On Sunday, the Hope Zoo Preservation Foundation, in collaboration with the Jamaica Film and Television Association (JAFTA), hosted its pilot project Arts Under the Stars, which provides a space for new and experienced artists of all art forms to exhibit their work.
As the name suggests, the experience is promising an evening at the Hope Zoo’s Serengeti, where attendees will be exposed to a wide range of local talent through film, visual art, music, literature and dance to foster a culture that encourages the general public’s appreciation of each other’s diversity within the arts sphere.
Patrice Levy, Hope Zoo’s marketing and events manager, spearheads the initiative, which is expected to give much-needed attention to Jamaican creatives. She hopes to host one event like this every month end.
Levy, who spoke about her own journey of pursuing a dance career that was cut short due to a series of injuries, said she had to abandon the arts and never wanted to work in the theatre again.
Even as her dreams withered, her burning passion remained, along with her curiosity as she would pass by the old theatre set up on the grounds of Kingston Zoo on occasion.
With fifty-five acres of land gone unused, Levy said she was saddened that nothing was being done with the space. As a result, she found an opportunity to unify creatives across Jamaica.
Levy expressed her disappointment that nothing was being done with the land and discovered a way to make the best use of it by bringing Jamaican creatives together.
“I’ve tried burying the arts, but every time I came up here, it just kept tugging at me, so I would say this is my little baby. I’ve found myself back in the art world. This time I am not on the stage, I am behind the scenes, and that’s okay because that’s just as important,” said Levy.
Visual artist Richard Nattoo, augmented reality artist Bonito Thompson, and textile artist Brad Pinnock, who also takes an interest in painting, sculpting, performance, and architecture, had their artwork displayed.
SHORTS
A selection of short films from JAFTA Propella, one of their signature initiatives launched in 2016, was also shown.
The films shown included Joshua Paul’s Sugarcake, Rebecca Williams’ Out of Many, Gaye Magnus’ One Patty, and Letay Williams’ Traytown, all of which explore various issues in society such as politics and social divides, stories of the underprivileged, equality, and sexual orientation, among other subject matters.
Levy explained that creatives desperately need a home to showcase their talent.
“What’s the point in having Edna Manley College, what’s the point in having JCDC, and festival if nothing happens after that … not everybody can make it into pantomime. Some people want space and an outlet to show what they want to do and not necessarily follow a certain path,” she said.
She went on to say that she believes that much more needs to be done to create these spaces and, as such, is appealing to corporate Jamaica to come and “experience the proposal” and to support the initiative and provide resources to nurture a vision that will help support Brand Jamaica while enriching the cultural life of society and providing local residents with access to entertainment.
She also indicated that the industry’s more seasoned creatives should take advantage of these opportunities to give back and nurture younger, up-and-coming talent, as she believes that the development of this type of space will last as long as Jamaica continues to produce new talent.
Pinnock, a fairly new addition to the art industry, graduating from Edna Manley College last year, primarily explores the relationship between one’s emotional self and thought process.
RECYCLED MATERIALS
Showcasing his 2-D collage piece, which is made up of recycled materials collected from gambling houses and bars, such as cigarette butts and betting slips, among other collage elements and paper to conceptualise his vision, Pinnock says the lifespan of art pieces has always interested him.
“I am interested in the sort of ephemeral of house materials that they don’t last forever and the sort of temporary nature of it that is similar with gambling, and instant gratification [that] satisfies you for this time, and in the long term it destroys you,” he explained.
Although, so far, he has not made any major profits in a few art pieces that had been sold, Pinnock says he has not been discouraged as he believes the future will surely bring success.
And even so, Pinnock explains that he does not create art because of money but to foster well-needed conversations in society.
“Art for me, it’s something that I just feel like, it’s my response [and] retaliation of certain means of oppression. So even if I am not making any money off of it, I think there is a message in my art that needs to be told,” he said, adding that he was in full support of Arts Under the Stars as he saw it as a good opportunity for upcoming artists to be recognised.
JAFTA President Saeed Thomas, who was in attendance, expressed his hope for more recognition for Jamaican film-makers so that their work can be taken to a wider audience.
But, he says, barriers must be broken down before producers can consider such things. He believes that film-makers need to have more conversations with local television stations to figure out how to get their work into the homes of Jamaicans without paying exorbitant fees.
“The more events like these is the more we can have these conversations to tackle these issues,” Thomas added.
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