SVF steps up to help preserve Little Theatre
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Heather Goldson (left), director, Supreme Ventures Foundation, and Marisa Benain, executive director of the Little Theatre, review the theatre’s stage during a recent visit to the facilities.
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Supreme Ventures Foundation Director Heather Goldson (left) is shown the newly restored stage flooring by Marisa Benain, executive director of the Little Theatre. During the site visit, Benain highlighted how much safer the renovated stage is now for performances.
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Supreme Ventures Foundation Director Heather Goldson (left) looks on as Executive Director of the Little Theatre Marisa Benain points out details of the venue’s ongoing renovation project.
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On the historic Little Theatre stage are Heather Goldson, director, Supreme Ventures Foundation; Marisa Benain, executive director of the Little Theatre, and Chloleen Daley-Muschett, assistant vice-president for public relations and corporate affairs at Supreme Ventures Limited.
Answering the call to preserve one of Jamaica’s most treasured cultural institutions, the Supreme Ventures Foundation (SVF) has joined the Little Theatre’s renovation project as a key early supporter, undertaking the full restoration of the theatre’s stage flooring at a cost of just under J$500,000.
Marisa Benain, executive director of the Little Theatre, underscored the importance of the renovation.
“The Little Theatre is the largest in-use theatre in the country, and this is why it’s so important for the space to be maintained at an acceptable standard for performers as well as our audience,” she said.
Benain also expressed gratitude for SVF’s investment in restoring the stage flooring.
“There is a longstanding history of the Supreme Ventures Foundation’s support of the creative industry. So I’m not surprised, but I’m still impressed that they came on board to support this project.”
The work is expected to restore full functionality to one of Jamaica’s busiest performance spaces, enhancing both rehearsal and performance experiences for groups including the National Pantomime, the National Dance Theatre Company, secondary school drama festivals, and many others that call the Little Theatre home each year.
The project is the latest in a long line of SVF investments in the arts, which the Foundation regards as central to preserving Jamaican identity and nurturing local talent across music, dance, drama and the visual arts.
As Supreme Ventures marks 25 years of giving back this year, the initiative underscores the Foundation’s belief that supporting culture is as vital to national development as its work in education, sport, health and community empowerment.
Heather Goldson, director of the Supreme Ventures Foundation, added: “While the Supreme Ventures Foundation’s primary focus is community sustainability and supporting children in state care, we also invest heavily in healthcare, sports, the arts and culture. When we were asked to assist with this renovation project at the Little Theatre, it felt only natural to provide our support, as it aligns with our core mission.”
Established by the Little Theatre Movement (LTM) and officially opened on Tom Redcam Avenue in Kingston in 1961, the Little Theatre has stood for more than six decades as one of the island’s most important cultural institutions.
It is home to Jamaica’s National Pantomime, a Christmas-season tradition dating back to 1941 that has helped shape generations of the island’s actors, dancers, musicians and designers.
As the theatre does not receive government funding, it has long relied on ticket sales, rentals and the generosity of corporate partners to maintain its facilities and continue serving the wider arts community.
The SVF’s support extends beyond this initial phase, with a firm commitment to seeing the project through to completion, reinforcing its role as a proudly Jamaican organisation dedicated to national development and cultural preservation.
The Foundation said it will continue working alongside the Little Theatre Movement and fellow corporate partners as the wider renovation project advances, with further updates to be shared as work progresses.