Screen Australia's First Nations Department and Instagram Australia have announced that applications are open for the fourth iteration of the First Nations Creators Program, providing up to 15 First Nations recipients to receive funding, intimate educational experiences and continuous fostered growth to help create long term career prospects in social media and digital content creation.
The program will be held at Instagram HQ in Sydney, and will provide in-person training, practical workshops, mentoring, career connections, equipment and content funding, for up to 15 emerging digital creators. To enter, each applicant must submit a short 30-second to one-minute video about themselves. The content should include their social accounts, some detail on the type of content they create, as well as sharing their inspirations and goals, and what they hope to gain from the program.
To participate in this year's program, creators must be over 18 years of age and identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Creators must have a public Instagram account as well as experience in social media or digital video content creation, and be available to attend a 2-3 day in-person program in Sydney in July 2024.
Screen Australia's Head of First Nations Angela Bates said, "We're incredibly excited to partner with Meta once again to support First Nations creators to enhance their practice and reach new audiences. Instagram offers endless possibilities for our emerging Indigenous storytellers to experiment with ideas, develop their unique and enduring voices, and produce authentic and engaging content for audiences around the world."
"We're proud to support First Nations creatives in this space, and it's great to see the positive impact this program has had on their careers. I can't wait to see what new talent this year's program uncovers and the opportunities that eventuate as a result!" said Bates.
Meta's ANZ Global Creator Partnerships Lead, Kirsty Wilson said, "Through our First Nations Program – which centres on creative upskilling, and community building – we have empowered emerging First Nations creatives, equipping them with the tools to flourish on our platforms, and beyond. We are incredibly proud to continue celebrating, elevating, and amplifying some of Australia's most creative and important voices, not just through this Program, but in all the work we do."
First Nations Creators can apply for the program here.
For the full eligibility requirements and assessment criteria, see the Guidelines here.
Applications close 5pm AEST Thursday 16 May, 2024.
Watch the Instagram First Nations Creators Program Video here.
