JAMPRO
30.6.2021 16:02:10 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Jamaica’s creative sector has received a major boost through a partnership between global entertainment marketing agency, The SMC Group, and The Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA). This arrangement aims to foster the development of Jamaican talent and the island’s Creative Industries.
The venture will begin with an investment into the development of a music production studio to support local song writers, producers, and artistes. SMC also intends to recruit EMCVPA students for apprenticeships and job placements. This ground-breaking initiative will enhance the music and audio production, animation, as well as dance specialisations at the College.
The partnership is the latest positive development in the island’s creative industries which have seen considerable growth in recent years.
In the film industry, more than 4000 film-related jobs have been created in the last three years while approximately 150 foreign productions are facilitated per year. Over 3 billion JMD in film production expenditure was contributed to GDP in the last two years, and approximately 65-70 percent of crews hired on most international film productions in Jamaica are local.
The country also has a growing animation industry with 15 local studios having participated in government-led programmes to increase their profitability and sustainability.
CEO of The SMC Group, Maurice Hamilton, revealed that the collaboration between the group and EMCVPA will add to the progress that has already been made in the creative industries by expanding investment into the areas of talent and content in the music and audio-visual sectors.
“This is the first step of an exciting initiative to establish Jamaica and then the wider Caribbean region as a creative hub that will develop creative and business professionals as well as content ,” the CEO remarked. “And for SMC, it creates a solid, efficient pipeline of creative talent to service our global clients .”
The CEO also disclosed that SMC intends to build a centre of excellence in Jamaica and will be engaging in additional investments and local partnerships.
“We want to ensure that our commitment to Jamaican talent is substantive ,” he insisted. “Through greater education, funding, and through our network within the global marketplace we can provide a platform from which Jamaican talent can flourish internationally .”
The island has seen several ventures over the years led by the private sector, public sector or both, which seek to advance the creative industry. Programmes such as the Business of Sustainability for Studios (BOSS) programme, JAFTA Propella film development programme, and the Film Lab initiative help entrepreneurs grow their animation and film production studios, and increase content development.
In the spirit of these collaborations between industry stakeholders, Diane Edwards, President of Jamaica’s investment and export promotions agency, JAMPRO, welcomed the cooperation between SMC and EMCVPA.
“At JAMPRO, we believe that partnership is essential to building local industries and to creating valuable opportunities for Jamaica’s people, so we are pleased to see this agreement between SMC and Edna Manley College ,” she said.
EMCVPA’s Vice Principal of Administration and Resource Development, Ms. Kerry Ann Henry, shared her enthusiasm for the partnership and explained that its objectives were in keeping with the college’s mission. She stated, “This is a partnership that will not just strengthen our respective organizations, it will be of enormous benefit to the country in fields related to the visual and performing arts .”
About The SMC Group
The SMC Group operates in 17 markets across the globe and has worked on campaigns for brands like The Coca-Cola Company, Net-A-Porter, Unilever, Diageo, Cartier and a host of globally recognizable names. Their projects have also involved celebrities like Jamaican Olympian Usain Bolt, Korean pop band BTS, Colombian superstar Maluma and American celebrities such as Kevin Hart, Jason Derulo and Kanye West.
ABOUT JAMPRO
The Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO)’s mission is to drive economic development through growth in investment and export. JAMPRO is an Agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment, and Commerce.
For more information on JAMPRO, please visit https://dobusinessjamaica.com/ .
Follow us on:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210630005271/en/
Link:
Social Media:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Cognite Positioned as a Front Runner in LNS Research Solution Selection Matrix for Industrial AI Platforms23.4.2026 20:00:00 CEST | Press release
Cognite, the global leader in Industrial AI, has been named a Front Runner in the LNS Research Solution Selection Matrix for Industrial AI Platforms (SSM). The LNS Research SSM evaluates vendors using a rigorous methodology that leverages its “3P” framework—Product, Potential, and Presence—to assess both current capabilities and future readiness. Within the report, Cognite is recognized in three key areas: depth in user-centric industrial AI applications, its knowledge graph-based data model, and its strong partner ecosystem. Together, all three give Cognite the ability to unify and contextualize complex industrial data, enabling organizations to operationalize AI at scale. “Cognite brings a sophisticated data model built for industrial complexities, along with advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, which is crucial for industrial organizations to achieve meaningful productivity gains and enterprise-wide ROI,” said Vivek Murugesan, Research Analyst at LNS Research. “These capabilit
Venture Global Announces Closing of $750,000,000 Senior Secured Notes by Venture Global Calcasieu Pass, LLC23.4.2026 19:47:00 CEST | Press release
Venture Global, Inc. (“Venture Global”, NYSE: VG) announced today that its subsidiary, Venture Global Calcasieu Pass, LLC (“VGCP”) has closed an offering of $750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.000% senior secured notes due 2036 (the “Notes”). The Notes will mature on May 1, 2036. VGCP used the net proceeds from the offering, together with cash on hand and proceeds received from certain hedge terminations, for the prepayment, in full, of VGCP’s outstanding term loans, and to pay fees and expenses in connection with the offering. The Notes are guaranteed by TransCameron Pipeline, LLC (VGCP’s affiliate). The Notes are secured on a pari passu basis by a first-priority security interest in the assets that secure VGCP’s existing senior secured first lien credit facilities and VGCP’s existing senior secured notes. The Notes were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or the securities laws of any state or other jurisdictions, and the Notes
Does Muscle Composition Identify High-Risk Individuals in Chronic Kidney Disease? New AMRA Medical Study Says Yes, Reveals Strong Link to Mortality23.4.2026 17:10:00 CEST | Press release
AMRA Medical researchers recently set out to answer the question: what is the relationship between adverse muscle composition (AMC) and mortality in kidney disease? Recent findings demonstrate that AMC, characterized by low muscle volume z-score and high muscle fat infiltration, is an independent and strong predictor of all-cause mortality in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The findings, published in Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, were based on data from the UK Biobank imaging study and further reinforce the clinical relevance of MRI-derived muscle biomarkers in identifying high-risk populations across chronic diseases. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260423198497/en/ AMRA's MRI-based muscle biomarkers in clinical trials Researchers from AMRA, alongside our collaborators at Linköping University (LiU), analyzed 894 participants with CKD using AMRA’s MRI-based body composi
Diligent Unveils AI Board Member and Agentic GRC Workforce at Elevate 202623.4.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Diligent’s agentic AI strengthens board oversight and transforms how GRC teams work — reducing manual effort and outside-advisor dependency, tightening control over sensitive workflows and enabling leaders to make faster, more defensible decisions Diligent, the AI leader in governance, risk and compliance (GRC) SaaS solutions, today unveiled a new generation of autonomous AI agents, including AI Board Member — a secure AI assistant for directors — and a coordinated network of agents embedded across the Diligent One Platform. Accessible through a single command center, agents automate multi-step workflows across governance, risk, compliance and third-party management, giving organizations the impact of a “GRC manager” without adding headcount. “AI supercharges teams that embrace it, and boards are no exception,” said Brian Stafford, President and CEO of Diligent. “With AI Board Member and a network of autonomous agents woven through the Diligent One Platform, we’re giving the C-suite an
Safe Software Bolsters Leadership Team with CFO and CPO Appointments to Drive Next Phase of Growth23.4.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
CFO and CPO executive hires to enhance operational and financial performance on the company’s path to $250M by 2028 Safe Software (Safe), creator of FME, the only All-Data, Any-AI enterprise integration platform, today welcomes two executives to its leadership team as it moves into the next phase of growth. Judd Lee has been appointed as the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Vanessa Ribreau has been appointed as Chief People Officer (CPO). Having recently crossed $100M in revenue, the expanded leadership team will further enable the company to scale as it accelerates toward its goal of reaching $250M in revenue by 2028. Judd Lee is a seasoned CFO with over 15 years of experience partnering closely with CEOs to align financial strategy and accelerate sustainable growth. He is known for his strong commitment to mentorship and for building high-performing global teams rooted in trust, morale and a shared sense of purpose. With more than two decades of financial leadership acros
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom