Foto: Stefan Ammerlaan.
Best-known for his work as a presenter, Sipke Jan Bousema (@SipkeJanBousema) is a man of many talents. Over the years, he has starred in film and television shows, worked as a voice-over and voice actor, developed his own television formats, directed and produced television and theatre productions, and much more. From crime reconstruction show ‘Opsporing Verzocht’ (wanted by police) to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, Sipke Jan knows how to captivate audiences of all ages.
Bousema knew at a very young age that he wanted to work in the media. Now 37, his career spans several decades. It all started when he set up his own family newspaper as an eight-year old; at the age of sixteen he landed his first job in television. After a number of years of working behind the scenes as a producer and director, he made his on-screen debut in 1999. In 2000 he was awarded a Dutch Academy Award for best newcomer on television.
Critical acclaim also came his way for children’s talk show “Wat zou jij doen” (what would you do), which was nominated for a prestigious Prix Jeunesse in 2012. The episode in question centred around Joppe, who was born as a boy, but lives her life as a girl. Because this was rather a controversial subject, Bousema was not surprised the show did not actually win the award, though he felt very honoured to have been nominated. After all, for him the best reward was that his programme made a difference.
This characterizes Bousema, who does not only want to entertain his audience – a thing at which he excels – but also aims to inform, inspire and engage people. He does so on and off screen. He has been an ambassador for Unicef since 2001, and is now also an ambassador for the “Week van de mediawijsheid” (week of media savvy), an initiative aimed at increasing media skills and media awareness, especially among children. Together with Marieke Slinkert he made the 2012 documentary “Strijders voor de liefde” (warriors for love), a poignant story of gays and lesbians and their everyday fight for the right to love in a world where homosexuality is sadly still far from universally accepted.
At TEDxDelft we too wish to inform, inspire and engage people. And entertain them while we are at it. Therefore, we are very proud to have Sipke Jan Bousema as our presenter for 2013. This year, TEDxDelft also wants to challenge the audience to take practical ideas home with them and implement them in their lives. Here too, Bousema is just the man to inspire us. Always up for a challenge, he took part in survival show “Expeditie Robinson” in 2011 and in 2007 he learned to ice-skate to take part in “Sterren dansen op het ijs” (dancing on ice). On the TEDxDelft stage though, he will not be skating on thin ice. Judging from previous editions, he will be hosting a set of talks ranging from the weird to the wonderful to the simply awe-inspiring. And no doubt, his own performance will be very much worth watching too.