Dorrett Campbell, interim principal of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, says the arts are not peripheral to national development — they are central to it.

The college is observing Founders’ Week 2026 as both a celebration of legacy and a declaration of national purpose.

Campbell made the statement while speaking at the founders’ church service held at Fellowship Tabernacle in St Andrew, the opening event of the commemorative week observed under the theme, ‘The heArt of the Caribbean‘. The service grounded the milestone in reflection and gratitude, underscoring the College’s understanding of creativity as both discipline and gift.

Addressing the congregation, Campbell noted that the decision to begin the anniversary journey in worship was intentional.

“We are driven by truth, sustained by partnerships, and defined by an unshakeable belief that the arts are not peripheral to national development — they are central to it,” the interim principal affirmed.

The week honours the pioneers who shaped Jamaica’s premier multidisciplinary arts institution while inviting the public to engage in a programme of worship, research, exhibition and dialogue.

Founded on the vision of Edna Manley, whose pioneering art classes in the 1940s evolved into the Jamaica School of Art, the college has grown into the English-speaking Caribbean’s only institution offering professional training across visual arts, music, dance, drama and arts management. Generations of educators and practitioners built a creative ecosystem that continues to shape Jamaica’s cultural identity and the wider Caribbean creative industries.

Today, the college positions artistic practice alongside scholarship and research, preparing graduates who contribute not only to performance and production but also to cultural policy, education and national development.

Campbell emphasised that in a society confronting violence, inequality and uncertainty, the arts remain vital to social imagination and transformation.

“The arts teach us how to imagine otherwise — to heal, to question and to illuminate new possibilities for the society we are shaping together,” she said.

Reflecting on institutional purpose

Founders’ Week activities highlight the breadth of the college’s work and its public mission. The week has featured the Edna Manley Foundation Lecture with sculptor Laura Facey, an open day and a faculty exhibition welcoming prospective students and audiences, and Celebrating Research in the Arts Day showcasing scholarly inquiry.

It continues this evening with the 17th annual Gender and Development Lecture examining identity, equity and cultural expression, and concludes tomorrow with Sports Day, reinforcing community across the campus.

Beginning the 50th anniversary journey

Founders’ Week 2026 serves as the launchpad for anniversary celebrations marking 50 years since the college’s schools were unified on one campus in 1976 — a milestone representing decades of talent development, cultural preservation and regional leadership.

Campbell described the anniversary as an opportunity to honour the legacy while shaping the future of arts education in the Caribbean.

“Fifty years of nurturing talent. Fifty years of cultural preservation. Fifty years of affirming to Jamaica and the world that the arts matter.”

The college is inviting alumni, partners, policymakers and the public to participate in the anniversary year as it expands research, strengthens partnerships and deepens its contribution to Jamaica’s creative economy and cultural life.