Queensland Government and YouTube partner to supercharge creative talent

In an Australian-first, the Palaszczuk Government is the first state government to secure a partnership with YouTube to deliver a unique program, working with QUT and Griffith universities, to help talented local content providers across the state succeed on the world’s most popular video-sharing website.

The Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade Jackie Trad and Minister for Science and Innovation Leanne Enoch today announced the new $900,000 Queensland Creative Entrepreneurship Program with YouTube to support the state’s growing band of digital content creators.

The $900,000 program is supported by QUT and Griffith University and will be funded by a $750,000 contribution over three years from the Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland initiative and a $150,000 funding commitment from Screen Queensland.

“This exciting partnership between the Queensland Government and YouTube will boost the size of Queensland’s digital workforce by helping creators produce globally engaging video content,” Ms Trad said.

“Queensland already has a dynamic and rapidly expanding digital community including some of Australia’s top YouTube creators such as My Cupcake Addiction, Charli’s Crafty Kitchen and Halfbrick Studios. These four Australian YouTube channels have amassed an incredible audience with more than 3.2 million subscribers.”

The Deputy Premier met senior YouTube officials at their regional headquarters in Singapore as part of her trade mission in June and said the partnership would be a boost for Queensland’s digital economy.

“The Queensland Creative Entrepreneurship Program will grow Queensland’s digital economy, benefit both the screen and creative industries, and boost the state’s small-to-medium business sector,” Ms Trad said.

“Companies like Brisbane-based, Halfbrick, who recently landed a deal to provide family-friendly content for the YouTube Kids app, reflect the calibre and creativity of Queensland’s technology companies and it is exciting that YouTube is taking notice of the tremendous talent in our state.”

Minister for Science and Innovation Leeanne Enoch said the program would help develop Queensland’s promising creative entrepreneurs and propel them onto the world stage and into global markets.

“Queensland has an abundance of creative and innovative talent that will be able to tap into new global audiences and commercial opportunities through this program and YouTube’s support,” Ms Enoch said.

“The $750,000 of funding being contributed from Advance Queensland is another example of this important initiative actively encouraging and fostering collaboration between entrepreneurs, industry, universities and government to turn great ideas into investable products and create jobs now and into the future.”

YouTube will contribute to this initiative by arranging for top global creators to visit Queensland to collaborate with local stars at the Creator Days, and organising co-funded trips for Queensland's top creators to visit the YouTube Space in Los Angeles.

Sanoop Luke, YouTube Partnerships Manager, Asia Pacific said the new program would help even more Australian voices reach global audiences.

“Queensland is home to some of the world’s leading YouTube creators,” he said.

“This initiative with the Queensland Government will help supercharge these creative entrepreneurs by providing funding, education and support for the production of new online content.”

Key elements of the Queensland Creative Entrepreneurship Program, include: 

• Creator Original Awards to provide annual grants to established and emerging creators.
• Creator Days, to be hosted by Griffith University and QUT, to bring together YouTube experts, entrepreneurs, producers, content creators, and industry partners.
• YouTube Top Creator Visits to bring globally successful digital content creators to Queensland to share their knowledge.
• An initiative to match mainstream screen producers with top local YouTube creator supported by Screen Queensland.

The Queensland Creative Entrepreneurship program opens early 2016. For more information and to subscribe for updates on the rollout of the Queensland Creative Entrepreneurship Program and the Advance Queensland initiative, visit www.qld.gov.au/youtubepartnership.

Media contacts:        Deputy Premier’s Office:        0488 996 667

                              Minister Enoch’s Office:          0437 859 987