EVERY GENERATION produces a benefactor who guards the gates of his community against the Philistines, who has a vision that a nation's progress needs to be measured as much by its art, architecture, poetry, dance and drama, as by material prosperity and political spoils. One such Jamaican benefactor was Colonel Charles James Ward, Custos of Kingston and the "nephew" in the name of that venerable, high-spirited company, J. Wray and Nephew which, down the years, has grown from strength to strength.
It was Colonel Ward who, in 1912, provided £12,000 for the construction of the Ward Theatre in Kingston on a site previously occupied by the Theatre Royal, which was destroyed in the 1907 earthquake. Kingston had not yet fully recovered from this devastation which prompted Colonel Ward to donate the theatre to "this poor city... for the moral and intellectual upliftment of its people". Upon completion, the Ward Theatre was handed over to the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation and perhaps the first important Jamaican event to take place there was an elocution contest organised by Marcus Garvey, who became one of our National Heroes. The theatre soon became the centre of the civic life of Kingston, the venue for welcoming visiting heads of state and the location where the People's National Party was publicly launched in 1938 and the Jamaica Labour Party in 1943.
An array of local and international talent has been showcased at the Ward, including names like Cupidon and Ableton, Vere Johns, Bim and Bam, Eric Coverley, Ranny Williams and Louise Bennett. International stars have included Paul Robeson, Marian Anderson and Artur Rubenstein. The National Pantomime was born at the Ward Theatre in 1941 and became a yearly feature attended by fans from all walks of life.
With the deterioration of downtown Kingston, the Ward Theatre fell on hard times and has only been held together by a band of dedicated volunteers, who in 1986 formed the Ward Theatre Foundation which, against all odds, has kept the theatre alive. The new initiative by the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and the Urban Development Corporation to revitalise downtown Kingston recognises the key role which the Ward Theatre must play in preserving the cultural heritage of the city and 2003 has been declared 'The Year of the Ward', under the patronage of the Governor-General.
A fund-raising drive for donations of $350 million to refurbish the theatre was launched last Sunday with a gala variety show, the performing artistes for which made no charge for their talent. The campaign is off to a good start and we congratulate the organisers and urge all well-meaning Jamaicans, despite hard times, to get behind the drive to save the Ward in fulfilment of Colonel Ward's vision.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
