Kommune, a cultural storytelling hub, announces the launch of the second edition of ‘Voices of Tomorrow,’ an initiative aimed at discovering, cultivating, and nurturing voice talent within the LGBTQIA+ community and senior adults. In collaboration with Netflix India, this project seeks to enhance the diversity and authenticity of voices in the dubbing industry, providing a platform for those often underrepresented. Spanning from November 2023 to March 2024, the initiative will unfold in the city of Mumbai, India, collaborating with queer collectives, NGOs, artist organisations, and talent agencies to test the voices of around 500 individuals, shortlisting 200 for in-person auditions.

The first edition, the Voice Equity Project, identified individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, providing them with professional training as dubbing artists. With the support of Netflix India, Kommune is back with the second edition, extending the opportunity to raw voice talents from the LGBTQIA+ communities and Senior Citizen cohorts. The heartbeat of Voices of Tomorrow lies in its commitment to providing training to 25 individuals, offering an 8-week experience under the expert guidance of Voice, Accent and Dialect coach Hetal Varia and Dubbing Artist Sanket Mhatre.

“We’re thrilled to have Netflix’s support for ‘Voices of Tomorrow.’ This initiative amplifies the voices of the LGBTQIA+ community and senior talents, nurturing diverse voices and experiences. It offers a platform for stories that resonate with everyone, showcasing the power of collaborative efforts in creating a more inclusive media landscape.” Roshan Abbas, founder, Kommune India, said.

“At Netflix we believe that great stories can come from anywhere and should be enjoyed everywhere irrespective of language. Voices of Tomorrow is an effort to add more diverse voices to the dubbing talent pipeline. Collaborating with Kommune is a significant step towards fostering a more inclusive dubbing community,”Ashwini Kulkarni, country manager, International Dubbing, India, said.

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