New website for Caribbean artists

Speaking at the launch of the website on October 22, Sizzleisland’s CEO and founder, Maria K Lewis, explained the history of the site, which she indicated has been in the works since 2011, according to a media release.

“Five years ago, when I produced the television show, Kulture Keepers, a programme which was 100 percent local in content, one of the biggest challenges I faced was sourcing the funding to showcase the programme on our local television stations.

Although I was fortunate to have eventually acquired the financing, I promised myself that I would strive to find a more affordable platform for my work in the future.

“Back then I played around with the idea of posting my production on YouTube or Vimeo, but I dismissed the thought because those sites are inundated with content from millions of people around the world.

I wanted a space where .the competition for viewership was much less, and a place that would celebrate the ‘Caribbean-ness’ of my content. That’s when I hit on the idea of having a site which would broadcast the talent of our region. My mind soon broadened to think about the many Caribbean film-makers, singers, dancers, musicians, jewelry makers, fashion designers, writers, spoken word artists, painters, culinary artists, graphic designers, beauty and makeup artists etc., who all possess a passion for their craft, yet lack the requisite vehicle to properly showcase their talents.

Sizzleisland therefore evolved to what it is now: a website which aims to showcase, promote and develop the artistic talents of Caribbean people,” said Lewis.

The website, which is both mobile and tablet compatible, boasts several features for budding and established artists: •Sizzleisland’s homepage portrays photographs of Caribbean artists.

•The Talent Search feature is a networking service that allows users to search for and communicate with one another.

•Sizzle Showcase “shows off ” the users’ talents through their video and music posts.

•Unleash! is Sizzleisland’s online magazine which highlights artists through insightful and entertaining articles.

•The Sizzle Entrepreneurs feature was conceived for users to earn an income from their creative passions.

This service offers the facility for users to advertise and sell artistic products and services of their own creation directly from the site.

•Sizzle Jobs was created for the artists who need to make a living, whilst they pursue their passions in their free time.

•Sizzle Funding is the site’s crowdfunding feature which enables users to generate financing for their artistic projects through donations from the Sizzleisland community.

• Finally, the website boasts a Profile Page section for each user to individualise as they please.

All the features of the site are easily available via this one profile page, which users can also use to market themselves.

“The overarching dream for Sizzleisland.

com is to create an online community of talented Caribbean artists…a space in which Caribbean people and the rest of the world can recognise, appreciate and celebrate the extensive mass of talent which exists in our region!” Lewis said