Fifteen young people are taking part in the “3 Days, 3 Minutes, 360 Degrees” Media Innovation Challenge this week, hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Accelerator Lab for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, in partnership with the Barbados Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment.
The initiative aims to explore how emerging technology can be used for innovative content creation to produce immersive videos and experiences in Caribbean spaces.
Participants are drawn from the Ministry’s Next Steps Training Initiative, which works to equip youth with productive skills that empower them to realize their fullest potential through greater civic engagement and career prospects. Having previously benefited from the Next Steps digital media training, participants in the “3 Days, 3 Minutes, 360 Degrees“ Media Innovation Challenge will upskill in the areas of videography and video editing.
They will learn to use 360 cameras and Virtual Reality (VR) technology in a three-day workshop delivered by the UNDP Accelerator Lab team. Following this training, participants will be challenged to create three-minute videos of immersive content based on thematic areas including tourism, youth and crime, climate, and the environment.
Head of Experimentation at the UNDP Accelerator Lab for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Dr. Shamar Ward, said: “At the Accelerator Lab, we test new ways of working to address social and environmental challenges. With this innovation challenge, we want to pilot and experiment with how 360 immersive content can impact the visibility of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), especially in tourism, and accessibility for persons with disabilities. We are pleased to partner with the Youth Affairs Division to explore this exciting potential, while at the same time increasing the marketable skills of young content creators.”
In sharing words of encouragement to the participants at the start of the workshop, Director of Youth Affairs, Cleviston Hunte, challenged them to maximize the opportunity being offered to expand their skills and knowledge in the new 360 immersive training initiative.
He thanked Dr. Ward and the team at UNDP for continuing to include and partner with the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment to offer innovative opportunities that support the development and growth of Barbadian youth.
The “3 Days, 3 Minutes, 360 Degrees” Media Innovation Challenge takes place November 7 – 9, 2023, with a judging panel and closing ceremony slated for November 13, 2023.
