VTDI students make 'Culture Flex'
Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer
For those attending 'Culture Flex, The Cultural Fair' tomorrow at the Kingston YMCA, it will be an afternoon of storytelling, dance and music, with Abijah headlining the concert which closes off the evening.
However, for 11 students in the Entertainment and Events Management programme at the Vocation Training and Development Institute (VTDI) on Gordon Town Road, St Andrew, it will be an examination of the skills they have learnt in two and a half years of training.
The students have organised themselves into WOW Promotions, presenting 'Culture Flex' as a component of the module on staging entertainment events. "This is our last graded assignment," Teena-Marie Tucker said.
Tucker is responsible for publicity, while Paula Plummer is project manager and Kerriann Wright takes care of administration and human resources. The class' sole male, Gihon Mitchell, mans production, Tanice Morrison is talent and creative director, Maxine Walsh-Morgan handles hospitality and décor and Allison Fullwood is venue manager. Latoya Anderson (sponsorship assist and hospitality), Tara Hibbert (marketing), Stacey-Ann Robinson (deputy project chair and logistics) and Mauline Campbell (sponsorship) complete the team.
Tucker says that although they are not a part of the class, Tiege Jackson and Leon Barnaby assist with artwork.
The Kingston YMCA's computer lab will benefit from the proceeds of Culture Flex, where a pickney village, art and craft, bruckins party, Anansi and dance session will precede the concert. In addition to Abijah, the concert features Nekorah Phillips, Dre and KJ, Shady Squad, Kingston Drummers, Nexus and Nabby Natural.
Tucker has been accepted for CARIMAC at the University of the West Indies (UWI, Mona Campus, and told The Gleaner that, coming out of high school, attending the VTDI was her mother's idea. "I wanted to go to do the degree first, but my mother went to VTDI and she enjoyed herself. She believes in skills training. At the end of the day, she wants me to be able to find a job or create my own job," she said.
Tucker went to VTDI after doing sixth form at St Mary High School, where she did law, Caribbean studies, communication studies, Spanish and literatures in English. With media she wants to study print and online journalism, eventually working in radio and television.
"I started reading very early. When one reads one imagines. You see it in your head. I would go to Mommy and explain it and she would not get it," Tucker said. Her objective, then, is "if there is an idea in my head, I want to be able to get it across. And I like the idea of representing an organisation, which is what I am doing at WOW". Plus, Tucker says, she is enthusiastic about putting on an event where people will engage their senses and be satisfied. "I would like to be responsible for that," she said.
She is very happy with her time at VTDI, noting that the course's flexibility (it is offered only part-time) allowed her to work, so "I have accumulated experience". Tucker added, "I did my work experience at News Talk 93."
"I always wanted to work in entertainment and radio and I guess one of the overlaps is events."
After tomorrow's Culture Flex, Tucker will work as an event production assistant with the 2011 Reggae Film Festival, for which she volunteered.
Culture Flex is sponsored by jaBulletin, Rise Life Management Services, Patsy Lyn Caterers and Intelligent Multimedia. "The entire event has been done through sponsorship," Tucker said. "It is all about contacts and networking. It helps us to develop our negotiation skills."