Burns, Noelle Kerr/Rushae Watson, Shantol Jackson, Susie Braham, Ricardo Barrett, Kevin Nelson and Cameal Davis.
The production has an ‘adults only’ advisory, due to explicit language and sexual content.
HOT 102 and Copy Cat have sponsored the production.
Check out Sean Paul’s latest number one hit sone, ‘What about us’ with The Saturdays.
Jamaican dancehall star Sean Paul has snagged another number one song on the United Kingdom pop singles chart, marking his 22nd entry on the British charts, the most ever by a Jamaican act.
The 40-year-old hitmaker scored his latest top ranking with a guest spot on Anglo-Irish girl group The Saturdays’ What About Us.
What about Us is The Saturdays’ first number one after 14 UK pop singles chart-riders to their credit, 12 of which made the top 10, but the quintet has yet to make a significant impression in North America
If you’re looking for something different to do in Kingston this weekend check out the French Film Festival which is now on in Jamaica, being presented by the Alliance Francaise de la Jamaique.
Jamaican vacations are largely concentrated on the north coast, but one sanctuary on the rockier, sunnier south coast is leading the way as the island’s epicenter of sports tourism. And what’s most extraordinary about this phenomenon—is that it’s entirely community-made.
Treasure Beach recently took top honors in Jamaica’s National Best Community competition, but for those who’ve experienced the warmth, vibrancy and strength of that place—it was no surprise at all. Another editorial in the Observer summed it up perfectly: “The people of Treasure Beach aren’t just talking the talk, they are walking the walk.”
The people of Treasure Beach, spearheaded by Jason Henzell of Jake’s Hotel and his non-profit BREDS, have come together to build what’s becoming the region’s preeminent Sports Park. To put this feat into perspective, London’s esteemed House of Lords & Commons Cricket Club just came to play the Pedro Plains Pirates and cut the ribbon on the newly built pavilion.
Outside the action at the Sports Park, Treasure Beach is promoting fitness trips—and attracting personal trainers and yoga instructors who arrive with troupes of tourists who leave no less than seduced.
All of these efforts are now coalesced in a new website: treasurebeach.tumblr.com—which was created by an enamored tourist. Alison Hess lived in Kingston for a year in 2005, working at an ad agency called Generousitas, and went to Treasure Beach once. But it wasn’t until she returned during the 2012 Olympics that she realized this town is on fire.
She says, “I was on assignment for Puma last summer, creating original content for the brand’s tumblr site. I drove all around the island, with the incredible privilege of telling stories about Jamaican people, places, culture and style. Treasure Beach was my final stop—and I was absolutely blown away by what I found there.”
Alison wrote about Sally Henzell’s legendary creativity, told the story of the Sports Park, and an article about an extraordinary fish sanctuary maintained by BREDS. “For three days, I wrote as fast as I could, but the assignment ended, and I was left with so much more to say.”
She spent two more weeks in Treasure Beach, biking the terrain, making friends and feeling welcome. She took two more trips to Treasure Beach before the end of the year, gathering more and more content—and then, with the support of Jason, BREDS and talented friends in New York, launched the tumblr site for the town. “It’s hard to come to Treasure Beach and not want to get involved. So I did the thing I know to do—tell stories, and create a cool platform where the world can read them and chip in donations for things that range from a can of tennis balls to a bus.”
The plan is for local students to become reporters and photographers for the site, for foreigners with large social media followings to visit and contribute—and to continually document the vibrancy of the community.
The website is being nurtured like every other in Treasure Beach—with determination and passion that runs deep. So spread the word, make a donation and take an unforgettable trip to the roaring rural town.
