Creative studio youtube series#

We extend our thanks to YouTube and the three content creators for helping bring these experiences to their audiences.” “Refugees leave so much behind to find safety, but they carry with them their creativity, and we have to work harder to give them the opportunity to pursue their passions,” added Dominique Hyde, director of UNHCR’s Division for External Relations. “UNHCR is delighted to partner with YouTube to spotlight the creative energy of refugees, and we are privileged that these refugee creators have allowed us to share their stories. This project was an incredibly important one for Uncommon to produce and share with the world. These stories are beautifully woven together and brought to life by our incredible partners Lief, Alma Har’el and Laura Checkoway, crafting each moving story with delicate care and consideration. Launched June 20 on Jax Jones YouTube channel.Ĭharlie Gatsky, Chief Production Officer at Uncommon, stated, “The power of these films is the message it shares, one of solidarity focussing on what unites us rather than sets us apart. Working on a track in the studio together, we learn both artists share a common language searching for belonging.

Restarting their lives in Germany, they are overcoming creative and personal struggles whilst discovering the healing power of sisterhood and music. In a village just outside Stuttgart, chart-topping DJ & Producer, Jax Jones, meets displaced Ukrainian-Ethiopian sisters, Betty, Siona and Miriam, who form hip-hop trio, Fo Sho, together.

Through these unexpected connections, the stories aim to inspire a new and engaged audience to see refugees in an entirely new light - sparking powerful solidarity with displaced people Refugees have hopes and dreams like anyone else and being able to do what matters most to them has the power to impact the world.

Creative studio youtube series#

The We Were Here series aims to give people an opportunity to identify with individuals by connecting with something we all share - creativity. It is easy to lose sight of the individuals affected by displacement and see only the scale of the situation. The displacement crisis crossed a new mark at the end of 2022, with the total number of people forcibly displaced globally exceeding 108.4 million for the first time.įor many, the enormity and complexity of the issues can feel overwhelming.

The important job of finding the refugee contributors was undertaken by documentary casting directors and BAFTA nominees Six Minutes.

The other two episodes were directed by Jordanian director, Mahmoud Al Massad ( Blessed Benefit), and British-Ghanaian rising star, Curtis Essel, while the film scores were overseen by music supervisor Bridget Samuels ( Under the Skin, Midsommar). The team behind the project include director, Alma Har’el, ( Honey Boy, Bombay Beach) overseeing the series as executive producer with Oscar-nominated director, Laura Checkoway ( The Cave of Adullam, Edith + Eddie) as both series director and the author of one episode. The series is threaded together by the motif of the dandelion, a symbol of hope, healing and resilience.Įach of the YouTube creators gives their episode a unique tone and identity collaborating with refugees in Jordan, Germany, and Uganda. The series challenges stereotypes and perceptions about refugees by connecting refugees with some of YouTube’s most influential content creators around shared interests such as music, growing food, and building toys. On June 20, World Refugee Day, Uncommon Creative Studio and creative content studio, Lief, launched an original format doco, We Were Here, for YouTube and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.