The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), an agency of the Ministry of Youth and Culture is now accepting entries for the 2016 Festival of the Performing Arts Competition. Entries for the annual competition are being accepted in the areas of speech, drama, music, traditional folk forms and dance and will close on Friday, November 27, 2015.

The competition is open to individual performers, schools, community groups, youth clubs, social clubs, performing arts clubs, churches as well as private and public sector groups. Entry forms can be accessed online at the JCDC website, www.jcdc.gov.jm and at the JCDC Head Office located at 3-5 Phoenix Avenue, Kingston 10 and all JCDC parish offices island-wide.

According to JCDC Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Stephen Davidson, the JCDC Performing Arts Competition continues to create several opportunities for young people in arts development adding that: “The opportunities are priceless and life changing; the Competition offers attractive prizes including cash incentives, trophies gift packages in addition to the opportunity to perform at national and celebratory events and private functions”.

The JCDC also stages rigorous development workshops and training sessions for participants aimed at improving the quality of their performances.
For years, the Festival of the Performing Arts Competition has been unearthing, developing, showcasing, preserving and promoting the creative talents and expressions of the Jamaican people giving participants the opportunity to hone their talents aimed at contributing to their holistic development. The most entertaining and award-winning talent pieces from the Competition are also showcased at Mello Go Roun’ which is described as Jamaica’s premier family entertainment event for the Festival.

The Performing Arts Competition will be held in stages including Zone Finals which will be held in January 2016, Parish Finals-February and March 2016 and the National Finals in April 2016.