The parish finals of the exciting National Festival of the Performing Arts 2014, organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) kicks off on Monday, April 7 and will see numerous performers competing in the areas of speech, drama, music, traditional folk forms and dance.

The JCDC in unearthing, developing, showcasing, preserving and promoting the creative talents and expressions of the Jamaican people have given participants the opportunity to showcase their talents while competing for top parish honours and a spot in the National Finals.

The competitions in the Performing Arts are opened to all persons residing in Jamaica which includes schools, community groups, youth clubs, social clubs, performing arts clubs, churches in addition to outstanding individual performers. In an effort to sharpen the creative talents of the participants, the JCDC organized a number of workshops throughout the year ahead of competition at the zone, parish and national levels.

According to Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Stephen Davidson, “the Commission has been expanding the scope of the competitions to facilitate wider participation. Each year we see an improvement in the participants’ performances which shows that the previous competitions have been encouraging persons to improve their creative talents.”

For the detailed schedule of performances in the parishes, visit the JCDC website, www.jcdc.gov.jm and facebook page, Jamaica Cultural Development Commission.