The Collective & Our Mission
LEARN - CREATE - GROW
Launched in November 2021, the Haida Gwaii Media Collective is an innovative new initiative that aims to remove the barriers around digital storytelling for remote communities.
In addressing 5 key pillars, the media collective’s goal is to foster new creative economies, artistic expression, and priority support for equity seeking groups, such as Indigenous women and 2SLGBTTQQIA+ community members in creating and sharing their unique stories.
5 Pillars
RESOURCES
One of the biggest challenges to media production is a lack of access to quality production equipment. The HGMC has been investing in gear and a centralized space for accessible film and audio equipment.(available in January 2022)
COLLABORATION
Haida Gwaii is home to so many amazing creatives, so we’ve created a local directory to showcase our locals and their skillsets, facilitating a collaborative community of local creators, story-tellers, and organizations.
CAPACITY BUILDING
Edge of the Knife has shown that we have so much amazing talent on island, and we want to build on that momentum by building more capacity through mentorship opportunities, workshops, educational resources, and exposure to professional opportunities.
PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION
Our team has experience bringing productions from concept to finished product, and we want to help guide locals in producing their own content. In the future, we aim to support creators with legalities, payments, production advice, promotion of their work, and connection-building.
CULTURAL ADVISORY BOARD
Over the years we have witnessed many outside productions come to Haida Gwaii, and to make sure that we are protecting the integrity of our communities and culture, a team of Haida knowledge-holders will be on board to review external film productions and ensure appropriate representation of Haida people and culture.
From our islands to the world
Through media and technology, we aim to address systemic issues surrounding media representation, while helping build new cultural industries on Haida Gwaii.
Our mission is to address some of the key systemic issues of inequality that Indigenous peoples, women, and 2SLGBTTQQIA+ people on Haida Gwaii face within the media production space. We are guided by Haida principles of reciprocity, respect, consent, and interconnectedness. The media collective increases access to equipment, mentorship, and skill-building opportunities that allow for self-determined and culturally-rooted amplification of our community’s unique stories.
FUNDING
The Collective was envisioned and funded in Spring 2021 as a 2-year pilot project. It is funded by Grand Challenges Canada through their Indigenous Innovation Initiative program, which primarily aims to address systemic barriers faced by Indigenous women and 2SLGBTTQQIA+ people.
