What was the initiative?

During her Fellowship, Jessica implemented a participatory, community-based film initiative, bringing social and environmental issues within the community to light, and exploring how filmmaking might contribute to abundance and wellbeing in Bequia. The initiative explored topics brought forward entirely by community members. The Youth Environmental Film Initiative offered training and holistic arts educational opportunities, while also providing participants positive outlets of creative expression. The initiative empowered youth in the community by utilizing their creative talents to create positive social and environmental transformation. In addition to the development of a participatory filmmaking and capacity building program, Jessica’s project evolved to also encompass photovoice activities, community clean-ups, grant-writing, and preliminary work with engineers to address structural environmental concerns.

What was the community connection?

Jessica was introduced to the community of Paget Farm in late 2012 through her Master’s studies, where she conducted interviews with community members to explore the impacts of climate change and water scarcity on the island. Beyond her Master’s research, Jessica became actively involved in the community while living in Bequia, volunteering for a number of environmental organizations, and leading scientific and artistic initiatives related to climate change and sustainable development with senior high school students. During her time in Paget Farm, Jessica and the community mobilized a participatory film and community remediation project entitled, “Reclaiming Paget Farm.” The project acted as a launching point for broader conversations on the environmental issues in the region, and how they impacted community life, and also laid the foundation for Jessica’s Pathy Fellowship project in 2015-16.

How was it innovative?

Jessica’s Pathy project fostered a safe community space for Bequia youth and creatives to explore themselves and their community through art. The participatory approach of the film initiative enabled organic, community-identified issues and solutions to come to the forefront. The project’s commitment to participatory methods led to meaningful community buy-in and laid the foundation for the project’s transformation and sustainability in the long-term.  Jessica and her community used a three-pronged approach (advancements to structural environmental issues, grassroots development through ABCD and visioning, and capacitation through filmmaking) to achieve their intended outcomes and goals. By addressing community priorities in this way, the project was able to address and understand community health and wellbeing more holistically. Jessica’s film initiative culminated with a (extremely well-attended) community screening. Leading up to and following this event, creatives, community members, and leaders (including participants in the film initiative) came together to discuss how participatory models and the arts could continue addressing health and wellbeing in the community through the creative industries more generally. These conversations soon led to the creation and incorporation of the non-profit organization: The Hub Collective (The Hub), of which Jessica is co-founder. Since its emergence in 2016, The Hub has gone on to produce award-winning short films in the Caribbean, has created a music studio, a shop, and annual music festival, and hosts and runs regular workshops and programs across multimedia art forms. While Jessica’s Fellowship project contributed to the establishment and evolution of The Hub, the organization is guided by principles and practices of collective leadership and voice, striving for non-hierarchy and horizontal structures. Through The Hub, Jessica’s initial Pathy project, and the vision and efforts of community members passionate about improving life in Bequia, has evolved into a holistic community space to explore topics on sovereignty, livelihoods, self-discovery, capacity-building, environment, and artistic expression.

What is Jessica doing now?

Jessica has remained in Bequia since completing her Fellowship in 2016. Post-Fellowship, she was heavily involved in the visioning and building of The Hub. As of 2022, she continues to sit on the Board of Directors and is very involved in fundraising, program development, and supporting the creative work being undertaken by the organization. Since 2018, Jessica became involved with a non-profit sewing enterprise, called “Bequia Threadworks”. The boutique and production centre provides training and meaningful employment to women in Bequia, to advance their economic mobility and create a more sustainable local economy. Jessica has been involved with Bequia Threadworks since their inception and continues to work with the organization as General Manager.