On November 8, representatives of The UWI St Augustine campus took the top three prizes at the finale of the 2023 UWI We Rise Talent Showcase. We Rise featured 15 performers representing all five UWI campuses – Cave Hill (Barbados), Five Islands (Antigua and Barbuda), Global (region wide), Mona (Jamaica), and St Augustine.
Held in commemoration of the UWI’s 75th Anniversary, the virtual cross-campus event welcomed dancers, musicians, vocalists, and performance art pieces including spoken word and drama. Participants also represented a mix of the UWI’s staff, students, alumni, and retirees.
Walking away with the top prize was jump rope performer Isaiah Stokes. Spoken word artists, Shimiah Lewis and Joel Phillips, placed second and third respectively.
The finale’s judges included Dr Josephine Torrel-Brown (Head Judge), Anderson “Mr Blood” Armstrong, Michael Holgate, Carla W Springer Hunte, and Nadean Rawlins.
A Trinidad and Tobago national jump rope athlete, Stokes told UWI TODAY that his performance incorporated a variety of techniques including footwork, the multiple-unders, advanced rope manipulation, and power skills.
He explained, “I was ecstatic when I won the competition because I want to start a new university club to get people involved in jump rope. By entering the competition, I know the wider UWI community will be looking on, so they can see what jump rope is all about and get involved in the sport.”
He added, “Jump rope can take you all over the world, and help with your fitness.”
To date, Stokes has participated in jump rope tournaments in the US, UK, France, and Japan.
Reflecting on her performance, Lewis said she focused on the extreme concepts which may sometimes be included in discussions about gender equality:
“My piece looked at the current conversations going on around if women need men. It’s socially accepted now that women don’t need men. But my piece wanted to open the conversation about why we need each other for survival.”
She continued, “The power struggle between the sexes is something that is constantly pulling us down instead of everyone realising we all have strengths and weaknesses which is why we should work together.”
Having graduated from the UWI in 2020 with a BSc in Sociology, Lewis said it was a nostalgic experience for her to re-engage with the university through the competition.
Other finalists representing the St Augustine campus included Sherisse Bideshi (aerial performance), Suzette Edwards (theatre arts), and Jerod Griffith (vocals).
For more information on the 2023 UWI We Rise Talent Showcase, visit their site at https://global.uwi.edu/we-rise-talent-showcase/75 .
