The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission is currently hosting a series of free online workshopsfor the Phase 1 subject areas of National Festival of the Performing Arts and Arts Development competitions, ahead of the 2021 competition cycle.

Me, myself & I, a Master of Fine Arts exhibition by Courtney Schmidt, features all black and white photographs utilizing the self-portrait to visualize the journey of self-growth. Referring to this body of work as “visual therapy”, she uses her art practice to make peace of past traumas and further her personal development in this unpredictable contemporary era. Within her exploration of identity, self-transformation, and self-acceptance, Schmidt uses the female nude within different spaces to express both literal and metaphorical realities of emotional passages. In this process, the self-portraits come together to display how acceptance of vulnerability can be channeled into a place of comfort and strength.

Me, myself & I, a Master of Fine Arts exhibition by Courtney Schmidt, features all black and white photographs utilizing the self-portrait to visualize the journey of self-growth. Referring to this body of work as “visual therapy”, she uses her art practice to make peace of past traumas and further her personal development in this unpredictable contemporary era. Within her exploration of identity, self-transformation, and self-acceptance, Schmidt uses the female nude within different spaces to express both literal and metaphorical realities emotional passages. In this process, the self-portraits come together to display how acceptance of vulnerability can be channeled into a place of comfort and strength.

After a year's absence from performing in front of live audiences due to COVID-19, Dance NOW! Miami (DNM) returns to the stage with limited in-person ticketing, on Saturday, April 3 at 8:30 pm, bringing their Program II of the season to the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center. One of the leading contemporary companies in Florida, they will perform a reconstruction of dance great José Limón's iconic La Malinche, as part of their annual Masterpiece In Motion series, along with other works.

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), an agency of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, celebrated the 64th anniversary of the birth of the late Reggae singer Dennis Emmanuel Brown, CD, on Monday, February 1, with a cultural gathering at his resting place, National Heroes Park, Kingston.The celebratory event began at 6:00 pm.

Kingston, Jamaica - After a hugely successful year, Bob Marley 75 continues into 2021 with several birthday celebrations leading up to Marley's 76^th Birthday on February 6, including a global virtual birthday celebration hosted by the Bob Marley Museum, a Bob Marley Tribute Livestream by Stephen Marley, a limited edition release of Songs of Freedom: The Island Years, and a day of specialty programming on SiriusXM’s new Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Radio channel.  

Chronixx starts the new year with a fresh perspective on his new single, “Safe N Sound” (via Soul Circle Music). The eponymous luminary of modern-day Jamaican reggae and dancehall marks the first release of 2021. The track co-produced by Chronixx and Romain "Teflonzincfence" Arnett strikes hard with a foreboding bass drum rumble and slashes of viola. It pivots into a digital syncopation of booming 808 percussion and vibrating synth keys. Chronixx calls for an uprising during a dire time filled with hypocrisy and corruption. He declares the need for “more love flowing in the streets” and “evolution time.” He carries a timely  unifying message, yearning for the global community to feel safe and sound, especially in oppressed nations. 

Washington, DC - In honor of Black History Month, Minister Traycee Gales, entertainment journalist and host of Gospel Access TV, a motivational platform that serves to inspire people to tap into their purpose, has teamed up with celebrity photographer Roy Cox to recreate iconic images of African Americans. This new series #CelebrateTheGreats pays homage to the life and accomplishments of the late great actor, Chadwick Boseman; Run-DMC hip-hop pioneer, Rev. Run; and star NFL quarterback turned activist Colin Kaepernick.

MIRAMAR, FL  – The City of Miramarhas planned a series of events to honor the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to celebrate Black History Month and Reggae Month, while safely following CDC guidelines for COVID-19. At Tuesday’s press conference, the City announced a six-week long celebration that will recognize the achievements of African Americans and also recognize the contribution of Reggae music to our community.

Columbia, South Carolina (Sonique Solutions) – Even with no physical Carnivals set for 2021, Caribbean entertainer Champeon is paying tribute to the annual festival tradition of J’ouvert with his latest musical release appropriately titled “J’ouvert Powers”.

STUDIO 17: THE LOST REGGAE TAPES opens a door into the creation of a musical form that changed the sound of popular music around the world and takes a hard look at the real lives of the poor musicians who created it. Located in the heart of downtown Kingston, Studio 17 was a nerve center of Jamaica’s vibrant music scene. Shot in Jamaica, London, and Hamburg, the film follows Clive Chin’s own battle to secure the rights to the Randy’s archive so that the music will be heard by future generations. We also see his emotional struggle to overcome the murder of his son Joel Chin, who was head of A&R for VP Records and worked closely with dancehall stars like Sean Paul & Beenie Man.

MIAMI, FL - Miami’s leading multicultural, contemporary dance ensemble, the Peter London Global Dance Company (PLGDC) (@peterlondongdc), celebrates its 10th anniversary with the virtual world premiere of WOMEN-ROSES-WATER, a contemporary and Afro-Caribbean dance fusion, with commissioned new music by The Ballet and Dance Orchestra, conducted by Ezra Haugabrooks, and featuring the artwork of visual artist Michael Elliott, commissioned to create five paintings for digital projection. The performance was supported by and filmed partially at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@arshtcenter) in Miami, Florida.