Jamaica Celebrates National Heritage Week October 11 – 19, 2009

National Heritage Week will be filled with activities from October 11 -19, 2009. This year’s celebration will be under the theme ‘Believe in Jamaica… Embracing Our Heritage’.  The week’s events  are coordinated by Committee members of the  Jamaica National Heritage Trust, Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, the Institute of Jamaica, The National Library of Jamaica and  the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture.

National Heritage week events will be held across the island  and  will kick  off with a Thanksgiving Service at the Swallowfield  Chapel at 10:30 am.

On Sunday, October 11.  Tuesday, October 13 , will see a  series of  Heritage Week Lectures under the theme ‘Facing our past: Securing a prosperous future’.   These will be held at The Anglican Church Hall, in Port Maria for the Northern Region and the venue for the Western Region will be at The Sam Sharp Teachers College auditorium.   

 On Wednesday October 14 will be Heritage Expo at the Seville Heritage Park in St Ann. From  10 am to 3pm. Also on this same day The Musgrave Awards will take place at the Institute of Jamaica Lecture Hall.  On October  15^th, Liberty Hall will host the next  Public Sitting of the National Commission on Reparations at 5pm.

A parish Thanksgiving Service will be held on Saturday,  October 17, at Devon House. This will be a  Heroes day Celebration ,’Journeys through Jamaica…A Heroes Day Celebration’ .  Another parish celebration will commemorate on October 18^t ,   at the Institute of Jamaica  Lecture Hall at 3pm.  This features the National Library Distinguished lecture.

Finally, on  Monday October 19. National Heritage week celebration will culminate with the National Awards Ceremony on the lawns of  Kings House at 8am.  During the day all parish civic ceremonies will be held and later that day  The National Heroes Day Salute will be held at the National Heroes park.