Rex Nettleford Arts Conference Gears Up for 7th Biennial Event

Exploring "Mirror Mirror - Arts and Culture for Social Transformation"

The upcoming 7th biennial Rex Nettleford Arts Conference, set to grace the halls of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in St Andrew from October 11 to 13, 2023, has generated significant buzz among art enthusiasts and academics alike. Themed "Mirror Mirror - Arts and Culture for Social Transformation," this event promises to be an enriching and thought-provoking gathering featuring a diverse array of over 43 combined papers and presentations.

The conference will be a convergence point for scholars, arts practitioners, and administrators, all eager to share their insights through various engaging formats such as research papers, lecture demonstrations, captivating performances, panel discussions, thoughtprovoking films, workshops, and an art exhibition.

The conference's program committee has meticulously curated a wide spectrum of topics from the submitted abstracts, ensuring that the event will delve into vital themes. These include exploring Jamaican culture's global influence on fashion, the nexus between culture and the Caribbean classroom, the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and culture, reimagining Caribbean Art museums, the potency of Caribbean comedy, culturally responsive teaching, and the role of theatre arts in supporting teen mothers.

One of the standout features of the conference is the international representation among presenters. Eminent voices from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, Nigeria, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom will gather to enrich the discourse. Notably, both past and current members of the Edna Manley College's faculty and staff will feature prominently among the conference's presenters, underscoring the institution's unwavering commitment to the arts and culture.

The conference's opening ceremony will be graced by the keynote address of Sir Hilary Beckles, a distinguished academic, international thought leader, Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, and Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Reparations Commission.

The grand finale of the conference, on October 13, will feature the Edward Seaga Distinguished Lecture, an annual highlight on the College's calendar. This year's lecture will cast a spotlight on Kumina, a traditional Jamaican folk form, under the theme "Feasting on The Heritage: The Centrality of Food to Ancestral Veneration." Distinguished presenters, Dr. Kirt Henry, the recently appointed head of the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica (ACIJ), and researcher Cheryl Ryman, former dancer with the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC), will lead the discussion. The lecture will unfold around a Kumina table featuring the Port Morant Kumina Group from St Thomas.

Established in honor of Rex Nettleford, the renowned Jamaican scholar and creative visionary, the Rex Nettleford Arts Conference serves as a pivotal platform for discourse within and beyond the creative and cultural industries. The conference's overarching goal is to foster interdisciplinary dialogue on the transformative role of these industries in society, stimulate discussions on their potential for wealth creation, and provide a space for the critical exchange of ideas that bridge the arts with broader societal issues.