Screen Australia's First Nations Department and Instagram Australia have today announced that the Instagram First Nations Creators Program is returning for a third year, with 2023 applications now open.
The immersive program is an opportunity for 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 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 some First Nations Creators they admire and follow.
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 an Instagram account as well as experience in social media or digital video content creation and be available to attend the program in Sydney in October 2022.
Screen Australia's Head of First Nations Angela Bates said, "The Instagram First Nations Creators Program has been a pivotal platform for elevating and celebrating the rich diversity of First Nations voices in the digital landscape. This program empowers emerging First Nations talent, providing them with the necessary skills, mentorship, and resources to create impactful content that resonates with their communities and the world at large. We invite all aspiring First Nations creators to once again seize this incredible opportunity to shape a more inclusive and vibrant digital future."
Speaking to the positive impact of the program, successful creator and filmmaker Jahvis Loveday from Bundjalung country said, "The Screen Australia and Meta First Nations program was one of the best things I have done for my creative growth. The warm nurturing/collaborative nature really allowed me to tear down my walls as a creator and begin creating whatever I wanted on Instagram! Overall It was powerful to create alongside other First Nations creators, and to watch each other now grow, is so uplifting."
Meta's ANZ Creator Partnerships Lead, Kirsty Wilson said, "We are incredibly proud to have provided a springboard for the amplification of First Nations creative voices as a result of our committed partnership with Screen Australia in previous years. We look forward to providing an impactful opportunity for the 2023 cohort through a range of funding, education and mentoring sessions."
First Nations Creators can apply for the program here.
Instagram First Nations Creators Program Video here.
Full eligibility and assessment criteria for applicants is available in the guidelines here.
Applications close August 10, 2023.
