Fill Me In
The local youth-development non-profit organisation *Scape has long focused on building on the interests of Singaporean youth. *ScapeEsports is among one of the body’s many initiatives to date, with a focus on training esports professionals in Singapore. In the latest of its workshops on offer, *Scape has obtained a collaboration with renowned streaming platform Twitch.
Wait, *Scape and Twitch?
The collaboration entails workshops and masterclasses that are set to support over 300 aspiring youth content creators in Singapore. Young people who want to turn their passion for streaming into reality can map their futures on the advice and insights that only an industry leader such as Twitch could provide.
So what’s the game plan?
This team-up entails two main workshop paths, namely Gateway and Pathway, which will allow both new and experienced streamers the opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade, from audience engagement and growth to content curation, as well as the other aspects of what makes a good streaming channel.
The workshops will also provide guidance on the technical aspects of streaming, including lighting, audio, and how to put analytics to good use. To top it all off, participants will also gain access to mentorship sessions from popular streamers like Deborah “Wolfsbanee” Sim, Andrew “Sombrero” Philippou, and Andrew Fidelis.
Sunita Kaur, Senior Vice President of Twitch, Asia Pacific, said, “Twitch has grown to become a highly-engaged global community of millions who come together to experience the next generation of live, interactive entertainment, whether it’s gaming, music, sports or art.”
How do the programmes differ?
Both Gateway and Pathway programmes will cater to attendees differently.
If you were for a low-commitment overview on what streaming might be like for you, you might just have missed out on attending Gateway. Gateway was what kickstarted the collaboration between *Scape and Twitch, with a casual one-day complimentary workshop programme that took place on 26 September 2020, from 2 to 6 pm.
The introductory programme featured representatives from Twitch and the local streaming industry, including Philppou and Sim, Fidelis, and Gareth Reynolds, Product Manager at XSplit.
Apart from audience engagement techniques and hardware/software requirements, the agenda also included educational elements about Singapore’s streaming landscape.
Alternatively, youth geared for a serious future in streaming are going to want to look towards Pathway, a programme catered toward developing the talent of aspiring local streamers. The programme is jam-packed with useful resources, and aspiring streamers can expect to have access to a series of masterclasses, one-on-one mentoring sessions, sharing sessions by mentors, content review sessions, and community meetups!
If Pathway sounds engaging enough to you, the impact that it can make toward your future in streaming is indeed sizable. This is particularly so with the programme aiming to provide an opportunity for trainee streamers to attain a “Partner” status on Twitch, given that the right digital skills are hard to self-learn.
Being a Twitch Partner could give any streamer a much-needed signal boost, and is a step ahead of the Affiliate status. Being a Partner allows streamers to accept channel subscriptions and ads, both of which can go a long way in helping fuel monetisation. Partners also have dibs on quality viewing options for their channel and have transcodes for all their broadcasts.
On the company’s website, Twitch says it’s looking for role models to the community. There’s no doubting that requirements are stringent, so the Pathway programme might just be the best way for streamers to build a good reputation in the eyes of Twitch, as well as maintaining good one-on-one relations with the company’s contact points for the programme.
How Can Youth Be Kept Safe While Streaming?
Given that Twitch is on a lookout only for “good role models” to be its Partners, one is inclined to believing that the company is responsible for its community management. Part of this responsibility involves creating a safe digital space for everyone, especially in streaming circumstances where live interactions take place in a matter of seconds.
In this aspect, Kenneth Neo from *Scape says the programme will help to directly address some young streamers’ concerns, while also ensuring their gradual safety, especially in situations where youth are unsure how much to share about themselves, and when they cross the line.
Neo said that mentors would be able to help guide youth through their streaming endeavours, even offering feedback such as “this week you shared too much about yourself”, with regards to personalism.
Digital Skill Sets in a Post-Pandemic World
“The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need to accelerate digital skills development,” said Ivy Lim, Executive Director of *Scape.
A large part of the collaboration between *Scape and Twitch is in ensuring that the digital generation of youth is able to keep their interests sustainable. In times where the world remains connected over the internet, streaming platforms like Twitch help humanise digital relationships and connection. And the numbers speak for themselves.
According to Twitch, about 63% of the entire Asia Pacific online population and 1.3 billion people across the region identifies as gamers. And in 2019, the number of streamers from Asia on Twitch saw a whopping doubling in size.
This collaboration between *Scape and Twitch is one that’s worth paying attention to, particularly with Singapore’s burgeoning position as a technology hub in Asia. And if you’re a streamer looking to fast-track your passion, you won’t regret getting in on this. Being a Twitch Partner has never been so well within your reach.
