Cultural integrity
Center the history, artists and communities carrying J’ouvert.
About the collective
Culture carried
forward.
We preserve the history of J’ouvert while creating new ways for communities to experience, understand and participate in the tradition.
Our mission
Preserve the roots.
Make room for what comes next.
Our mission is to preserve and present classic Trinidad and Tobago-style J’ouvert through performance, education, documentation, exhibitions and creative collaboration.
We honor the artists and communities who carry the tradition while creating opportunities for the next generation to inherit, question and expand it.
What is J’ouvert?
Opening
the day.
J’ouvert, pronounced joo-VAY, marks the pre-dawn opening of Carnival and brings together rhythm, masquerade, satire, movement and communal celebration.
Its roots reach through Canboulay and emancipation traditions, transforming the street into a place of storytelling, resistance, social commentary and freedom.
What guides us
Rooted in values.
Alive in practice.
Living tradition
Preserve the roots while allowing the practice to evolve.
Intergenerational exchange
Connect elders, artists and young people.
Community power
Use art to build pride, dialogue and participation.
Creative collaboration
Work across music, costume, film, dance and storytelling.
Sustainability
Support responsible production and long-term cultural work.
Leadership
Sandra A. M. Bell
Co-Founder, Producer, Curator, Teaching Artist and third-generation Carnival Costume Designer.
Costume, curation, education and community are one continuous practice.
Project partners
Culture moves
in company.
JouvayFest grows through long-standing relationships with artists, educators and community organizations grounded in Caribbean cultural practice.
01 / Community + Mas
2J & Friends
Rooted in John John, East Port of Spain, 2J & Friends brings together former residents and descendants of a community central to Carnival and steelpan history.
The Brooklyn-based organization carries that connection through J’ouvert mas, annual gatherings, volunteer service and collaborations with groups including JouvayFest.
02 / Arts + Education
Something Positive, Inc.
Something Positive is an arts and education organization devoted to the cultures of the African Diaspora and their cross-cultural influence.
Its performances combine Afro-Caribbean music, dance theatre, poetry and storytelling to make cultural education vivid, communal and alive.