A stellar lineup of activities commemorating this year’s edition of Africa Month celebrations have been announced by YouTube.
The events aim to reaffirm YouTube’s commitment to growing Africa’s creator ecosystem, as well as to highlight and celebrate the artists and creatives who are driving the growth of Afrobeats and Africa’s music industry.
As part of the series, aspiring songwriters, producers, and content creators from Sub-Saharan Africa will receive virtual and in-person training and workshops to help them improve their skills and scale and grow their channels. These include a Creator 360 virtual workshop where content creators can collaborate and share skills, as well as in-person Creator Day workshops led by industry experts to help ambitious young creators learn the skills they need to thrive on YouTube.
YouTube will also offer workshops through its Future Insiders Program to empower aspiring producers and songwriters with hands-on training taught by seasoned producers such as Sarz and Musa Keys, according to the announcement.
“We’re incredibly proud at YouTube to provide a platform that shares Africa’s creativity with the rest of the world. From music, fashion, and beauty to the latest trending movements, YouTube plays an important role in the emergence and expression of Africa’s unique cultural stories to local and global audiences. By commemorating Africa Month through these impactful initiatives, we continue to spotlight, and elevate the work of creators and artists who are at the forefront of the continent’s creative explosion.”
Says Alex Okosi, Managing Director, Emerging Markets, YouTube EMEA.
Meanwhile, the YouTube Africa Day Concert, in collaboration with British actor and musician Idris Elba, will return to Nigeria for an in-person event that will also be livestreamed to a virtual audience on YouTube on May 25. The pan-African concert, which features notable Afropop acts, aims to use music to showcase African culture.
Earlier this year, 26 creators from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa were among 135 creators from around the world who participated in the 2022 edition of #YouTubeBlack voices creator class. The creators receive seed funding alongside dedicated support to help them develop their channels and thrive on the YouTube platform.
Recently, the YouTube NextUp program, which focuses on providing access to learning through one-on-one coaching, workshops and resources was launched to amplify the growth of many successful creators across the region.
