Freedom Festival an expression culture ‘Gine On’

DJ Simmons is the co-founder of the Gine ON?! media company which is one of the leading online platforms for Barbadian art and culture.

For the second year, they will be hosting their Freedom Festival which is an online art celebration that seeks to promote the importance of the Season of Emancipation.

Under the umbrella this year of Bridging the Gap, the event seeks to invite cultural practitioners to submit their spoken word videos as well as their literary work to be a part of their Spoken Word Showcase and Literary Arts Magazine. Simmons said that the event offers cultural practitioners an outlet to promote their art and showcase it globally.

“We realised that some art disciplines take a back seat usually when it comes to Crop Over time as a lot of the focus is centered around the parties and the fetes. There are many artists who help to complete the festival. So even before COVID-19 impacted the island we planned to add to the season in our own way with online media, shows and magazines that will attract viewers from around the globe and highlight Barbadian talent,” he said.

Simmons who helped produced the Gine On People’s Choice Awards to thousands of persons around the world earlier this year, said that due to his afro-centric upbringing, he recogniSed how he could add to the celebration of the Season of Emancipation by holding this festival which highlights Emancipation Day and its impact on our everyday lives.

“We forget a lot of the time that August 1st is a very important day. Some people think Emancipation Day means that Massa said we are free, but it is more than that, as we still have elements of mental slavery in our society,” he said.  His wife Empress Zingha Simmons, co-founder of Gine ON?!, added that in Barbados people needed to know where they came from.

“There is also the idea of where we came from and breaking those fallacies of what came before because many people still demonise certain cultures even though they are afro-centric. We have many ways that we celebrate our culture, not only as Barbadian people but as a region and as a Pan-African nation and we want to highlight that even more. So, this annual Freedom Festival, is a part of our contribution to keep that creative fire blazing. We still need to understand what would have come before so we can move on further and enhance our communities,” she said.

The festival is done in conjunction with Dr. John Hunte, Nailah Imoja, Ayesha Gibson- Gill, and other similar wise minds. This year interested applicants are invited to apply for the Spoken Word video showcase on or before the 25th July, 2021 and for the literary magazine on or before the 27th July, 2021. Register by going to the website GineOn.com/FreedomFestival.

The theme for the Spoken Word Video Showcase is “Relevant poems that relate to how society is positively and negatively impacted by Emancipation.” The theme for the literary arts magazine is “Weaving traditional folk characters into a modern setting.” The highlight of the Freedom Festival is a mini-documentary on how Dr. Anthony ‘The Mighty Gabby’ Carter was ordained a chief in Africa. This interview digs deep into the roots of arts and culture in Barbados and the wealth citizens hold as black people and how to empower future generations.

DJ Simmons explained what the mini-documentary entailed and why it was important that persons watch it.

“Everyone who speaks about Gabby is mostly interested about his songs and performances, but many people do not know that Gabby is the first official cultural ambassador and his story of going to Ghana to be ordained as a chief. In the video, he speaks about his experience and what it means for him and for Barbados,” he said. Persons who would like to be a part of the Freedom Festival can contact Gine ON?! by emailing wuh@gineon.com, or following the links on the official website GineOn.com/FreedomFestival. (Write Right PR Services)