Sayalab


Vision and Context
Sayalab is a free training, mentoring, and content creation program focused on digital storytelling. It aims to equip and promote the stories of 24 women from the African and/or Caribbean diaspora, aged 18 to 35. The program will run for 14 weeks, from August to November 2025, in Montreal and Ottawa. Participants will be trained and supported to each produce short content for social media, embodied and rooted in their realities.
Project Dates: April 2025 – March 2026
Budget: $133,770
Funding Agency: Canada Media Fund - Diversity of Voices Fund
Sayalab represents a unique opportunity to include new voices, inspire unconventional narratives, and strengthen the cultural diversity of the Canadian audiovisual industry.

Sayalab is...
A hybrid training program
to develop transferable skills in digital content creation and distribution through six training modules led by experts.
A creative project incubator
to support emerging content creators in the design, structuring, and production of their short content for social media.
An interactive broadcast space
to showcase the short digital stories produced and bring together a local and international community.
Goals
Create Authentic Stories
Participants can share unique experiences and perspectives, often absent from traditional screens. By valuing their identities and backgrounds, they respond to a growing demand for diversity and authenticity in the digital media landscape.
Immerse Yourself in the Industry
By combining theoretical input, practical learning, and mentorship, Sayalab allows them to lay the necessary foundation to showcase their stories in the digital media ecosystem.
Sayalab offers a space for creative growth and self-esteem through digital storytelling.

Sayalab offers a space for creative growth and self-esteem through digital storytelling.
The training course in 6 modules
Explore the map to discover the digital stories created by the participants of Sayalab in Ottawa and Montreal
Mentoring: A relationship of trust at the heart of Sayalab
Each participant is paired with a mentor from the creative industries, providing personalized support throughout the program. This bond of trust allows them to explore their potential, overcome their obstacles, and move forward with kindness, through human, concrete, and inspiring exchanges.
Mentors: those who support creative momentum
The experts: Those who take action



























