Kingston, 6 May 2021 (JIS) - The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says no National Labour Day project will be held this year.

She said that Jamaicans are being encouraged to labour at home, adding that the theme for Workers’ Week and National Labour Day is promoting a clean and healthy environment.

Delivering a statement in the House of Representatives on May 5, she said the theme for National Labour Day 2021 is ‘Stay home, stay safe this Labour Day, clean up your space’.

She said the theme and activities have been developed in keeping with covid-19 restrictions under the Disaster Risk Management Act.

“As a Government that sets the example for our citizens by practising what we preach, the Cabinet has decided that in keeping with the restrictions, there will be no National Labour Day project this year. The National Labour Day project is normally led by the Prime Minister and includes the participation of the Leader of the Opposition,” she noted.

She said the Prime Minister has already announced that the curfew, which commences at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 23, will continue until Tuesday, May 25, as there will be an all-day lockdown on Labour Day, Monday, May 24.

“This means that in keeping with the theme, the public will be asked to stay home and clean up your space,” Ms. Grange noted.
She said Jamaicans should use the day to rid their homes of mosquito breeding sites, commence or restart their backyard gardens and plant trees.

“This Labour Day, particular emphasis will be placed on ridding homes and their surroundings of conditions or elements which will encourage the breeding of mosquitoes. This is guided by the recent announcements that the Ministry of Health and Wellness is on high alert for a possible increase in cases of dengue fever, especially with the forecast of rainfall in the ensuing months,” she said

Ms. Grange appealed to Members of Parliaments to encourage their constituents to start a backyard garden at home, “if they do not have one”.
She said she has reached out to the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change to provide support for citizens for their Labour Day projects and to raise public awareness about their initiatives.

“The National Labour Day Secretariat will be collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Rural Agricultural Development Authority to see how interested householders can be assisted with seedlings to establish their backyard gardens,” she said.

She noted, too, that the Labour Day Secretariat will also seek to intensify the efforts of reforestation and tree-planting by encouraging interested members of the public to collect ornamental and timber seedlings at the Forestry Department Nursery and to plant the trees in their yards on Labour Day.

The Secretariat will also be encouraging members of the public to participate in the two programmes and to work on their backyard gardens and plant trees.

Providing the proposed list of activities for Workers Week and National Labour Day 2021, Ms. Grange said on Sunday, May 16, there will be a supplement in the print media with messages related to workers week, while on May 18, there will be a ceremonial wreath-laying at the Aggie Bernard monument in downtown Kingston, led by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

On Wednesday, May 19, there will be an industrial relations webinar hosted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

For Sunday, May 23, there will be a virtual Labour Day/Workers Week Church Service hosted by the Mandeville Church of God. There will also be national observances in churches virtually islandwide.

On Monday, May 24, there will be a floral tribute where, symbolically, two wreaths will be laid at the monument of the Right Excellent Sam Sharpe at National Heroes Park and Sam Sharpe Square.

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Kingston, 21 April 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has joined the celebration of Groundation Day which commemorates the 1966 visit to Jamaica of Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia.

In her message, Minister Grange said:
“That April 21 was an unforgettable day in Jamaican history when 100,000 Rastafari from all over Jamaica descended on Palisadoes Airport in Kingston playing drums, smoking chalices and chanting Nyabinghi songs as they waited for His Imperial Majesty.

It has been 55 years, yet it has not faded from the memory or importance to the Rastafari community, at home and abroad. The Emperor's visit was a significant moment in the development of the Rastafari religion. Having been treated as outcasts by Jamaican society, the respect and attention the Emperor gave them caused Rastafari to gain a measure of respectability for the first time. Building on that, the Rastafari's Reggae music gained more interest and became commercially viable, leading in turn to the further global spread of the Rastafari movement.

I am happy to see that Jamaica has finally come to accept the positive presence of Rastafari citizens in our nation and their contribution to the development of our country. Our relationships continue to improve, hard barriers have softened and broken fences been repaired. My Government continues to play its part in all this, most recently with our work to repair the wrong done in the Coral Gardens Incident 50 years ago.

It is my pleasure to join the celebration of Groundation Day. I especially welcome this new album of Sacred Rastafari music, adding yet another important milestone for this unique Jamaican community.”

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Kingston, 20 April 2021 - The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, said today that, “Sadly, ‘Sharpe Talk’ has come to end with the passing of Michael Sharpe, easily one of the country’s most influential broadcast journalists.”

Michael Sharpe, the longest serving journalist in the RJR/GLEANER Group, died this morning at the age of 65.

Minister Grange said:
“Michael will be remembered for his special brand of journalism which saw him becoming an outstanding talk show host as well as one who provided insightful political coverage and commentaries.

In fact, he played a large role in popularising night time talk radio with the introduction of his legendary Sharpe Talk show. It is on record that Sharpe Talk reached out to many disadvantaged persons who brought their needs and concerns to Michael and whom he helped through his fund raising efforts.

We will also recall that he won national recognition for his coverage of the one-party parliament in the 1980s. Also very popular was his “Inside Gordon House” review which spoke about happenings in the Lower and Upper Houses.

Not only had his voice become familiar to the nation, so was his face as he became one of Jamaica’s top prime time television news presenters.

In his latter days, not only was Michael News Operations Manager at Jamaica News Network, but he took to teaching. That was the measure of the man.

For Michael Sharpe, Journalism was not merely a profession but was his passion. We certainly will miss the voice and face of a man who through this passion provided us with news, views and much more.

My sincerest condolences to his family, to the RJR/Gleaner Group and to his colleagues, friends and associates inside and outside of the media fraternity.

May his soul rest in peace."

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Kingston, 18 April 2021 - The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has said she is deeply saddened by the sudden death of former Reggae Boy, Tremaine Stewart.

Stewart, who represented Jamaica in 2012, died after collapsing while playing football this morning.

Minister Grange said:

”My spirit fell when I received the news about Tremaine this morning. We have lost yet another of our sportsmen whose contribution added much.

Tremaine did well from early, representing his school, Eltham High, in the Manning Cup competition, and later all of three clubs: August Town, Portmore United and Waterhouse. Death came following his recent signing with another club, Dunbeholden.

I am proud of the fact that Tremaine was a product of Gordon Pen, Spanish Town, which is in my constituency of Central St. Catherine.

The citizens were so proud of him and the young people saw him as an inspiration. I am so sorry that he won’t be around to see the completion of the Gordon Pen Sports and Entertainment Complex, now being built, and the critical role he would play in the  transformation of the surrounding communities through this facility.

My heart goes out to his family, his friends and associates and to the entire football fraternity.

Rest in peace Tremaine.”

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Kingston, 15 April 2021 (OPM) - Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the Government plans to invest in the entertainment industry.

Kingston, 12 April 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has congratulated Ricky Skerritt, Cricket West Indies President, his Vice President, Dr Kishore Shallow, and the rest of the CWI administration on being re-elected unopposed.

Minister Grange said, “I wish the President, the Vice President and the other members of administration all the very best as they seek to keep their promise to ‘work untiringly to help achieve sustainable improvement, both on and off the field, for West Indies cricket.’”

The Skerritt Administration was re-elected at the 22nd Annual General Meeting of CWI, held on Sunday, April 11, 2021.

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Kingston, 11 April 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has condemned a video showing a violent confrontation between a man and a woman which is being circulated on social media.

Minister Grange said she was “deeply disturbed” by the video and the allegation that a Member of Parliament was involved.

Minister Grange has discussed the video with the Minister of National Security, the Honourable Dr Horace Chang, who has asked the police to investigate the matter.

Minister Grange said:
“The Government is firmly against acts of violence. This video is deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable. We cannot condone any act of gender-based or family violence; we cannot turn a blind eye.

I keep saying that we can end the violence, but it requires all of us to end the violence; and that means that we each have a role to play in ending the violence. We have to intervene in what we know happens next door and we have to make a report.

We will continue with our anti-gender-based violence campaign as we have to develop a mindset and practice in Jamaica that there is no excuse for abuse.”

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Kingston, 9 April 2021 - Registration will open on Thursday, April 15, 2021, for the forum which will start the mental health programme being conducted by Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport to help the nation’s athletes to cope with the effects of covid-19.

The forum with the theme, Elevate the Game…Building the Muscle of the Mind of Jamaica, will look at mental resilience in sport and sport performance post-covid-19.

The Registration period will run from April 15 up to April 21, the day of the event, until half an hour prior to the start.

Applicants should download the Whova app from the App Store for iPhone users and from the Play Store for Android users. A link will be sent directly to the applicant after registration is completed. The applicant will then be able to access the webinar. Registration is complimentary via a #MCGESgamechanger ticket.
 
There will be use of subtitles for the hearing impaired athletes.

In her earlier announcement of the mental health programme for Jamaican athletes, Minister Grange said: “The covid-19 pandemic has seriously disrupted the lives and livelihood of our athletes, coaches, and their support staff; and we feel that it is extremely important to provide them with the support.

“We’ve provided financial support and we also think that they need support through a mental health programme to help them to deal with the existing situation,” said Minister Grange.

Minister Grange said the Ministry was staging the forum in collaboration with Optimisation Hub, which operates out of Australia. They have worked closely with the Olympics and other international bodies in these matters. Our local partners include mental health specialists such as psychologists and psychiatrists, led by Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Saphire Longmore.

Dr Longmore is available to provide counselling and information that any athlete, coach, or federation/association may require.

The mental health programme is the latest in a series of actions by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport to “assist athletes, coaches, and their support teams to go through this trying period,” Minister Grange said.

The Sport Minister said the Ministry will continue to provide financial support to the sports sector.

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Kingston, 8 April 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced the resumption of the Athletes Assistance Programme, which will provide more than J$45 million in direct financial support to Jamaican athletes who are preparing for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Minister Grange said:
“The Ministry in collaboration with the Institute of Sports [is] providing financial support for those who are preparing for the Olympics. Approximately 124 athletes will benefit from the initiative. They will be provided with funds at two week periods from now through to the Olympics. It will total approximately 45 million dollars in support.”

Athletes from six disciplines, including swimming, rugby, gymnastics, boxing, karate and track and field will begin receiving disbursements in a matter of days as the final list of athletes is now being validated by the Athletes Assistance Programme Committee.

Payment of stipends to Paralympic athletes will begin in 3 weeks in keeping with the commitment of the Government of Jamaica to provide support for 18 weeks leading up to the Paralympic Games.

The Athletes Assistance Programme was implemented for the first time in March 2020. It was suspended following the decision by the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government to postpone the Games.

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Kingston, 1 April 2021 - The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has issued the following statement at the passing of Bert Rose:

“I am deeply saddened at the passing of Bert Rose, outstanding dancer, choreographer and creative, founding member of the NDTC and co-founder of the Jamaica School of Dance.

“Bert Rose stands among those creative artists and practitioners with which our country has been blessed since the time of our Independence. Founding member of the National Dance Theatre Company, Bertie, as he was affectionately known, enjoyed the honour of performing on the occasion of our country’s Independence. From that moment, Bertie became a part of the dance-scape of Jamaica, carving out Jamaican-Caribbean dance techniques, eager to bolster the scope of innovation that underpinned the move to create a Caribbean dance aesthetic.

“As a dancer, Bert Rose lit up every stage on which he appeared with his energy, faultless technique and enthusiasm. As choreographer, even while still performing, he brought to Jamaica’s dance development, passion, innovation and drive that resulted in new creations well received by audiences. Bertie exuded dance in his every step, discussion and creation. He felt and displayed the pulse of the Jamaican people as he took to stages across the world. From the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York, to participation in off-Broadway productions there, to his two-year stint in Austria to his performances with the NDTC across the world, Bertie was electric and electrifying.

“Bert Rose was also loved by audiences and students for his willingness to give of himself to others and to the sustaining of a Jamaican-Caribbean dance form. He taught for many years at the School of Dance and encouraged his students to strive for excellence. For him, like his many times choreographer, the late Rex Nettleford, the creation of a Jamaican-Caribbean aesthetic must be a part of our definition as an independent Jamaica.

“Later in his life, Bertie displayed his versatility and flexibility when, after retiring from the performance space, he established Rose and Company to create and provide props and technical artistic support to productions.

“As creative, his work was amazing and again well-received in government and corporate circles. His work in this area included the Grand Gala in the National Stadium and other local and national events. Again, as before, Bertie stamped his emblem on all his creations. You knew it was Bertie’s work once you saw it.

“Among the roles for which Bertie has been forever revered is his performance in Nettleford’s Dialogue for Three. Among his earliest choreographies that will always be remembered was Thursday’s Child and Glory Road. Ironically, Bert made his transition to dance on Glory Road today, Thursday of Holy Week.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica, I wish to express deepest condolences to his family, including the NDTC family, friends and enthusiasts. Bertie will always be with us as his memory will loom large in every activity of creative dance that provides passion, artistic excellence, faultless technique and flair. Jamaica has indeed lost another outstanding son. He will be missed. Walk good Bertie on Glory Road.”

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