YouTube Space, Elizabeth Banks and her ​​WhoHaHa digital​ ​media​ ​company are teaming on an initiative designed ​to​ ​empower​ ​women​ ​around​ ​the​ ​world​ ​through​ ​comedy.​ ​​The global production program will be launched by the partners at YouTube​ ​Space outposts for creators​ ​in​ ​LA,​ ​New​ ​York,​ ​Toronto,​ ​Rio,​ ​Paris,​ ​Berlin, London,​ ​Tokyo,​ ​and​ ​Mumbai​ ​with the aim of supporting​ ​female​ ​storytellers​ ​on​ ​YouTube​ ​who use​ ​comedy​ ​as​ ​a​ ​platform​ ​for​ ​opportunity​ ​and​ ​change. The​ ​program​ ​launches​ ​today​ ​(see Banks introduce it in the video above).

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​With​ ​the​ ​help​ ​of professionally-​designed​ ​sets​ ​and​ ​assistance​ ​from​ ​trained​ ​production​ ​crews​ ​provided​ ​by​ ​the​ ​team​ ​at YouTube​ ​Space,​ ​creators​ ​will​ ​be​ ​invited​ ​to​ make “​epic”​ ​female-driven​ ​comedy​ ​videos​ ​over​ ​a 12-week​ ​period.

As​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​partnership,​ ​WhoHaHa​ ​and​ ​Banks​ ​will​ ​provide​ ​creative​ ​consultation​ ​and mentoring. ​Additional​ ​​resources​ ​will​ ​be​ ​provided​ ​at​ ​select​ ​Spaces​ ​that​ ​require localized​ ​comedic​ ​and​ ​industry​ ​advice.​ ​Further,​ ​in​ ​2018,​ ​WhoHaHa​ ​will​ ​invite select​ ​creators​ ​across​ ​the ​locations​ ​to​ ​produce​ ​a​ ​digital​ ​pilot​ ​for​ ​their ​YouTube series with assistance from​ ​YouTube​ ​Space​ ​and​ ​WhoHaHa.

In​ ​2015,​ ​YouTube​ ​Space​ ​​launched​​ ​its​ ​first​ ​initiative​ ​to​ ​spotlight​ ​creators​ ​who​ ​catalyze​ ​​more​ ​female-driven content​​ ​on​ ​YouTube​ ​for​ ​global​ ​audiences​.​​​ ​This​ ​year’s​ ​program​ is​ ​a​ ​continuation​ ​of​ ​those efforts.​

Banks and Luigi Picarazzi are co-founders of WhoHaha​ whose goal is to give opportunities to ​up-and-coming​ ​female​ ​creators​ ​by​ ​providing​ ​​resources across​ ​development,​ ​production,​ ​financing,​ ​distribution,​ ​marketing ​and​ ​monetization.​

Says Banks, “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.​ ​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.”