A group of young Bermudians are hoping to bring together local artists to show the potential of local talent.

Jarret Carlington, the co-founder of IslandMentality, said the initiative aimed to encourage those interested in pursuing their artistic ambitions and shine a spotlight on Bermudians plying their trade overseas.

“We want to show that there are Bermudians in the performing arts on the global stage,” he said. “A lot of people think of the phrase ‘island mentality’ as a negative thing, something limiting, but Bermudians are being successful abroad.

“There’s a Bermudian, Ben Lusher, who is touring the US with the band ThirdStory and has been opening for Tori Kelly, but a lot of people in Bermuda don’t know about them so they are missing out on an opportunity to gain that support.

“We would also like to bring back some of these artists to the island so they can share their knowledge and experiences.”

Working alongside partners Malachi Simmons and Rikkai Scott, Mr Carlington is putting together the first IslandMentality event this weekend.

Titled “The Exchange”, the event at the Berkeley Institute will feature a series of classes focusing on dance.

Mr Carlington will host a class on beginner/intermediate hip-hop, while Mr Scott will present a class on intermediate contemporary dance and Mr Simmons a class on advance hip-hop and contemporary fusion.

The event will also include a question-and-answer session for those interested in wanting to know more about their experiences working in the dance industry abroad.

“Our next steps for IslandMentality will be to reach out to as many professional performing artists who share a relationship with the island of Bermuda as we can,” Mr Carlington said.

“One of the ultimate goals is to bring these artists back periodically to share what they have learnt through workshops, progressive intensive camps, performances/concerts, and informative talks similar to TED talks.

“This weekend’s workshop is the first endeavour into this plan.”

As the initiative moves forward, he said IslandMentality hoped to create an online hub where Bermudian artists could connect, create and share with other Bermudians locally and abroad. Videos already online on the organisation’s YouTube page highlight several local artists, including one video featuring a dance routine by Mr Scott and Mr Simmons set to music by ThirdStory.

“We have contacted a handful of these artists and have done short spotlight videos already on some of them that we’ve published on our Instagram and Facebook page in an attempt to shed light on their accomplishments and current works,” Mr Carlington said.

“Every Bermudian in school overseas has a Bermudian flag in their room or their dorm. I know that they support Bermuda and so they carry that with them.

“If they just knew about the Bermudian artists working near them, it’s likely that they would go out and support them.”

• The Exchange is scheduled to take place today, with each class costing $15 if booked in advance by e-mailing islandmentality.info@gmail.com, or $20 at the door. Early sign-in begins at 11.30am, with the first class beginning at noon.