What do you see when you envision the future of the Belgian creative scene? For us, we see diverse, unique perspectives, representative of the world around us. That is exactly why we have been working on our 20-something issues since 2014. These editions feature 20 people in their (pre-)twenties who are a guide, an inspiration or an Earlybird for the young generation of today in Belgium. It is the greatest honour to step into the minds of some of the most innovative young people in Belgium; and learn about their dreams, fears, inspirations and even their celebrity crushes. This year’s list was co-curated with Kevin Kotahunyi, founder of Please Add Color.
Panadda Manarata
she/her, 27, frontend developer, Antwerp
What do we & our readers need to remember about you?
My persistence to pursue my dreams and inspiring others to do the same.
What artists are you listening to?/Which records are you playing most right now?/What book are you currently reading?/Which film have you enjoyed lately?
I'm currently listening to AnnenMayKatnereit and Dojo Cuts, really love the vibe.
What makes your heart go faster these days?
Humble acts of kindness.
What are you doing daily at 9 pm/9 am?
At 9 pm I work, at 9 am I work for myself.
What’s your personal utopia?
A world where technology and nature are in balance. Where there is a much slower pace of living and more appreciation for the little things.
Personal utopia: a world where technology and nature are in balance
What brings you satisfaction?
Seeing the results of my work.
How do you relax?
I usually relax by walking my dog, listening to music, or taking a bath while drinking a nice glass of wine.
What would you like to be doing in 10 years’ time?
Running my own business in web development and working with creative souls.
What is the latest/future project you are working on?
My latest projects will be for Lacuna Studios and Sean van Echelpoel and I also have a portfolio website coming up and some nice projects for other artists.
What will the second part of 2022 bring you?
More structure in my work-life balance.
Who is the person that most influenced you throughout your development in life?
I always try to surround myself with loving and supportive people. I definitely find motivation and inspiration from them.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned lately?
If you set your mind to it anything is possible.
Is there anyone in your scene who needs more attention?
@amberfeijen, co-founder of @oyustudio, a nice project that brings creatives together working in different fields. @nelebrughmans, she’s an up-and-coming rising artist working with a variety of different mediums.
Comfort food/speciality dish?
My grandmother's Thai food.
Celebrity crush?
Jorja Smith.
Most irrational fear?/Most rational fear?
WWIII/ The building burning down while my pets are still inside.
If you were a cartoon character in a show, what would be your uniform?
I would be wearing a different outfit every episode like Totally Spies.
What were you like as a child?
A kind and loving big sister but also a rebellious kid outside the house.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Reading people's minds or flying.
What’s the one thing you can’t live without?
Music, it's a way to express myself.
If there was a book about your life, what would the title be?
HTML & CSS for dummies.
Biggest red flag?
Materialistic and closed-minded people
Biggest dream?
Travelling the world while working and growing my own business
Favourite quote from a book/movie/show/song
‘Everything, in time’ - Pinterest
How did your collaboration with Please Add Color begin?
Kevin approached me via LinkedIn and from there we started a nice collaboration.
Tell me about being a woman of colour working in technology.
It took some time for me to realize what I wanted to do in life. I had a lot of trial and error before I found my passion for the web. But when my goals were clear I started to research ways to become a web developer. After a while I found a 7-month course to kick start my career and from there on it was a whole journey on its own. I really took a shortcut into getting into the tech business but am still learning every single day.
I had a lot of trial and error before I found my passion for the web
As for women and tech, I think women are more interested in development than a few years back. When I started my course there was a lot of diversity in the group such as gender, age, background, colour, and religion. But when starting to work at companies you can see that there are not a lot of women senior developers nor a lot of diversity. I'm currently working with two other women and 13 men in a team. , so you can really see that times are slowly changing. But everything in time.
Photo's shot by @hashira.films
Different Class works with the interest of their community at heart.
Our work’s purpose is to foster a solid network for independent artists, those who love them, and those who want to support them. Become a member to contribute to the local Belgian art scene.
Our membership plans
