In the United States, especially, there isn’t a lot of visibility for international artists. Most of what’s shown on TV, in movie theaters, and played on the radio is art made by American artists. In fact, without actively seeking it out, one could theoretically live a whole lifetime without experiencing art made from people in other places of the world and other cultures.
For people living in the United States who are immigrants, or children of immigrants, or would like to connect with their native cultures, this focus on American-only media can feel isolating. Seeing positive representation of multiple cultures can have a real and positive impact on the way people relate with one another, and the way children grow up and perceive the world around them– so where is all that representation?
Ontario, Canada-based streaming platform ICTV Network is doing its part to represent artists and cultures from everywhere in the world. The voice of the network, Salwa-Lauren, explains: “Our hope is to bring people together and nurture upcoming talent, while maintaining humane and just values for all.” Part of the way the network is accomplishing this is through its new talent competition show IC Star. In Salwa-Lauren’s own words, “It gives talented people a voice, without making them compromise their values.”
IC Star is similar in concept to shows like American Idol and The Voice, but created for a diverse global audience of all ages. The judging panel consists of well-respected musicians from all around the world: Salwa-Lauren is from the UK, Humood Alkhudher is from Kuwait, Ilyas Mao is from Canada and Somalia, Najam Sheraz is from Pakistan, and Mesut Kurtis is from Macedonia and Turkey.
The show itself is filmed in Istanbul, Turkey, and while it featured 32 finalists, the process of selecting those 32 was a daunting task. An incredible 60,000 people submitted applications to be included on the show; the judges had to go through and select roughly 0.05% of those people to participate in the competition.
The finalists, like the judges, are talented people from all over the world. Contestants hailed from Indonesia, Pakistan, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Zanzibar, Bosnia, Kosovo, Canada, and more – a total of 28 countries, making the show a true global platform for international talent. The judging panel is an amalgam of incredibly talented individuals who are well-equipped to select and nurture the talented finalists.
IC Star is far from being ICTV Network’s only option; the network provides plenty of entertainment, from music videos to movies to documentaries. Their goal is to share truly meaningful, high-quality content that’s entertaining. Increasing visibility and representation of this kind of content will lead to an expanding acceptance of art that’s focused on morals– something that’s currently sorely lacking worldwide.
The morals that ICTV Network stands for are simple: fair treatment for everyone, the promotion of talent (rather than image), and upholding ethical standards, plus clean song lyrics and visual content that’s suitable for everyone. Through the network, viewers can enjoy music videos, talent programs, movies, documentaries, and much more– all suitable for the whole family.
The music industry has a very long history of valuing image over talent– there are countless artists who started their careers as “themselves” but weren’t able to get a real foothold without a complete change in image and lyrical content. ICTV Network’s aim is to change that.
Part of Salwa-Lauren’s story is her struggle to be heard and taken seriously within the music industry, which is “famously cut-throat…. Artists can get desperate and do anything to sell records.”
With talent-focused, moral, and modest role models like Salwa-Lauren at the helm, ICTV Network is poised to have a major cultural impact on young artists and people seeking ethical and moral entertainment all over the world.
You can learn more about ICTV Network through their website or by following them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Follow Salwa-Lauren on Facebook and Instagram.
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