Alté Movement: Alternative youth culture, non-mainstream creators find home at Google

The Alternative Movement, colloquially known as the ‘Alté Movement’, traces its roots to Lagos, Nigeria, where young Africans embrace the idea of being misfits or non-conformists. The movement champions unconventional self-expression in all aspects of life but mainly through music, fashion and visual arts.

Historically alternative youth culture is rarely recognized in mainstream media, therefore creators have turned to YouTube to connect with their audiences because there are no barriers to entry.

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“It's exciting to see creators that identify as non-mainstream find community on our platform. This comes just a few days after we announced a call for applications for the YouTube Black Voices Fund for 2023 aimed at elevating marginalised voices.

Alternative youth culture finds a home at Google Pulse Live Kenya

“We also want to showcase how products like YouTube and YouTube Shorts and platforms like Google Arts & Culture can help drive the culture forward," Sharon Machira Communication and Public Affairs Manager for Google Kenya said.

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The Residency ran from June 28 to June 30 as creators learned how to better connect with their audiences, and move the culture forward through platforms like Google Arts & Culture, YouTube and YouTubeShorts.

Alternative youth culture finds a home at Google Pulse Live Kenya

The first batch of 25 young Alté creatives from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Botswana, and South Africa attended the Residency and were also equipped with entrepreneurial skills on how they can enhance the visibility of their brands.

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Google also invited Alté creatives that have global brands such as TshepoThe Jeans Maker to give career talks to the young creative entrepreneurs on how to further build and monetise their brands.