BBC Studios has announced a major partnership with SBS and Changer Studios to launch Creator Lab Australia, a new initiative with the stated aim of building the ‘next generation of Australian storytelling’.
The Creator Lab is designed to help online content creators reach audiences, leveraging the BBC’s existing ‘scale, craft and reach,’ as well as existing and trusted IP.
Successful creators will be given access to selections from the BBC IP library, and also receive ‘premium development pathways and the tools to grow ambitious ideas into enduring creator businesses’.
Applicants must have creative or innovative presence on social platforms, along with a track record on YouTube.
BBC Studios Creator Lab – quick links
Supporting the next generation of screen content creators
As inspired by the success of the BBC’s UK-based Creator Lab, this version of the program is designed to expand the reach and audience of BBC Studios worldwide, while allowing Australian creatives the chance to grow their content development strategies and storytelling skills.
Core examples of work in this space, largely developed for television, include Ghosts Australia, Return to Paradise, Mastermind Australia and The Great Australian Bake Off – all of which translated existing BBC IP and show formats for Australian audiences.
These translations of BBC Studios IP are Australian properties at their core, backed by teams of Australian creatives, talents and executives working together to develop new and locally relevant takes on the existing source material.
Per the announcement, BBC Studios has a ‘global track record’ of producing internationally popular screen media. It on a range of recognisable productions, including Bluey, though at this stage it’s not clear which titles in its vast library of IP will be available for creators to work with.
Creatives selected for Creator Lab Australia will work alongside experienced producers to develop fresh takes on exisiting IP, and to help translate it to new media formats.
Investing in Australian stories
‘There is extraordinary creative power within Australia’s creator economy, with talented storytellers building loyal communities and shaping culture every day. Creator Lab is our commitment to investing in that potential,’ said Kylie Washington, EVP & Creative Director BBC Studios Australia Productions.
‘Locally, BBC Studios has delivered hugely successful collaborations with creators across our shows, such as Ghosts Australia, The Office, The Great Australian Bake Off and Mastermind. By connecting creators with trusted IP, premium production expertise and the development frameworks that have helped build globally recognised brands, we’re creating a bridge between audience connection and long-term growth.
‘Our ambition is to help creators further develop and scale their ideas by utilising new and shared existing IP, while establishing a network that supports the future of Australian storytelling for years to come.’
Joseph Maxwell, Head of Unscripted at SBS, labelled it a ‘great opportunity for a new generation of creatives’ and confirmed SBS was ‘delighted’ to support the initiative.
Farhad Meher-Homji, co-Founder and CEO Changer Studios, was equally enthusiastic about the potential of the lab, and how it could help creators in Australia.
‘At Changer, we’ve spent over 10 years helping creators build sustainable channels and businesses,’ Meher-Homji said.
‘Creator Lab Australia gives that mission an extraordinary accelerant – pairing Changer’s Creator Economy expertise with BBC Studios’ world-class IP and craft. It’s about building the infrastructure for a genuinely new generation of Australian content businesses, together.’
What applicants should know
Creator Lab Australia will be delivered in two stages, known as The Sprint and The Accelerator.
The Sprint will see creators taking part in a two-day intensive masterclass in Sydney, which includes the chance to learn from the team at YouTube and the BBC studios Scripted and Unscripted departments, as well as from SBS Commissioning Editors. This leg will focus on audience development, content strategy, format creation and longform storytelling.
The Accelerator is an eight-week ‘hybrid’ program that will involve one-on-one mentoring and specialist workshops focused on content development, audience engagement, multi-platform growth and building globally relevant IP.
Applicants keen to apply for the program must be able to demonstrate ‘a positive creative or innovative impact across social platforms’. The key criteria is having either a following of 50,000 or more on YouTube, or a track record of developing, creating and publishing on YouTube, with at least two videos reaching over 100,000 views.
It’s also expected that applicants can attend the in-person Sprint masterclass in Sydney on 21 and 22 September, and participate in the 8-week hybrid Accelerator program throughout October and November.
