The JN Foundation, through its Parish Histories of Jamaica project, recently launched the Anancy Story Competition.
The contest targets high-school students residing in the parish of St Thomas and invites them to vie for attractive prizes, based on colourful and animated video features about their parish’s contribution to Jamaica’s dynamic history.
Entries to the competition, which was officially announced at the Robert Lightbourne High School in St Thomas recently, closes on March 6.

Students are requested to upload their storytelling video features, not exceeding 10 minutes, about the past to the official Parish Histories of Jamaica website at www.historyjamaica.org Sebrina Brown, project officer at JN Foundation, noted that this initiative was conceptualised as part of the Parish Histories’ objective to present local history in an appealing, captivating and easy to comprehend format.
“We are, therefore, seeking the involvement of young people in the documentation and dissemination of our cultural history,” she stated, “And, it is our hope that students will respond by demonstrating their interest and enthusiasm to record the past and contribute to boosting cultural retention.”

COMMUNITY BUY-IN
She noted, “The Anancy Story Competition could be an exciting activity for students, particularly if they seek the buy-in from older relatives, grandparents and older persons in their communities, who will agree to tell Anancy stories in an animated and fun manner, similar to the approach of our folklorists.”
For additional information about the focus and format of entries to the competition, students are requested to visit www.historyjamaica.org and, subsequently, to submit their entries to that same website.