Content-creating program for TikTok undergoes significant increase

The TikTok Accelerator for Indigenous Creators, presented by the National Screen Institute, is back for its fourth year, offering opportunities for Indigenous creators to get the skills necessary for a digital career.

The program, which is currently open for applicants who self-identify as First Nations, Inuit and Métis, has expanded to include up to 300 qualified participants. That’s a dramatic increase from the 40 creators in the last cohort.

There are a few days left to apply for this year’s program. The registration deadline is Oct. 18.

Program advisor Sherry Mckay, a member of Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba, said there’s been tremendous interest since the program began in 2011. And there was a desire to ensure more Indigenous creators across the country had the opportunity to enter the program.

Content creator has been a desirable career for people of all ages, especially Gen Z, according to a survey done by YouTube in collaboration with research firm SmithGeiger. The survey found that 65 per cent of Gen Z, defined as people between the ages of 14 and 24, describe themselves as video content creators.

Mckay, a content creator herself, said it’s important for people to tell their own stories.

“It's important for things like accurate Indigenous representation and being in charge of your own storytelling,” she said. “For so many years, we weren't able to tell our own stories as Indigenous people so now we have a platform where we can freely express ourselves and share some really amazing things.”

One program alumnus is Braden Kadlun (@kadlun), who went through the program in 2022. As with all things TikTok, the algorithm knew what would intrigue him.

“I actually heard about it through a TikTok ad,” he said. “I was just growing through my For You page, and it just popped up on and I was like, ‘Oh, this looks really cool.’”

Kadlun, 25, who is Inuk and from the community of Kugluktuk, Nunavut, is also a student at the University of Calgary. He had just started talking about his sober journey less than two months before he saw the ad on his For You page.

“I wasn't sure where I wanted to go, and I was just kind of unsure of how to navigate being a TikTok creator,” he said. “I was two years sober, and I was just getting my foot in the door, and the program opened the door up and showed me what the rest of the journey could look like.”

The six-week program focuses on TikTok best practices, understanding your analytics, community and career building, monetizing your content, digital well-being and safety. It is designed with traditional and spiritual elements and is presented through a series of 12 virtual sessions so that participants can do the course no matter their location in the country.

Kadlun said the program not only helped provide best practices but helped him find his content niche, clean up his style, how to create brand and media kits in response to brand inquiries, how to take care of your mental health, and to make sure to know what you’re worth when it comes to brand deals.

He currently has approximately 318,000 TikTok followers and 29,000 YouTube subscribers and counting.

Mckay said monetizing one’s platform is important but that a lot of industries can exploit marginalized and racialized industries.

“We have a lot of values that we still need to keep in mind when working with big brands because there are historical legacies that we might not want to partner with,” she said. “So, we have those types of conversations too, because I think it's important to stay genuine.”

Accepted program participants will also get the chance to learn from Indigenous creators, industry experts and members of the TikTok team.

“For anyone considering the program, go in with an open mind as there's a lot of really valuable information there,” Kadlun said. “They bring some of the industry's top Indigenous creators to teach and share from their experience. Just really try to absorb as much as you can as there's a lot to learn.”

Mckay said there’s a lot to offer incoming participants as there’s something for everyone.

“Even if you're just thinking about (applying), you never know where something is going to take you, unless you try,” she said. “My life has changed completely in the past five years because I made some videos and I'm doing a lot of really neat things because of my platform on TikTok.”

Applications and more information on the program are available at https://nsi-canada.ca/programs/tiktok-accelerator-for-indigenous-creators/

The program begins next month and runs into December.