Sydney, Australia – YouTube and Screen Australia have announced a new programme to expand support for online content creators in Australia. The Skip Ahead programme is designed to provide Australian YouTube creators with the funding and production resources they need to create unique online content and engage new audiences around the world.

“Australian YouTube channels, such as communitychannel, Janoskians, and mychonny, are incredibly popular with global audiences,” Screen Australia’s Chief Operating Officer Fiona Cameron said today. “The breadth of talent on these channels is indicative of Australia’s creative force. YouTube allows breakthrough, cutting edge content to access new audiences anywhere and anytime.

“Screen Australia and YouTube aim to provide this talent pool with the resources to develop episodic storylines,” she said.

Screen Australia and YouTube will jointly contribute a total of $400,000 to the Skip Ahead programme to support innovative content creators who produce stories for an online audience. Additionally, selected artists will receive access to production resources and a trip to work at the YouTube Space in Los Angeles in 2014.

“YouTube has launched thousands of careers and helped Australian creators reach audiences around the world. This programme will encourage even more of our artists to create unique online content, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with,” said Maile Carnegie, Managing Director of Google Australia New Zealand.

Australian artists who have built a following on YouTube, with a minimum subscriber base, and are consistently creating new original content will be eligible to apply.