2024 Empowering Creators for Community BC Recap
This year, through our first ever British Columbian Empowering Creators for Community program, eight filmmakers came together and joined our senior artists for learnings, reflections and community discussions. Learn more about the program and our program participants below!
About the Program
The Empowering Creators for Community program fostered a supportive environment for documentarians dedicated to community-focused storytelling. Through peer-led knowledge sharing, curriculum created and delivered by three senior artists, community of practice groups, final reflection and sharing sessions, we aim to equip independent media makers with the tools and insights needed to create content that transcends entertainment, inspires audiences and effects positive change within and for their communities.
Meet the Participants
Thank you to our Senior Artists
These three Senior Artists have all had experience with creating documentaries that are deeply connected to a community. While all their work has made positive impacts, their process of creation and dissemination is varied. These three artists shared their learnings and experiences in hopes of fostering a larger community of practice and wisdom for creators who want to make content for positive change.
We held community gatherings and smaller cohort group meetings facilitated by senior artists to allow for conversations, connections and reflections.
“Story Money Impact’s Empowering Creators for Community Mentorship Program provided me with a unique opportunity to explore an untapped strategy in filmmaking. Hearing from our senior artists and participating in the break out sessions helped reinforce the importance of community in the type of projects I’m interested in working on, and reminded me of why I chose community work to begin with in my practice. I’m so excited to get to take away everything that I learned from my cohort members, and continue to grow the friendships I gained along the way!”
Full community gathering with participants, senior artists and SMI team.
“The people behind SMI bring their heart and good sense to everything they do. This inaugural Empowering Creators for Community program delivered with consistent standards. I’m so grateful for having had the opportunity to join the cohort and am looking forward to applying all that I learned to my current documentary project.”
Smaller cohort meetings with senior artist
Congratulations to our first ever cohort for a successful program!
This program is made possible by the generosity of Story Money Impact donors and the BC Arts Council.
