The Kelowna Pride Society has announced that it is sponsoring a new livestream series called Voices Unheard. The series will be filmed and produced by Kelowna’s Unicorns.LIVE. Launching on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, Voices Unheard is a weekly series designed to elevate voices and bring greater awareness to underrepresented members of society, including people of various racial backgrounds, sexuality, gender identity/expression, age, and ability.
Host Jessica Samuels will engage a different guest each week in a candid conversation about the challenges they have faced or continue to struggle with, giving them a space to share their experiences and helping them to tell their stories. Voices Unheard will air live every Tuesday at 5:00 pm on Unicorns.LIVE, with episodes available to stream after the original broadcast. Each episode will be 30 - 45 minutes long and host, guests and attendees will be appropriately socially distant.
Those interested in being featured/interviewed are encouraged to complete this form. President of the Kelowna Pride Society, Rick Andre, is excited about the series:
“We love the vision behind this series! We’re delighted to be able to partner with Unicorns.LIVE to make it a reality, and look forward to hearing stories from some of the ‘unheard’ members of our society. We see time and again how critically important it is that we give space to those who are underrepresented in our current society. We hope you’ll join us to hear these important stories!”
Kelowna's Dustin Dufault will join Jessica Samuels for the first episode. Dustin originally hails from the Kaska First Nation in northern British Columbia and southeastern Yukon but has lived in Kelowna for over 10 years now. Dustin will “share his experience of being an indigenous, two-spirit drag artist and finding his way in the world.”
Part of the charm and challenge of the series is that it is 100% live and unedited, something the Executive Producer and Owner of Rebellious Unicorns, Dustyn Baulkham, relishes:
“COVID-19 had a dramatic impact on our business and the events we’re able to produce. Step one was working out how to continue paying the bills, but just as important was finding a way to continue serving the community. I’m really excited about the direction and vision for Unicorns.LIVE, it’s authentic, unfiltered, fun and thrilling! 100% live poses its challenges, but that’s all part of the magic. Tune in for Voices Unheard, a series I’m personally and professionally passionate about, and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about!”
The livestream of Voices Unheard will be streamed on Unicorns.LIVE free of charge, however, to watch episodes after the live broadcast will require viewers to register for a Unicorns.LIVE account.