Young Creators

Democratic Media Institute (DMI) is launching a support program for young Belarusian creators to help them produce high-quality and in-demand media products capable of capturing the attention of the young Belarusian audience.

At the conclusion of the program, participants will not only gain the knowledge necessary for creating media products but, under the guidance of mentors, will also be able to develop and launch their own media projects. Additionally, they will receive financial support for their creation and development.

The objective of the program is to help young Belarusian creators develop and launch their own media projects on TikTok, YouTube, or other video platforms. The projects can cover various themes, including entertainment, educational content, while remaining in the framework of socially significant topics for Belarus.

The main goals of the program are:

• Determine topics relevant to a young audience, as well as content creators’ needs (informational, organizational, technical, and financial).
• Provide program participants with expert assistance in the development, launch, and management of media projects through lectures, masterclasses, training sessions, and individual mentorship.
• Offer organizational, technical, and financial support to participants to ensure the successful realization of projects.

To participate in the program, please fill out the application below. In the response email, we will send further instructions.

We will ask all applicants to record and submit a short motivational video, enabling us to assess your potential.

Decisions regarding the selection of participants are made by the organizational committee, which includes:

• Media Professionals
• Popular video content creators
• Program Organizers

Competent jury will review applications and select program participants.

At the end of the process, 6 applications will be chosen, and the creators behind them will become program participants, receiving mentorship and financial support. Each participant will receive support in the amount of €2500.

Young Belarusians aged 18 to 26, regardless of their current citizenship, can participate in the program. Prior experience in creating video content is not mandatory. The main condition is that the content should be relevant to the young Belarusian audience both within the country and beyond.

All applications must be submitted by April 7, 2024 and can be completed in Belarusian, Russian or English.

Each participant may submit only one project to be considered during the selection stage.

The program will consist of several stages:

• A series of lectures and masterclasses from experts. Participants will acquire the necessary knowledge for creating media products: technical (equipment, lighting, sound, shooting, editing), creative (fundamentals of scriptwriting, on-screen performance), and marketing (analytics, promotion). Each lecture and masterclass will include both theoretical parts and Q&A sessions.
• Working on individual projects under the guidance of mentors. Each participant will have a personal curator assisting in the creation of a pilot episode of a media product. Additionally, participants can sign up for individual consultations with experts in each direction.
• Presentation of pilot episodes in an offline event. During the event, participants can showcase their pilot episodes to experts and receive feedback. Special guests, several popular content creators, will be invited to the event for participants to interact with the participants and answer their questions.
• Independent work on content. Each participant must create at least 9 episodes of video content. During this stage, participants can consult with their mentors several times. Before starting this stage, participants will receive 50% of the planned financial support. The remaining 50% will be transferred after completing the episodes.

Please write to this email promo@dmi.lt, and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the lab.

The competition is organized by the Democratic Media Institute, a Lithuanian NGO that supports the development of independent media.