Elizabeth Banks, WhoHaHa, and YouTube Create “Women In Comedy” Program to Give Funny Women a Bigger Platform

Are you hilarious? Are you female or non-binary? If so, then Elizabeth Banks and WhoHaHa are looking for you!

Banks and the digital comedy company she co-founded, called WhoHaHa, are teaming up with ​YouTube​ ​Spaces​ ​in​ ​Los​ ​Angeles,​ ​New​ ​York,​ ​Toronto,​ ​Rio,​ ​Paris,​ ​Berlin, London,​ ​Tokyo,​ ​and​ ​Mumbai​ to launch the Women in Comedy program, a ​production​ ​program​ ​designed​ ​to​ ​foster female​ ​comedic​ ​talent​ ​on​ ​YouTube.​ ​Banks launched the program yesterday with the above video.

With​ ​the​ ​help​ ​of professionally​ ​designed​ ​sets​ ​and​ ​assistance​ ​from​ ​trained​ ​production​ ​crews​ ​provided​ ​by​ ​the​ ​team​ ​at YouTube​ ​Space,​ ​YouTube​ ​creators​ ​will​ ​be​ ​invited​ ​to​ ​create​ ​epic​ ​female-driven​ ​comedy​ ​videos​ ​over​ ​a twelve-week​ ​period. This is in addition to 50+ events and workshops in which participants can take part.

As​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​partnership,​ ​WhoHaha​ ​and​ ​Elizabeth​ ​Banks​ ​will​ ​provide​ ​creative​ ​consultation​ ​and mentorship​ ​for​ ​creators.​ ​Additional​ ​mentorship​ ​resources​ ​will​ ​be​ ​provided​ ​at​ ​select​ ​Spaces​ ​that​ ​require localized​ ​comedic​ ​and​ ​industry​ ​advice.​ ​As​ ​another​ ​part​ ​of​ ​this​ ​program,​ ​in​ ​2018,​ ​WhoHaHa​ ​will​ ​invite select​ ​creators​ ​across​ ​YouTube​ ​Space​ ​locations​ ​to​ ​produce​ ​a​ ​digital​ ​pilot​ ​for​ ​each​ ​creator’s​ ​YouTube series.​ ​YouTube​ ​Space​ ​and​ ​WhoHaHa​ ​will​ ​provide​ ​these​ ​creators​ ​production​ ​and​ ​mentorship​ ​resources​ ​to ensure​ ​these​ ​new​ ​voices​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​find​ ​support​ ​and​ ​to​ ​help​ ​ignite​ ​their​ ​careers​ ​in​ ​the​ ​entertainment industry.

“At​ ​WhoHaha​ ​we​ ​believe​ ​it’s​ ​not​ ​only​ ​important​ ​but​ ​essential​ ​for​ ​women​ ​to​ ​have​ ​a​ ​platform​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to share​ ​their​ ​voices​ ​and​ ​creativity,” Banks said in a statement. “​That’s​ ​why​ ​we’re​ ​excited​ ​to​ ​be​ ​teaming​ ​up​ ​with​ ​YouTube​ ​Space​ ​on​ ​this initiative​ ​that’s​ ​providing​ ​such​ ​a​ ​groundbreaking​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​creators​ ​all​ ​over​ ​the​ ​world. ”

Meanwhile, Chris​ ​D’Angelo,​ ​Director​ ​of​ ​Production​ ​and Programming at YouTube​ ​Space, says that “Women​ ​are​ ​underrepresented​ ​in​ ​the​ ​entertainment​ ​industry​ ​and​ ​we​ ​want​ ​to​ ​do​ ​our​ ​part​ ​to​ ​help​ ​put women​ ​front​ ​and​ ​center.​ ​This​ ​new​ ​partnership​ ​with​ ​Elizabeth​ ​Banks​ ​and​ ​WhoHaHa​ ​is​ ​our​ ​latest​ ​effort towards​ ​this​ ​goal.​ ​We​ ​are​ ​thrilled​ ​to​ ​be​ ​collaborating​ ​with​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​funniest​ ​in​ ​the​ ​business​ ​to​ ​support the​ ​talented​ ​female​ ​comedians​ ​on​ ​YouTube.”

Creators​ ​interested​ ​in​ ​applying​ ​can​ ​review​ ​the​ ​details​ ​and​ ​apply​ ​below:

• Berlin​ ​Application
• London​ ​Application
• Los​ ​Angeles​ ​Application
• Mumbai​ ​Application
• New​ ​York​ ​Application
• Paris​ ​Application
• Rio​ ​Application
• Tokyo​ ​Application
• Toronto​ ​Application

So, which of you is going to be the next big comedic superstar?

(via email tip, image: screencap)

Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!

—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—