Brimming with talented, tech-savvy youngsters, Jamaica is a hub for innovation. And now, the visual arts have the potential to turn this talent into a meaningful and professional career, thanks to a growing demand for locally sourced animation products.
While currently home to just three ¡°pure play¡± animation studios, the animation industry in Jamaica has the potential to create thousands of jobs. In the past four years, over 2,500 students received 1 or 2 grades for Visual Arts. In other words, in Jamaica today there are well over 2,000 young people aged 16-21 with the basic skills to become world-class animators.
But how to turn this enormous, untapped potential into a fully-fledged, international industry and show young Jamaicans that a career in animation is well within their grasp?
Enter KingstOOn: a 2-day animation film festival and conference, bringing together international industry leaders, local animation companies as well as government and World Bank officials. The aim: to act as a catalyst for Jamaica¡¯s animation industry and position the country as the next animation hub.
¡°Young Jamaicans have the talent. Through partnerships with educational institutions and the private sector, we can provide the opportunity to put them at use in a growing creative industry," explained Fabio Pittaluga, World Bank Senior Social Development Specialist and the initiative's coordinator.
