Members of the DSE team, Manifesto Jamaica, along with Jesse Royal made the lengthy trip to the North Coast on Thursday September 19 to provide a space for open discourse with tomorrow’s trailblazers in media and communication in Jamaica. With the youth unemployment rate at an all time high and the local filmmaking industry at an all time low, the creation of such a space was undoubtedly necessary. The ever engaging Nisha Rebel played host and was able to pull the seemingly shy students from their shells, in an effort to have their say on the matters at hand.
Talented young graphic artist and member of Manifesto, Cordy, provided an interesting twist to the event as he created impromptu designs airbrushed on plain t-shirts live on stage during the proceedings. Roxy, another representative from Manifesto Ja, was the first guest speaker on stage and she outlined the various initiatives the organization is involved with as well as encouraging everyone to pursue their ambitions wholeheartedly despite all the adversities.
Followed by Roxy was DSE’s Mykal Cushnie who shared his experience as a filmmaker, director and editor locally. His presentation although hindered by the lack of A/V support, was well received by the eager ears of those present as he emphasized on the importance of telling our own stories to empower generations to come.
The event was capped off quite fittingly by the small axe himself Jesse Royal. Sitting down with Nisha Rebel for a short Q & A session, Jesse gave us a glance into the mind of one of Jamaica’s most revolutionary young artistes. He imparted his knowledge of the value of farming as a sustainable practice for not only self sustenance but nation development. Royal’s rousing acapella performance stirred the emotions of all listening as he delivered his powerful message.
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