U.S. and African Students participate in cross-continental panel alongside Black industry leaders from the U.S. and Africa to encourage the next generation of BIPOC storytellers.
Last week The SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios Storytellers Lab, a pioneering initiative designed to create impactful partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in America to cultivate diverse creator pipelines within the entertainment industry last week, hosted a conference with students from Kenya,Nigeria and South Africa from AFDA and the MultiChoice Talent Factory to lead a global discussion about the future of Black content creation in the entertainment industry around the world.
Dometi Pongo moderated from Atlanta, GA, guiding an engaging conversation that connected talent and executives from both the US andAfrica. Joining him as co-moderator was Lerai, who participated from Johannesburg.
Nick Cannon, Multi-Hyphenate Entertainer and Entrepreneur, joined the conversation from Atlanta in front of a live audience, engaging with students and the industry leaders in a conversation that addressed centering the Black experience in storytelling, uplifting fresh voices that reflect the diversity of the BIPOC culture in the entertainment industry and how Black narratives are resonating with a global audience.
Additional industry leaders from the U.S. and Africa who participated in the conversation included:
U.S. based: Sheila Ducksworth, President of CBS Studios NAACP Ventures and Tolani Holmes, SVP of Unscripted Development at SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios
Africa based (virtual): Jerry Mofokeng, Actor and Director (Tsotsi and Cry, the Beloved Country, the series Shaka Zulu), Ferry Jele, Director and Producer, (Rockville, The Queen) and Desireé Markgraaff, a leading figure in South African film and TV (Isibaya, Jacob’s Cross, The Road, as well as the film Shaka Zulu).
“We were delighted to have this important conversation with Paramount Africa to explore how telling stories rooted in culture and sharing global experiences is important for creating meaningful content,” said Ti-Shea Meadows, VP of Operations, Channel Planning and Culture,SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks and Head of theStorytellers Lab. “In today’s interconnected world, learning from one another and exchanging skills and knowledge helps keep our storytelling relevant and reflect our diverse identities. By embracing each other’s perspectives, we can craft stories that resonate universally while staying true to who we are.”
“We are thrilled to be able to leverage our global influence and network to include students from the African continent in this industry development initiative. We hope the AFDA and MultiChoice Talent Factory students will benefit from the international exposure and the opportunity to network with like-minded creatives. Paramount Africa has made significant investment in the local creative sector with popular productions like Redemption, Nkalakatha, Dj Zinhle and Faith Nketsi’s reality shows, and initiatives like this are an important part of growing the industry. Our ambition is to evolve this over time and give young African creatives a bigger platform to shine as we continue to invest in the industry across Africa.” said Monde Twala, SVP and GM for Paramount Africa and Lead, BET International.
“The broader HBCU engagement and global integration around conversations happening among creators and storytellers state side and across the diaspora are in lockstep with the overall mission of Content for Change, which is to transform how the world sees people,” said Melissa C. Potter, Executive Director, Content for Change. “We are intentionally expanding the message globally, so that we ensure representation in storytelling on and off the screen remains accessible, authentic and inclusive.”
The Global Conference is part of a series of events hosted by Content for Change and SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios that provide students with access to new networks and masterclasses with leaders across Paramount Global as well as insider perspectives on the creative processes of content development.
Beyond a program, the SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios Storytellers Lab is a catalyst for change. Follow #StorytellersLab to on social platforms to learn more.
