Kingston 11 April 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has condemned recent acts of violence against women and has urged Jamaicans to do more to end the violence.

Minister Grange said the killing of 42 year old Roulene Clarke Cowan on Wednesday morning highlighted that “intimate partner violence is more common than we are willing to admit.”

The police report that Mrs Cowan was shot dead by her husband, Patrick Cowan, who later killed himself.

On Thursday morning, the police reported another incident in which a woman was attacked by her common-law husband, who later took his own life. The woman has been admitted to hospital in a serious condition.

Minister Grange:

“Let us remember the victims and their families in our prayers at this time. We are grateful to the neighbours who called the police this morning — that intervention might have saved this woman’s life.
But we can do more as a society to intervene and end the violence. If you know that someone is being abused, please do not remain silent. Do not look the other way. Call the police. Your intervention could save lives.”

Minister Grange also reminded women in violent relationships that the Government has established a national shelter “to help them leave violent living environments and to receive counselling and other assistance.”

She said the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport would establish two additional shelters for women in this financial year.

Kingston 9 April 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has congratulated the national team which competed in the Rally Trinidad on the weekend.

Minister Grange said:

“Last week I challenged you to come back home with more trophies than you did in Guyana a few months ago, and you have delivered. The entire team represented Jamaica very well, but I must say special congratulations to Kyle and Marcia who topped all competitors.”

Kyle ‘Speedy’ Gregg and Marcia Dawes emerged as overall winners of the rally.

Bobby Marshall and Michelle Laidlaw copped 2nd place in their group.

Paris, France 4 April 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, is chairing the Committee on Conventions and Recommendations at the 206th Session of the powerful UNESCO Executive Board meeting underway in Paris, France.

The Committee on Conventions and Recommendations is considering, among other matters:

• the Protection and Promotion of Museums and Collections, their Diversity and their Role in Society;
• the Preservation of, and Access to, Documentary Heritage, including in Digital Form; and 
• the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace.

Minister Grange is also participating in meetings of the UNESCO Executive Board which is considering the programme of work and budget for UNESCO.

While in Paris, Minister Grange will pay a courtesy call on the UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, as well as chair a meeting of Caricom members currently serving on the Executive Board. 

The 206th Session of the UNESCO Executive Board runs from April 3 to 17.

Kingston, March 29 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says the renaming of Gloucester Avenue in Montego Bay will inspire generations of singers, musicians and cultural practitioners.

The Minister was speaking at the official renaming ceremony of the popular stretch commonly called the “Hip Strip” on Thursday, March 28.

Minister Grange said: “Reggae music was able to propel Jimmy Cliff from Somerton District to fame and name recognition from Brazil, to other parts of South America to Europe, Asia and the Home Continent of Africa. I know that the significance of this renaming exercise will have great impact on many of our aspiring talents and they too, in time, will be propelled to greater heights.

“As we in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport continue to strengthen our musical heritage through the re-telling of stories, the celebration of our pioneers and the establishments of circuits where our people and visitors to our shores may experience the power of the heritage, it is my pleasure to rename Gloucester Avenue in honour of this cultural icon,” she said.

“Tonight we hail the man Jimmy Cliff in a special way. Because of Jimmy Cliff we can all see clearly now the road ahead for a successful and highly prized culture and tourism product that is paved with powerful sounds and images pulsating with the sweet Reggae beat,” the Minister added.

Minister Grange was joined in the renaming ceremony by the Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Edmund Bartlett, the Mayor of Montego Bay, His Worship Councillor Homer Davis, Mr. Charles Sinclair who represented Minister of National Security and MP for North West St. James Dr. Horace Chang and the honouree, Dr. the Honourable James Chambers, “Jimmy Cliff”.

The renaming of the “Hip Strip” to Jimmy Cliff Boulevard signals the start of a greater thrust to improve the cultural landscape of western Jamaica through a partnership between the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport and the Ministry of Tourism.

The Government of Jamaica is at an advanced stage of planning to build or refurbish facilities in the western city to create more spaces for cultural expressions and leisure activities. The projects include a series of entertainment centres to be named in honour of the country’s cultural legends as well as a first world concert hall.

Following the official unveiling of the sign that now stands at the entrance of the Jimmy Cliff Boulevard, there were performances by a number of acts including Karen Smith, Dean Fraser, Dwight Richards, Richie Spice and Tessanne Chin.

Kingston 28 March 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed deep sadness at the sudden passing of famous guitarist Winston “Bo Pee” Bowen who passed away on Tuesday.

Bowen, 62, was a sought-after touring and session guitarist.

Minister Grange described Bowen as a one-of-a-kind personality and a special musician.

Minister Grange said:
“Winston emerged out of the West Kingston Culture Group of which I was a part and he was a member of the New Vibrations Band along with Dean Fraser, Ronald Robinson and Chico Chin. Many other musicians and singers came out of that experience at a time when the music was just finding its feet. The struggle was real but people like Winston Bowen made it easier because of his wonderful character and his dedication to the music. He provided musical support for the who’s who in Reggae music and he is now sorely missed.

“I wish to extend my deepest condolences to his widow Lorna, his children, grandchildren and the wider family. May his soul rest in peace.”

Kingston, March 26 – The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport is continuing its preparation for the National Sport Museum by acquiring 3D scanners for digitising artefacts that will be on display in the National Sport Museum, when established.

The Minister, the Honourable Olivia Grange, made the disclosure at a Digital Asset Workshop organised by the Ministry at the Creative Production and Training Centre today.

“I should inform you that the two 3D Scanners that you see being used here in the training were just acquired by the Ministry. For the time being, the scanners will be used by the Institute of Jamaica and the National Library of Jamaica which will hold them in safekeeping for the Museum,”

Minister Grange said.

Minister Grange said that the Workshop will provide “a pool of trained digitisers” who the Ministry can call on to do work for the National Sport Museum even as they put their training to use in their own organisations.

The National Sport Museum will serve as a knowledge bank, collecting and documenting material pertinent to Jamaicans who have dedicated their lives as athletes and support personnel. 

Minister Grange said also that not only will there be a Virtual Museum that will precede the physical museum, but her Ministry “plans to stage periodic exhibitions of the artefacts now in the National Sport Museum collection.” 

Meanwhile, former Hockey Player and Administrator, Kay Wilson donated a number of her trophies and personal items to the National Sport Museum. The items will be digitised tomorrow during the third day of the Workshop. 

Other items being digitised are: a replica of the London 2012 Olympic Torch, a pair of Veronica Campbell Brown’s running shoes, two ice hockey pucks, a baseball cap and the competition suit of Namibian 200-metre star, Frankie Fredericks.

Kingston, March 21 – The Honourable Olivia Grange, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, has described as “a great display” the performance by Jamaica’s team to the Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi. 

The Sport Minister’s comment follows Jamaica’s 15 gold in its 33 medal haul at the Special Olympics which exceeds all previous performances by a Jamaica Special Olympics team. With the gold medals, there were 10 silver and eight bronze. 

“Our Special Olympians have consistently done well, giving us much to celebrate and have certainly played their part in making Jamaica the great sporting nation that it is. 

“I wish not only to congratulate the Special Olympians but to praise team support staff and officials for their dedicated service and leadership. 

“I look forward to welcoming home from Abu Dhabi our valiant Special Olympians on behalf of a proud and grateful nation.”

Kingston, March 19 – The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, has contributed 3.5 million dollars to Netball Jamaica to help send the Sunshine Girls to the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool, England.

The Minister, the Honourable Olivia Grange presented the cheque to Tricia Robinson, 1st Vice President of Netball Jamaica today.

“I am happy to present this cheque of 3.5 million dollars to Netball Jamaica which will be of great assistance as you prepare for the World Cup. Jamaica is fortunate. This is the year of the girls, our Sunshine Girls are going to England in July and our Reggae Girls to France in June. We are looking for great things,“

Minister Grange said.

The Sunshine Girls who are ranked third in the world have qualified for the World Cup every year since 2015.

The Ministry’s contribution to the Sunshine Girls is being provided through the Sports Development Foundation.

Kingston, March 12 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says Kingston is among the first group of cities selected by UNESCO to participate in its community based Inventorying of intangible cultural heritage in urban contexts pilot project.

The Minister made the announcement at the opening of a week-long workshop examining the types of intangible cultural heritage that exists within communities in Kingston on Monday at the Trench Town Multipurpose Centre.

“Many Jamaicans associate intangible cultural heritage with the rural areas and of a past era when our elders would transmit to us, knowledge about plants, Anansi stories, duppies and how to make the best run dung. This workshop, will, however, for the first time, examine what intangible cultural heritage exists within an urban space. The fact that Jamaica and Kingston, in particular, was selected for this pilot is a signal from UNESCO of the respect it has for the island’s culture and cultural elements,” Minister Grange said.

The workshop includes participants from the communities of Trench Town and Port Royal.

The UNESCO project seeks to contribute to the international debate on safeguarding living heritage in urban contexts with links to sustainable development through community based inventories of intangible cultural heritage in nine cities in different regions of the world. 

The first group of pilot cities will also involve communities in George Town (Malaysia) and Harare (Zimbabwe).