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)

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Teresa Jusino

Teresa Jusino (she/her) is a native New Yorker and a proud Puerto Rican, Jewish, bisexual woman with ADHD. She's been writing professionally since 2010 and was a former TMS assistant editor from 2015-18. Now, she's back as a contributing writer. When not writing about pop culture, she's writing screenplays and is the creator of your future favorite genre show. Teresa lives in L.A. with her brilliant wife. Her other great loves include: Star Trek, The Last of Us, anything by Brian K. Vaughan, and her Level 5 android Paladin named Lal.

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