Adivasi Lives Matter (ALM) successfully conducted a four-day digital storytelling and content creation workshop, “Adivasi Awaaz,” from August 21 to 24 at the House of Hope, Longpang village in Tuensang district, Nagaland.
Founded in 2016, ALM is a grassroots media platform focused on amplifying the voices and experiences of Adivasi and tribal communities across India. Through text, video, and photography, the platform supports first-generation content creators in challenging stereotypes and creating narratives from their own perspectives.
The workshop was designed for tribal youth, community leaders, students, social workers, and aspiring content creators, with a focus on equipping participants with practical skills to document and share their communities’ history, culture, traditional knowledge, and development challenges through digital media.
The training was led by guest resource person Deepak Bara, a documentary filmmaker from Ranchi, along with the ALM team comprising Nitesh Mahto, Tongpang Longchar, Tumlesh Neti, and Rahul Hembrom.
The four-day programme covered mobile photography and videography, story development and scripting, video editing through accessible mobile applications, social media content creation for Reels and Shorts, short-form documentaries, digital advocacy, community-based storytelling, and opportunities for monetisation and freelance media work.
The workshop also placed emphasis on ethical and responsible content creation, including digital consent, basic photography principles, niche discovery, vlogging, and the use of AI tools. Participants were encouraged to view digital media not only as a means of cultural preservation but also as a potential avenue for livelihood and digital entrepreneurship.
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A total of 42 participants from eight tribal communities attended the workshop. They represented the Chang, Sangtam, Konyak, Ao, Chakesang, Khiamniungan, and Sumi communities, along with two participants from the Karbi community who travelled from Diphu, Karbi Anglong, Assam.
Participants shared that the training helped strengthen their understanding of content creation, particularly in areas where they had previously worked without formal technical guidance or mentorship.
Sessions on digital consent, photography, vlogging, niche selection, and AI tools were among the areas that received particular interest.
The programme also included discussions on the Indigenous peoples’ movement, environmental protection, traditional war cries, and cultural identity. These sessions encouraged participants to approach digital storytelling with a greater sense of social responsibility while remaining connected to their cultural roots.
Through Adivasi Awaaz, Adivasi Lives Matter reaffirmed its commitment to empowering tribal storytellers to document their own communities, strengthen narrative ownership, preserve their cultural heritage, and explore sustainable opportunities in the digital media space.
