Bluefar Lady Takes Top Prize in Cultural Bootcamp, Small Business Gets Larger Platform
Victoria — Juliette Dine, founder of Bluefar Lady, emerged as overall winner of the Kultur Lab OI Bootcamp on Friday afternoon, receiving top prize during a ceremony that recognized ten cultural entrepreneurs who participated in the four-day programme during the week of May 4, 2026.
Her business transforms natural leaves into eco-friendly products such as bags, files, and packaging materials. The concept impressed judges and stood out among participants who underwent intensive training during the bootcamp.
Speaking after receiving the top prize of £3,000, Dine reflected on how the workshops sharpened her presentation skills. “During the workshop, we learned how to better present our projects in a pitch. On my side, I had too much information on my slides, and now I’ve learned a more structured way to capture the audience’s attention.”
She explained that the prize money will support the next stage of her business, particularly in securing financing and establishing a dedicated workspace. “I need an infrastructure, a place where I can create a workshop and take in workers because at the moment, I’m doing everything on my own and it is not easy.”
Second place went to Saviona Issac with Nana’s Craft (£1,500), while third place was awarded to Taniah Decommarmond with Taniah Entertainment Talent Academy, or TETA (£500).
Issac described her business as rooted in culture, authenticity and fashion through locally-made products. She emphasized her vision of creating opportunities for persons living with disabilities. “The idea is to organise workshops and classes based on jewellery-making and other accessories.” Surprised by her achievement, she said the award would help her secure a proper location for her activities, as her current workshop operates next to her home.
Beyond cash prizes, the top three winners will benefit from increased visibility through major social media platforms, opening doors to wider audiences and new opportunities.
Kultur Lab OI places special emphasis on projects that promote cultural heritage, local identities, gender equality, and the inclusion of youth and marginalized communities. The programme aims to empower cultural entrepreneurs while transforming the creative economy in the Indian Ocean region.
Implemented by the Indian Ocean Commission with support from the French Development Agency (AFD), the bootcamp brought together aspiring and established cultural entrepreneurs for intensive training. Consultant Sandrine Sumodh explained: “We were making sure to push them to the edge to ensure they really move towards their vision.”
Participants represented diverse creative sectors including music, visual arts, audiovisual and cinema, design, fashion/crafts, performing arts, publishing, digital creation and hybrid culture-technology solutions. Projects were evaluated by judges Lena Desaubin, Nousira Daman and Sharon Bonne, who assessed innovation, viability and potential impact.
The bootcamp offered hands-on coaching to refine ideas, strengthen business models and develop strategies for local and international growth. Previously held in Mauritius, the programme provided similar intensive support to Seychelles’ creative sector.
Whether this brief intensive intervention translates into lasting business success or simply becomes another entry on a CV remains the real test. For now, ten entrepreneurs received training, three received prizes, and one received enough money to possibly make the next step. The rest is execution.
