PROFILE: OAaSIS International Foundation empowers through the Arts

The OAaSIS International Foundation is where lots of persons are finding blissful pleasure in helping Jamaica youth. It’s all about creativity in every aspect of on one’s life, incorporating members of the creative industry – literary, visual, performing and culinary arts. Practitioners in relating and other fields such as banking, psychology, religion and spirituality, entrepreneurs.

Youth are been given the chance to discover and hone their skills, apply creativity as a critical tool to develop themselves and assist in advancing Jamaica in the human race.

Members/volunteers all O=perate A=dvance and S=erve in S=kills!

THE FORMATION

The Foundation was formally founded in 2008, and fully registered to operate as a not-for-profit entity in 2010.

Anthea McGibbon is the Founder of OAaSIS International Foundation, after years of starting art clubs, and teaching mathematics, art, Bible, english and swimming in schools, churches, and communities. Her family members who are educators, and highly skilled in the Arts have been among her strongest influences. She also was inspired by the lack of connectivity between Jamaicans, Arts, Law, Spirituality and Culture on a whole she realised existed during her tenure as a writer/feature co-ordinator of the arts and religion for the Caribbean’s leading newspaper, The Gleaner, “It’s better now, but there still is hardly any understanding of the arts as a lucrative field, the careers existing for example, much more the positive results when creativity is applied to other areas. It’s pitiful considering the challenges with numeracy and literacy faced by Jamaica’s youth, when arts and creativity can be such a vital tool in their embrace”. Not to mention how much tourism can be improved with a fuller awareness of the level of creativity and skills among Jamaicans everywhere, she opines.

Anthea is trained/experienced in in Paralegal, Teaching, Journalism and several areas of the combined Arts. In becoming an member of the creative industry she herself experienced numerous negative experiences, she’d rather not see the young, gifted and blessed Jamaicans encounter, but rather that their full potential and worth will be realised from early so that numerous benefits individually and collectively will be reaped from early.

Her skills include Spanish, Writing, Painting, Photography. See more at http://www.antheamcgibbon.com. Her own work are sold online or shown at Gallery Art, Florida.

 THE TEAM

A consultant who owns a media website on arts, creativity, culture, law and spirituality, Anthea carefully chooses her core team, to operate at the helm of the over 1,500 member-base of loyal volunteers. As priority they must share the vision to see talented Jamaicans and talents of Jamaica at the apex of international fame, as well as being kind with wisdom.

The team includes experts of varied fields such as Tina Spiro (educator), Eran Spiro (architect), Dwane Forbes (paralegal), Wyvolyn Gager (former editor of the Gleaner Company), Cordel Green (attorney, Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica), Hope Wheeler (former director of studies at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts), Colonel Oscar Derby(Civil Aviation) operating as consultants.

Patrons to the Foundation are master painter Barrington Watson, Terrence “Farenheit” Harold, master painter Bernard Hoyes (residing in California). At this tier Canadians and Americans have also partnered with the OAaSIS sharing their expertise. Such persons include Angela Stribling (former BET on Jazz host, Owners of the Jazz Report magazine in Canada, Bill and Kris King, owner of Gallery Art, Ken Hendel). UK-based Michael Conoley (Yush owner), Ken Millwood (Canada-based), US-based Patrick Maitland of Street hype newspaper, and Patrick Beckford are four critical Jamaicans of the Diaspora who have been helpful as well as American Shane Strong (IT technician) based in California.

The Foundation’s administration is currently being handled by paralegal secratary Dwane Forbes, founder Anthea McGibbon and a rotation of volunteers including Stoneman of Trench Town and Robin Chin as videographers. Patrick James performs as graphic designer, writer, photographer. Spokespersons are Leighton Levy, Derrick Wilks. Kandi-Lee Crooks-Smith, principal of Allman Town Primary passionate about engendering the Arts in education also speaks about the success of OAaSIS operations at her school, and acts as consultant also.

The base of critical volunteers includes Boom Steppa, Sophia Brown.

COMPANIES ABOARD

The increasing list of supporting companies include media (such as Sunday Herald, The Gleaner Company, US-based Jamaicans.com, NY-based Street Hype, Jahkno), Wysinco (products), Berger Paints, Burger King Jamaica, Jamaica Buscuit Company, Henkel, The Gleaner(products). Jamaica Guild of Artists and Solid Agency

In 2010, the Foundation received endorsement from the Ministry of Education and Cordel Green. Allan Bucknol of Airports Authority assists with the accounting of OAaSIS.

At http://www.oaasisinternational.org/team, more information can be gleaned about the team.

PROJECTS

Major projects of 2010 are a fundraising arts and culture exhibition slated for December at the Swept Away Hotel, Negril, and the creation of a Library/Arts Department for Sargeantville that will serve approximately 10,000 residents of the immediate environs. For this New York-based Patrick Beckford (telephone number 732-801-6747) is making collections to be sent via Dennis Shipping. Read more at http://www.antheamcgibbon.com/oaasis-international-seeks-books-for-sargeantville-library.htm.

Currently the Foundation has embarked on numerous projects. The ‘creative workshop series’ is the sensitisation phase of the Foundation. Volunteers from the creative industry and relating fields visit schools, communities and churches to youth everywhere to host workshops, projects, motivational sessions through the arts and more. 

The Pickney International Creative Youth Club is the permanent element of the creative workshop series owing to the increase in demand for the series. The creative workshop series are designed to sensitise youth on locations across Jamaica on the arts, and the club “keeps them exposed, empowered, trained, informed, guided” says founder Anthea McGibbon. See more at http://www.oaasisinternational.org/join-pickney-international-creative-youth-club-by-oaasis.htm.

The Foundation also has donation cans at participating locations for coins, or paper money.

Other projects can be accessed at http://www.oaasisinternational.org/projects.

 

HOW TO JOIN

Subscribe to the website http://www.oaasisinternational.org

Email the team at [email protected]

Join us on Facebook

SPECIAL NOTES

Tax Registration number in Jamaica – # 001-952-064

Bank Account, National Commercial Bank, Duke Street Branch – # 064666886

Headquartered at 75 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6, the OAaSIS International Foundation members/volunteers are mostly found tending to a project elsewhere, so must be met by appointment.

Aside from the Foundation, all members/volunteers are commited to professional occupations.

CONTACT PERSONS

US number – 305-648-6963

Jamaica – Anthea McGibbon, 876-797-7297
Jamaica – Kristen Brown, 876-395-9392
Jamaica – Allan Bucknol, 876-850-7220
New York, USA – Patrick Beckford, Jamaica Diaspora, 732-801-6747
Maryland, USA – Aneita Cunningham – 301-537-8766
Jamaica – Leighton Levy – 876-561-4445
Derrick Wilks – 876-877-2715

Together, with our skills, we build a nation of achievers, making the world an even better place to live in harmony OAaSIS International team