Earlier this year in May, Screen Australia and Instagram Australia teamed up to launch the First Nations Creator Program. Spurred on by a desire to amplify and create opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives, the program selects fifteen up-and-coming content creators to participate in months of mentoring, training and content funding.

Just last Friday the fifteen recipients of the inaugural First Nations Creator Program were revealed. As suspected, they're a fiercely creative bunch; with the program unearthing film and video creators, sovereign storytellers, musicians and vocalists, beauty and lifestyle bloggers, and even podcast producers.

Graeme Mason, Screen Australia's Chief Executive Officer, expressed his delight at the strength and immense talent of all applicants. "We were incredibly impressed with the high level of applications we received from creators across the country and we are excited to announce our successful recipients today," he said.

"We are constantly looking for new ways to support content creators on the platforms they are connecting with audiences on and the accessibility of social media allows us to, through this Program with Instagram Australia, nurture new voices and champion extraordinary First Nations creators. We look forward to this year’s cohort creating new content and reaching new audiences on Instagram," Mason continued.

As part of First Nations Creator Program, all fifteen recipients will participate in a series of training sessions and workshops that relay crucial industry information useful for navigating a business on social media. Recipients will be given advice on topics like product, creativity, safety and wellbeing, along with mentored guidance on digital production and social media strategy. Aside from being an invaluable opportunity to network and get the low down on content creation from IG itself, each creator will also receive production funding of $10,000 to assist in creating Reels and IGTV content.

The icing on the cake? Once those selected complete the program, they will still receive ongoing support and mentorship by being assigned an Instagram partner manager to help continue and aid their journey on the platform.