Performing arts centre should merge TOURISM AND THEATRE
MEMBERS OF Montego Bay’s performing arts movement are hopeful that the proposed performing arts centre for the city, which was recently announced by Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, will help to bridge the woeful disconnect between the tourism sector and that industry.
Producer and founder of First Dance Studios Jody-Marie Smith says Montego Bay, in particular, has been home to “astounding and noteworthy talent” which only needed the requisite support and facilities to enable young performers to fully benefit from tourism dollars.
“With tourism as one of Jamaica’s greatest contributors to GDP [gross domestic product] entertainment playing such a critical role in tourism, and Montego Bay being the tourism capital of Jamaica and central to the location of the majority of our major hotels and attractions, we are so well poised for this to happen in the west,” she said during her address at last Thursday’s launch
of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hard Rock Cafe in Montego Bay.
“We have spent countless hours in meetings, lobbying and raising awareness of our mission and seeking support because not only do the performing arts contribute to physical and cognitive development, but the socio-economic benefits and positive spin-offs from investing in this industry are limitless,” Smith added.
She said continued partnerships with the Government and private-sector entities must be formed in order to allow the industry to bring other performances akin to
Jesus Christ Superstar to Jamaica which, with an all-Jamaican cast, will “showcase the talents of Jamaican performers and expand our cultural offerings”.
Smith, however, lamented the inordinate amount of time the relevant authorities have taken to provide an enabling environment for the performing arts, even though it has been proven worldwide to be highly sustainable with remarkable returns.
“First-World countries have already identified the restorative power, and lucrative nature of the arts and have adopted a model allowing them to tap into this multi-billion dollar industry. Our hotels are also building theatres equipped with near Broadway-quality stages, lighting and sound components, as they realise the value of entertainment for guests,” she said.
“International musicals such as
The Lion King come to Jamaica to seek talent, yet we seemingly continue to marginalise our local performers and remain at the mercy of others for an opportunity to use the few premium facilities in our own country,” she argued.
For businessman and executive producer of Jesus Christ Superstar
Andre Dixon, the revival of the theatre movement in Montego Bay is not just a venture to satisfy a self-serving need for accolades and accomplishments, but to fill a void in the west for high-quality theatre presentations.
According to Dixon, more shows mean more money, particularly for micro and small businesses.
“Something of this magnitude also ignites what we call trickle-down economics for many businesses. We are keeping Sun Island busy; Di Photo Shop is busy with videography and photography, although they are providing some sponsorship to us as well; the seamstresses are busy with making costumes; the craftsmen are busy with providing stage props; the food establishments are busy providing refreshments for all of our cast,” he explained.
“We are putting the cart before the horse to get people’s attention, and I appreciate that. This is a multibillion-dollar industry, and we are doing our part to continue to lead the highway to success in entertainment,” Dixon noted.
In February, Bartlett had announced that the centre, which will complement the rebirth of theatre in Montego Bay, would be constructed on a plot of land at Bevin Avenue in Montego Bay, which will be cited on lands which will make up a ‘Government campus’.
At Thursday’s event, he said he was expecting to receive the preliminary designs for the facility, which, he says, will be built with the capacity to accommodate 1,000 persons seated, and equipped with the accoutrements to create excellent world class productions of any kind.
“I want it to happen because it enhances the tourism product also. Not only is it an important part of building civility in our city, but because no city can truly operate and be truly regarded as a city without a performing arts theatre,” Bartlett said.