Victorian digital content creators are set to benefit from a new, world-first YouTube accelerator program, delivered by Changer Studios and supported by the Victorian Government.

The four-week Creator Accelerator program, announced in April, will help established and advanced creators to scale their content businesses by developing and leveraging new opportunities in a rapidly changing media landscape.

Featuring leading insights from global experts and creators, the program will support 13 Victorians – each of whom are building creative content businesses – to grow the success and sustainability of their respective creative output.

Participants, drawn from across the state, are diverse in both their passions and their profile. From the creation of First Nations content to a health and fitness channel, the 13 new program participants include creators and entrepreneurs working across a range of genres, such as music, education, animation, comedy and vlogging.

Business coach Erin Henry anticipates that the program will provide her with the strategies and structure to match her focus, energy and intuition.

As Founder and CEO of the Game Changer Company, an online business development and coaching venture, Erin’s singular effort has been the needs of her clients. She hopes participation in the Creator Accelerator program will help her to “grow and scale” her business content platform.

“For a long time, I have wanted to take my passion for the business, and my intuition, and package it into something that will help me reach more people and create more opportunities,” she says.

“As a content creator who works from home, it can get incredibly lonely sometimes. It’s inspiring to connect with other entrepreneurs.”

The Creator Accelerator program aligns with Victorian Government’s investment to create a stronger, fairer and more inclusive economy. The development of diverse and thriving ecosystems also acts as an incubator of new ideas, providing valuable opportunities for the discovery of knowledge and a solid foundation for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Since the spread of coronavirus in 2020, the world has seen a 60 per cent increase in online video consumption as people gravitate towards content that offers a sense of togetherness in times of isolation.

Creators are responding by developing more content to educate, entertain and connect. In line with this, the Victorian Government is investing in Victoria’s online content creators to build a larger, more collaborative and inclusive online community. The aim is to advance both the state’s productivity and economic growth, and deliver greater social and cultural benefits.

Creator Accelerator is part of a larger Digital Creator Program designed, in part, to realise these goals.

Supported by a partnership between the Victorian Music Development Office, Film Victoria, Creative Victoria, and the DJPR* Jobs, Innovation and Business Engagement Group, the Digital Creator Program includes free and accessible online workshops that highlight the importance of video streaming for discovery and engagement with creative product.

With its focus on digital paths to consumers, the program offers Victorian creators both a timely and impactful addition to their coronavirus survival toolkits, as well as a strong foundation for new work and new markets when times improve.

Changer Studios Co-Founder Ant McCormack says the program is...

“enabling a new generation of creative talent to take advantage of the incredible opportunities to make and distribute content, direct to niche global audiences.”

“Through these world-leading programs, Changer Studios is helping to shape the future media landscape by building the knowledge, skills and global network of creative entrepreneurs – helping them grow on a never-before-seen scale.”

 Learn more about the Creator Accelerator program and its 13 new participants.

The Digital Innovation Festival Victoria features Creator Accelerator online workshops in its 2020 program