Culture Reasonings

The Kingston Culture Forum included six culture reasonings interspersed throughout the day, to bring forward perspectives on the industry from practising creatives living and working in Kingston, Jamaica. Host, Debbie Bissoon, spoke with Joshua Solas, Kimiko Miller, Shamara Spencer, JLL, Ayanna Dixon, Kevin Jackson, Fabian Barracks, Samantha George and Darren George. Their experience in the cultural and creative industries spans film, theatre, dancehall dance, music production, visual art, design and the culinary arts. Enjoy these fireside chats with Jamaican creatives!

CULTURE REASONING: DANCE

Debbie Bissoon talks Dancehall with Kimiko Miller (Kimiko Versatile), Shamara Spencer (Shamara Inspire).

Read more...

Shamara Spencer is a Choreographer, Creative Director, Performer, Movement Director and Accounts Executive who hails from the cool hills of Mandeville, Manchester. In 2016 she received her Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from the University of South Florida. While studying in Florida she spent most of her leisure competing with VYB Dance Company and Relentless Dance Troupe. She entered the Jamaican Entertainment Industry in 2018 and has danced/choreographed for both international and local artists such as Sean Paul, Afro B, H.E.R, Protoje, Koffee, Buju Banton, Jada Kingdom Sevana, Jaz Elise, and more. Kimiko Miller is known in local and international dance circles as ‘Kimiko Versatile’, a talented, fierce, bold and creative dancer and choreographer is a Choreographer, Dancer and Entrepreneur who has worked locally and internationally, opened a new beauty and fashion store dubbed Kimiko V., is the owner and director of Versatile Studioz, which is located on Lady Musgrave Road, St Andrew and she has also been featured in a five-part Netflix docuseries called Move.

CULTURE REASONING: MUSIC PRODUCTION

Debbie Bisson talks Music Production with Jean-Andre Lowell Lawrence (aka J.L.L.) a Jamaican born creative who specializes in music production.

Read more...

JLL has composed instrumentals for artistes such as Drake, Masego, Chronixx, Kranium, Mavado, Popcaan, Smino, Chi Ching Ching, Aidonia, Sizzla, Keznamdi, Kelissa, Jane MacGizmo and many more. His music is a mixture and blending of many styles and genres – creating a sound that is both familiar but enticingly unique.

CULTURE REASONING: VISUAL ART & DESIGN

Debbie Bisson talks Visual Art with Ayanna Dixon, Fashion Designer and Illustrator and Joshua Solas, Interdisciplinary Artist, Designer and Creative Director.

Read more...

Fashion Designer and Illustrator Ayanna Dixon has trained both at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and The Art Institute of New York. After studying in New York, Ayanna moved home and started her business ASD. She is a Branson Entrepreneur, Scotia Bank Vision
Achiever and has placed second in Jamaica’s first reality television Fashion Designing contest Mission Catwalk, shown at Miami Beach International Fashion Week, received the First Global Banks Fashion Grant and represented Jamaica at the International Fashion Showcase in London, CARIFESTA XIII & XIV. Joshua Solas is a recent graduate from Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University in Grand Rapids, MI. The Jamaican artist has a love for visual storytelling and his work explores imaginative & social themes. Though he has explored several other media such as fine art painting, sculpture, animation and photography, he works mainly in oil paints, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator as well as in pen and ink. His future goals include working with Vice, RedBull and Puma, hip-hop and reggae artist and environmental design.

CULTURE REASONING: FILM & THEATRE

Debbie Bisson talks Film and Theatre with Kevin Jackson and Fabian Barracks. Kevin Jackson is an Award-winning Filmmaker and Animator and Fabian Barracks is the CEO, Barracks Entertainment.

Read more...

Kevin Jackson lectures part time at the University of the West Indies in the animation and film programme, at HEART VTDI in their animation and digital media programme and Northern Caribbean University in the Communication studies department. He is the former President of the Jamaica Animation Nation Network, former Marketing and Communications director for the Jamaica Film and Television Association and former Public Relations Officer for the Jamaica Design Association. His mission is to create internationally acclaimed stories with a Caribbean perspective. Fabian Barracks is the CEO of Barracks Entertainment, a theatre company established eleven years ago that empowers youth through the arts. He has done 10 commercial productions, some of the most recent being: Wah Nanny Goat, Black Sheep, and Ananda Alert. Fabian is extremely passionate about youth development and focuses on producing plays that explore some critical themes affecting young people. Barracks has established The Barracks Theatre, in 2019 which served as a youth hub for theatre arts. His recent achievements include: winning Actor Boy Award 2018 for Best Comedy for Black Sheep and Youth View Awards for Favourite Local Theatre Play in 2017 for Wah Sweet Nanny Goat. Alum of the University of the West Indies – ECEM Programme, Barracks continues to stay true to his vision of bringing out the best in youth through the arts and nurturing young talents through quality theatre.

CULTURE REASONING: CULINARY ARTS

Debbie Bisson talks Gastronomy with Chef Samantha George and partner Darren George. Darren and Samantha are a husband and wife team that runs a content creation studio that produces for companies within the foodservice industry.

Read more...

Darren, the stellar photographer, and video storyteller started his multimedia career by creating joy in the hearts of his wedding clients. He produces for the studio and directs their production team. Chef Samantha attained a bachelor’s degree in Food Service Management, now operates a catering service, and teaches people how to master iconic Jamaican recipes via her YouTube channel. She diligently embodies the “head cook and bottle washer” role by executing food styling, recipe testing and writing all while taking care of their two beautiful kids (who are now homeschooled). The content they’ve created for their clients has appeared in cookbooks, digital media campaigns, calendars, store displays, YouTube, and of course, social media.
Together, they’re aiming to create content that brings attention to their clients and deepens customer brand loyalty.

Sponsors