Creating a media environment in the region and to increase work opportunities in the sector: this is Infamous Foundation’s goal, which located itself in the Lourdes shopping center at the the Kaya L.D. Gerharts #10 on Bonaire this week. The main focus of the foundation is youth and young adults on Bonaire. Infamous wants to reach their goal by offering media courses & workshops, create a work/learning-experience centre, build a new television station and make Bonaire an attractive place for film companies, who can make use of trained local staff.
Martijn Hisschemoller, Fialka Groenendaal and Marcel van der Linden, the 3 foundation members explain:
“Worldwide, media is the profession/occupation of the future and in this field you need a lot of creativity. The last couple of years, we have seen the enormous creativity and talent of the youth and young adults on Bonaire. We feel this is a hidden treasure on the island. If we guide and develop this quality of creativity, this can grow into a new source of income and increase the economy of the island with a lots of new career opportunities.
Courses & workshops for everybody
Infamous will launch media courses & workshops in the beginning of 2017. Starting with a course for beginners where the basics of media will be taught. Advanced courses will follow soon after. Thanks to financial support of the Local Government (Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire) and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Infamous is able to offer the courses at a very low price, which make these courses accessible for everyone on the island.
B-onair: watch and participate
Infamous also presents itself by means of an own television station: B-onair (pronounce;” Be on air”). A couple of demo’s can already be found on the Youtube channel of the station. The station will also get its own tv channel on Bonaire soon through Mi-tv by Telbo, with broadcast possibilities on Curacao and Aruba in the future. All programs will be available online, via a special website, for phone, laptop or other mobiles devices. B-onair will be more than a traditional tv station, it will be an interactive (social) media platform.
Fialka: B-onair will not be a channel where a couple of people decide what you watch, we want to form a platform for all media creators on Bonaire. And we will help and train people to make their own television programs. So: stay tuned, B-onair!”
Collaboration as the key to success
Infamous understands perfectly well that their goals are not that easy to reach. Marcel: Collaboration will be the key to success. If everyone stays on his own rock, in their own comfort zone, it will be hard to create a healthy media environment. That’s why we also started a Facebook group called Dutch Caribbean Media Group. Everybody who works or is interested in the media industry can join this group. We are also actively reaching out to other foundations and companies. We started a collaboration with Siagnée Evertsz-Rosalia of Eagle Eye Media to make tv productions together. And we're looking forward to work with other peers in the future too. Infamous is convinced there are enough opportunities and abilities in the region to create a healthy media environment and is therefore very hopeful for the future. Martijn: “Our wish is that after a number of years the basis for a creative industry is there, employment has rose and that Bonaire stands as media centre of the Caribbean. Then we've achieved our goal and then the road is open for young people to take over“.
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