ICYMI: Our Top 7 Moments Launching TELUS STORYHIVE’s 10 Year Anniversary
Posted on July 18, 2023
Dare to Dream, and Dare to Create.. And Dare to Celebrate!
On June 1, STORYHIVE officially launched the celebration of the year with our 10 year anniversary, and what’s a birthday without a party?
So, what have we been celebrating? Since 2013, STORYHIVE has distributed more than $52 million in production funding, hosted over 10,000 hours of robust training and mentorship, supported over 1,100 projects and a community of thousands of local content creators in over 270 communities across B.C. and Alberta.
STORYHIVE programs are designed for new and emerging creators and no prior experience is required. It has also supported grassroots content creators to produce over 1,920 hours of Canadian-reflective content for audiences to watch, creating positive representations of Canadians on screen. That’s a lot of reasons to celebrate!
“It takes an entire community of organizations and diverse community voices who help deliver these first rate programs. We have so much to be grateful for as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of STORYHIVE. This program is where it is today because of our content creator’s immense talent, drive and creativity. We are excited to continue the evolution of STORYHIVE and to amplify even more stories and voices across B.C. and Alberta.” - Jennifer Park, Manager, STORYHIVE and Community Content
This past month has been a jam-packed season of excitement and it’s far from over. We’ve loved every minute of reflection and celebration so far, and while the highlights continue to roll in, here’s our favourite moments so far of saying “Happy Birthday” to STORYHIVE – in case you missed it! In no particular order…
1) Launching our 10 year anniversary commercial
To kick off the celebrations, we premiered our official 10 Year Anniversary commercial at the start of June. The video features the talents and insights of an unstoppable group of STORYHIVE alumni, and celebrates our community and the accomplishments of our innovative programs and evolution over the past decade. We are grateful to put a spotlight on our community and let their words speak to how STORYHIVE has shaped their journeys as content creators.
“As a filmmaker, it became my mission to include others in my dream” - Mayumi Yoshida, STORYHIVE Female Directors Edition
“[STORYHIVE] definitely made it clear that they wanted us to succeed, and more than anything, they were willing to get us there – no matter what – and help us grow.” - Rekha Kapadia and Gabby Moukhaiber, STORYHIVE Summer Crew
“There is power in asserting your full identity, change can come when you use your voice, and your voice deserves to be heard.” - Kels Delamarter, STORYHIVE Voices
2) Watching our alumni shine
Our alumni were interviewed on broadcast segments across B.C. and Alberta to share their experiences in their STORYHIVE programs, and we were beaming to get to tune in and see them on air.
Janessa St. Pierre (Black Creators Edition alum) spoke to Mona Mahmoud at CTV Morning Live in Vancouver, celebrating our anniversary and her film project Hair or No Hair, alongside Jennifer Park (Manager, STORYHIVE and Community Content).
Shawn Tse (Voices) spoke to Shaye Ganam at Global Edmonton about his experience creating his video series YEG Chinatown Now through the STORYHIVE Voices program.
“It was really hard for me to find opportunities to create my own stories. [...] STORYHIVE made that possible'' - Janessa St. Pierre, Black Creators Edition
Watch Janessa’s full interview.
3) Funding 80 Content Creators in our biggest Edition yet
On June 22, we announced the funding of 80 content creators in our largest Edition yet: The STORYHIVE Anniversary Documentary Edition. A whole new cohort of creative folks are about to embark on their project with $20,000 in production funding, one-on-one mentorship from the National Screen Institute, training and distribution of their final project on TELUS Optik TV. We are excited to welcome new creators into our community with a refreshed Edition program structure with the introduction of our Research and Development component, adding even more value for content creators!
View the full list of content creators here.
“I have some exciting news to share! I’ve been selected by TELUS STORYHIVE [...] I’m beyond grateful for this chance and I’m super pumped to get started on this project.” - Jade Warf, Funded Content Creator, Anniversary Documentary Edition
4) Taking in top tips from our community at the Content Creator Chat
Hosted by Prem Gill, CEO of Creative BC and former TELUS team member who helped launch STORYHIVE, our Content Creator Chat on June 27 featured the insights of esteemed program alumni and special guests as we reflected on a decade on local storytelling and the future of local content creation.
Panelists shared their top words of advice for upcoming content creators, and their hopes for the next 10 years of STORYHIVE. The highlights are seriously inspiring.
“You are capable of so much more than you think you are [...] find your community, create together, and have fun.” - Allyson Leet, STORYHIVE Voices
5) Connecting our community with the teams behind STORYHIVE + TELUS originals at our Open House ONLINE
We love getting to chat with our incredible community face-to-face, or at a virtual table!
On June 28, guests from across B.C. and Alberta logged on with the TELUS Local Content team to discover how our programs can help them share the stories that matter to them and their communities. Plus, opportunities to connect with Partners, Program Managers, Production Executives, and Alumni, all in one afternoon! It was an informative and bustling online experience, and we loved the engagement from everyone who joined us.
“We’re building capacity with the original storytellers of our lands, and I’m very proud to be a part of that. It’s the most meaningful part of my life.” - Farhan Umedaly, Program Manager, STORYHIVE Community Stories
6) Launching STORYHIVE’s new Channel 9 on Optik TV and Donating $10,000 to the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation
Did you know that we launched our very own channel on TELUS Optik TV, Channel 9, exclusively for all your favourite STORYHIVE content? Now you know where you can get all of your community’s locally-made and reflective stories in one place.
Throughout the month of June, every view on Channel 9 meant $1 donated to the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation (up to a maximum of $10,000) to support local, grassroots charities that help youth reach their full potential. At the end of the month, we surpassed our goal of 10,000 views and reached the maximum donation amount – thank you to our TELUS Optik TV customers!
We’re proud to help empower the next generation of storytellers in everything that we do.
7) Reading how STORYHIVE has shaped your content creator journey
Since June 1, STORYHIVERs have been taking to social media and our inboxes to tell us about how STORYHIVE has impacted their journey as content creators, and we’ve loved reading each of your experiences. Keep them coming!
Here’s one from our first winner, Mitch George!
"The Film Labs was a kickstart for a healthy, and supportive relationship for me and my niece. We spent the entire summer together completing a fun, interactive, and informative how-to series. This has skyrocketed her interest in storytelling and filmmaking, and she leans on me for guidance on how to continue making content."
Every story shared is an entry for a chance to win a STORYHIVE content creator starter pack (worth $500).
Interested in sharing your story? Make sure to tag @STORYHIVE and use the hashtag #STORYHIVETurns10 on your social media channels in any posts.
STORYHIVE’s 10 Year Celebrations don't end here, and there’s a chance to win prizes for sharing your story until the end of the year.
Learn more about the contest details here.
Now you’re all caught up!
Thank you for being a part of our celebrations, and a part of ten years of STORYHIVE. It’s been an incredible experience recognizing a decade of locally-reflective storytelling with our community.
Thank you to our TELUS Optik TV customers. With your support, STORYHIVE has been able to develop innovative programs to support content creators across B.C. and Alberta and focus on our ongoing mission to support underrepresented communities, helping empower the next generation of content creators and storytellers.
Keep dreaming, and keep creating. Here’s to the next 10! Stay tuned on our channels for news on upcoming funding opportunities and events.