When the applause faded and the final notes of the Ministry of National Security and Peace LIV GUD Jingle Competition had been performed, the experience was far from over for the young men whose talent had earned them a place among the competition's winners. Instead, the recognition opened a new door.
Following the March 24, 2026 LIV GUD Jingle Competition Awards Ceremony at the Metcalfe Street Secure Juvenile Correctional and Remand Centre, the winning team from the Rio Cobre Juvenile Correctional Centre was given an opportunity to take their musical abilities beyond the walls of the juvenile correctional environment. The winners were awarded scholarships to participate in the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts Summer School Programme.
For the Ministry, the scholarships represented an important next step in an initiative that had begun with music, but was always intended to be about much more than a jingle.
Communication Specialist at the Ministry of National Security and Peace, Winsome Vanhorne Christie, says the original decision to use music was deliberate because it offered the wards a creative medium with which they could connect.
In emphasising the connection, she shared, "it is said that music triggers deep emotions and serves as a rehabilitative therapy for wards of the state and people in general. We wanted a project that the wards of the state could relate to and would find an interest in which to compete. Hence, the creative idea of the LIV GUD Jingle Competition."
The competition perfectly aligns with the Ministry's Music, Sports, and Technology (MST) framework for social intervention. The framework, which has been employed for the last four fiscal years, was designed to engage at-risk youth and transform community behaviours through programmes that incorporate meaningful engagement in music, sporting activities and technology.
What followed demonstrated why the opportunity needed to extend beyond the competition. For Rehabilitation Manager at the Department of Correctional Services, Naquia Fisher Davidson, allowing the winners to continue developing their abilities was a way of reinforcing the value of their achievement and their potential.
"The importance of building on the success of the competition is that it signals to the wards, first and foremost, that they are worth recognising, investing in and showcasing at their best and brightest," she highlighted.
The scholarship therefore offered more than access to classes. It placed the young men in a new environment, surrounded by students and practitioners engaged in the creative arts, and allowed them to experience themselves outside the limitations of their current circumstances.
"Additionally, giving the winners the opportunity to further develop their talents at Edna Manley College allowed them to learn, grow and interact with people within the creative field in an environment that may have previously seemed unfamiliar or unattainable to them," Fisher Davidson explained.
For the young men who entered the programme, that change in environment was tangible.
One of the winners described his first experience at Edna Manley College as one added to his personal development. "I was excited to participate in the programme. It was a wonderful experience that gave me the opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people and express myself in ways I had not experienced before," he disclosed.
The programme gave the young men an opportunity to explore different aspects of the arts. Music lessons introduced them to the piano, musical keys and songs, while an animation class offered another avenue for creative expression. They admitted that not everything came easily, but the experience encouraged them to continue learning, practising and trying.
That willingness to keep trying became part of a larger lesson. "Overall, I enjoyed the programme very much. It gave me the opportunity to socialise with people outside of the facility and demonstrate some of the skills I had developed at Rio Cobre," one of the scholarship recipients shared.
For him, the experience carried a deeper significance. "It was a taste of freedom." He explained that attending the programme without being physically restrained made him feel valued and gave him an opportunity to demonstrate that he could conduct himself responsibly. "I remained respectful, focused and willing to participate," he noted.
It was precisely this combination of exposure, responsibility and trust that Edna Manley College hoped the scholarship would provide. Interim Principal of the College, Dorrett Campbell, said the decision to participate was grounded in the institution's belief in the transformative power of arts education.
"The decision was rooted in the College's conviction that the arts can be a powerful instrument of rehabilitation and social transformation," she emphasised.
For Campbell, the programme was not simply about teaching the winners how to play an instrument or develop a creative skill. It was about creating an environment in which they could begin to see themselves differently.
"While incarceration may restrict an individual's physical freedom, rehabilitation must create opportunities for learning, self-expression, personal growth and renewed purpose," she said.
That renewed sense of possibility is already emerging in the reflections of the young men.
One-half of the winning duo shared that winning the LIV GUD Jingle Competition helped him recognise added capabilities. "Winning the competition confirmed that I have talent and helped me realise that my purpose is not limited to academics. I have discovered that I have abilities in other areas that I can develop and use to make a positive impact," he acknowledged.
The experience has also influenced his ambitions, with the young man now hoping to pursue further education in the performing arts at Edna Manley College.
Through this opportunity, Rehabilitation Manager Fisher Davidson sees the significance of the experience in what can happen when young people are given a second chance. "Ultimately, the experience allowed them to see beyond their present circumstances and begin to envision themselves as young people with talents, potential and a place within wider society," she shared.
The impact is equally evident in the reflections on the programme of one of the winners of the Producer's Choice Award. He noted, "the Edna Manley Summer School Programme helped me to see that there are opportunities beyond my current circumstances. It encouraged me to continue developing my talents, learning new skills and making better choices."
His experience speaks to the value of taking the opportunity beyond the competition itself. While the jingle provided a platform for the young men to showcase their creativity and abilities, the scholarship created an avenue for those talents to be further developed and explored.
That is the lasting lesson Fisher Davidson hopes the participants will carry with them. "The biggest takeaway I hope the participants hold onto from this experience is the understanding that there is always an audience and a place for those who are disciplined, humble and committed to developing their talents," she shared.
What began with a jingle competition became an opportunity for growth, exposure and renewed ambition. It demonstrates the value of creating spaces where talent can be recognised, nurtured and connected to possibilities beyond immediate circumstances.
This is the kind of impact the Ministry of National Security and Peace continues to pursue through the LIV GUD Anti-Violence Campaign. Through sustained engagement with young people, communities and partners, the Ministry is working to promote positive choices, strengthen resilience and create pathways that offer alternatives to violence.
The competition, spearheaded by the Ministry of National Security and Peace through the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), brought together 37 wards from three juvenile facilities. Young girls and boys from South Camp Juvenile Correctional and Remand Centre, Rio Cobre Juvenile Correctional Centre and Metcalfe Street Secure Juvenile Correctional and Remand Centre showcased their talent and creativity with high enthusiasm. Divided into teams, the wards were tasked with creating 30-second jingles rooted in the LIV GUD pillars of Respect, Dash Weh Di Badness and Duh Di Right Ting. The winning jingles will be professionally recorded in September at the Metcalfe Street Secure Juvenile Correctional studio.