Cultural engagement programme draws inspiration from the fern
THE AFRICAN Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica Memory Bank (ACIJ/JMB) announces the strategic rebranding of its signature February Programme to AYA.
AYA is a cultural engagement programme to be held annually in February and is designed to facilitate awareness of the contribution of African cultural retentions in relationship to other ethnic groups to the Jamaican cultural landscape. It also commemorates the celebration of Reggae month and Black History Month in Jamaica.
“AYA, meaning ‘fern’ in African Adinkra symbology, is an icon that represents philosophies of endurance, perseverance, and resourcefulness. The AYA fern is a hardy plant that can grow in difficult places and this we believe embodies the ethos of the ACIJ/JMB,” noted a release from the ACIJ/JMB, a division of the Institute of Jamaica, an agency of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport.
AYA also speaks to the mission of the ACIJ/JMB in safeguarding and documenting African cultural retention sin Jamaica a midst threats to cultural heritage.
“With AYA, we aim to connect, engage, and transform communities through activities such as exhibitions, symposiums, panel discussions, film screenings, tours, and outreach events,” explained Dr Kirt Henry, director of ACIJ/JMB.
He added that the line-up of events will progress on a weekly basis from February 1 when the fourth episode of the division’s “Curating Culture Seminar Series” was aired. This is being followed today (February 15) by the screening of a film on Revivalism followed by a panel discussion on the topic.
LIVE STREAM
The film was submitted in support of the nomination of Revivalism to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The event will be streamed on the ACIJ/JMB’s YouTube channel at 10 a.m.
The division’s Last Sunday event on February 25 will feature an exhibition of Revival dress on the Northern Park Lawn of the Urban Development Corporation complex. The exhibition, titled “Sacred Attire: A Celebration of Revival Raiment”, will get under way at 10 a.m. and end at 12 noon.
To close AYA, a youth forum titled ‘Spirituality and Me: Youth Perspectives’ will be held on February 29 at the Institute of Jamaica’s Lecture Hall at 10 a.m.
The mandate of the ACIJ/ JMB is to research, document, and disseminate information on African heritage and its impact on Jamaican culture. The division highlights the contribution of African cultural retention to Jamaican belief systems to instil awareness and appreciation of African culture as a part of Jamaican heritage.