Auditions open now for hosting and interview workshop for Black creators

When we offered our first two hosting and interview workshops (one in 2017 and the second in 2018), we were honored by your enthusiasm and proud to see so many of our participants go on to find success in the years since. With that goal in mind, we’re thrilled to open auditions for our first hosting and interview workshop for Black creators on Twitch.  

Like before, this workshop will focus on helping on-camera hosting talent improve their skills and hireability through training, lectures, and activities. Co-hosts and consulting producers CupAhNoodle and Okaydrian will be joined by moderators from Twitch’s Black Guild, as well with familiar faces from our previous workshops—djWHEAT, AnnaProsser, and Brit Weisman—to share their knowledge, experience, and best techniques with our virtual attendees. Participants will come away with insight, resources, and, if we really nail it, a sense of camaraderie and community.

The open call for auditions begins today! If you’re interested, you should submit video samples of hosting and/or interviewing work by October 7, 2020 to be considered here . All applicants must have a Twitch channel in good standing and be age 18 or over. Chosen participants will participate virtually in the workshop on October 28. 

As always, we’re thankful for your participation and, especially, for your constructive feedback that helps us make our community offerings bigger and better. We hope to see you there!

FAQ:

Why is this workshop for Black creators only?

There are many underserved communities on Twitch that are worthy of opportunities like this workshop, and we hope this will be the first of many projects that work to that end.

Why is this for Partners and Affiliates only?

In order to maintain a safe environment for all our workshop attendees, we need to be able to confirm a history of good citizenship on Twitch, as well as good standing within our code of conduct.

Do I have to live in the US to participate?

Nope!

Who is producing this workshop?

This workshop will be produced by the same team that brought you the first two hosting and interview workshops at Twitch (the Creator Development team led by djWHEAT), joined by consulting producers from the Black Creator community on Twitch and under the advisement of Twitch’s internal Black Guild.

What will I take away from this workshop?

For details on the content of this workshop, check out the submission form here. In short, you will walk away with professional knowledge, skills, and hosting experience which will enable you to work in any on stage or on camera hosting position, as well as a network of colleagues in the space, and, we hope, a sense of camaraderie and community. There will be presentations and seminars, as well as time for sharing and discussion around Black creators’ experiences in the field.

What if I want to audition, but I don’t have experience as a host, or an interview reel?

We need to see you work on camera, but don’t worry if you don’t have loads of experience or a professional reel! It’s OK to turn on your webcam and show us a demo interview or other pieces of on camera work in footage that you made just for this audition. This workshop is made for and built to provide value for hosts of any and all levels!

Will this workshop be streamed?

The presentations that make up this workshop will be recorded for streaming at a later date, but none of our interactive or Q&A sessions will be recorded.

Will I be guaranteed work with Twitch by attending?

The purpose of the workshop is to give you additional tools and support to help develop your talents. This is one of many efforts from Twitch to provide resources for hosts and interviewers. While we cannot guarantee work, we do strive to establish a working foundation with each attendee and look for ways to expand upon that in the future.

Has a workshop like this been done before?

We’ve done this workshop before, but never specifically focused on our Black creators. We’re excited to provide what resources we can to uplift our Black creators, and also to hear from them about their experiences on the platform and continue to learn how to best support them.