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Bermudians working in the entertainment industry are no strangers to the concept of performing for free but that could all change with the launch of a new management/production company. Rockfire Productions has been set up by Bermudian filmmaker, writer, director and professional dancer Adrian Kawaley-Lathan, who’s mission it is to see that his fellow creatives can earn a decent living.

Bermuda is home to a hub of creative talent from dancers, actors and singers to filmmakers, directors and writers and Lathan says Rockfire will be a conduit for their success. On the one hand, the company facilitates live entertainment for any kind of island event including themed parties and dance, and on the other it is a film and theatre production company that can help launch creative endeavours.

Speaking to the Bermuda Sun, Kawaley-Lathan said: “Rockfire Productions contains live entertainment and fire performance as well as film production, directing and talent casting. They are intrinsically linked — you can’t make a film without a talented cast and if you don’t have people training people to be actors, dancers and singers, etc, you will never get the two things together.” Rockfire began as a fire performance company in 2009 but Kawaley-Lathan, who spent four years working as Cultural Coordinator for the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, saw there was much more potential.

Aside from providing outlets for entertainers, Rockfire also provides training and profile exposure through the company’s online database and social media platforms. A $100 a year membership fee will give members access to all the company’s files, contacts and training materials as well as access to performance. “You get to be part of a collective — a bit like House of Gaga sort of thing, this is House of Rockfire and you can really boost your portfolio with images and video...”

There is a core group of people who have been instrumental in the creation of Rockfire — Adrian heads up the operation as Creative Director, Teresa Whitter is a manager and costume director, Josh Hill is a manager and Parkour practitioner. Between them they concoct wide-ranging events to suit just about any client. The themed parties include anything from pirates, ninjas, and mythical and fantasy to burlesque, belly dancing or tropical and calypso. They can also organize custom-made themes to suit the client.

“We can do almost anything — Star Wars? Avatar? Sure. As far as people’s imaginations go we are the group to call. It’s fire and it’s stunts — break dancing, salsa, tango, sword fighting and swashbuckling… “We are in character the entire time. Any performance you could possibly want, we can do it.

“We are going a step beyond that with the live performances — if you are having an event, who is welcoming people at the door? Are there pop-up performances happening throughout the event? It’s not a matter of having a pretty face just standing there, it’s about client-facing talent. “We can do Pirates of the Caribbean, ninjas — we did ninjas last year at Fort St Catherine — me and Josh were jumping off the cannons and sword-fighting.

“Taran Card is making me new swords for this summer so we can put on full Treasure Island style performances. He’s brilliant. We have tumblers and acrobats... Marcus ‘ZebraKid’ Smith — one of my favourites — he is one of my newest performers and he is so talented as is the young actorChris Dyer.”

On the production side Kawaley-Lathan also sees huge potential on the island. Enthusiastic about the level of talent here, the only thing holding him back before was a sense of reluctance he felt in Bermuda. Reality TV “A lot of my hesitation was with Bermuda — I asked, is Bermuda ready to see a soap opera that is done locally or a reality TV show done locally?

“It is a tricky business — it’s like Bermudians have been in a mind-set where they don’t believe they can create these things locally. They are consuming media here — there are flat-screen TVs everywhere. And now, with all the new equipment out here, people are making things happen.”

Kawaley-Lathan’s good friend Kalilah Robinson, of Somers Isle Productions, will be able to share some of her expertise on the production side of things — she has just been accepted into the American Film Institute. He also wished to acknowledge Stratton Hatfield of Strativist for designing Rockfire’s logo and driving the marketing. Kawaley-Lathan is more than aware that Bermuda’s economy is still struggling and that it is a gamble to launch a new business in such an environment. But he sees the improvement of the Tourism industry in Bermuda as a “chicken and egg” situation.

“Is this economy the best time to be doing this? Probably not. “In terms of the hunger and passion of young people in Bermuda and the need for there to be better standards of performance to actually bring tourists in?

Absolutely, it is the right time. “If you don’t have the standards of entertainment people are not going to come here so unless Bermudians are willing to increase where they see the value of performers being in their community then you are never going to get those tourists back. “So we are going to raise the standards and push hard and be vocal and be a presence.

“International tourists and businesses and film companies will come here. It’s all about promoting Bermuda.”

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