.nl in the spotlight: junglewarrior.nl

How did you come up with the idea of The Jungle Warrior?

"I've got an ICT degree but, a few years after entering the profession, I discovered my real passion: dancing. I started out doing it just for fun, but after a few years I began appearing professionally with the Come Correct troupe. That went so well that my day-job employer and I concluded that dancing was more my thing than ICT, so I took a gamble. After that, I spent a few years dancing and managing the troupe. I even danced with them in the final of Holland's Got Talent.

Over time, I gradually started doing more and more photography and video for the troupe. In the end, I started doing that for a living, making 'storytelling' videos. After doing that for companies and private customers for a while, I thought maybe I should tell my own story too. So I took the plunge, and my story became The Jungle Warrior."

What's the story behind junglewarrior.nl?

"I've been considering this project for four years. I'm inspired by people who campaign for the environment and sustainability. People like Boyan Slat of The Ocean Cleanup and Merijn Tinga, the Plastic Soup Surfer. I was born in Indonesia, and I wanted to weave the story of that country's rainforest into my own story. I wanted to express my passion for the rainforest through dance. When I used to do breakdancing shows for children, I often portrayed a monkey. That gave me the idea of a dance show for adults, telling the story of a monkey driven from the jungle by palm oil producers. That's The Jungle Warrior.

What's your target audience?

"What I've created is a solo show for the business market. It can be a brief intermezzo at a sustainability event, or a performance with a reading. It's conceived as an entertaining show with a serious, contemporary message. We need to preserve the rainforest and the ocean. All of us do, including us here in the Netherlands, even though the problems are mainly far from home."

How did you choose your name and domain name?

"During lockdown, I did a Wiebe Bakker course on meaningful enterprise to help me develop my story. That's when I came up with the name. I found it was available and registered it immediately through my hosting firm Greenhost – a sustainable service provider, of course."

How did you build your website?

"Despite my ICT background, I got a professional web designer friend to do it using WordPress. I focused on the stills and video for the site. There's a lot more material to come."

How are you planning to promote your concept and site online?

"That is very much a work in progress. Instagram is an obvious option, with the audiovisual material and playful campaigns I have in mind. Given the target audience for my performances, I also plan to use LinkedIn, where artists and event promoters form key partnerships."

Where do you hope to be with your concept five years from now?

"I like the idea of my home town of Apeldoorn becoming the Netherlands' first palm-oil-free city, with an educational Jungle Dome."

Do you have any advice for other start-ups?

"If you get an opportunity and you're unsure what to do, I say go for it. You need to reach beyond your comfort zone."