Issa Rae is doing her part to ensure that creatives from across the board are fairly represented and has joined forces with LIFEWTR for the launch of Life Unseen, the brand’s new platform in the fight for more diversity in the arts.
Life Unseen is the LIFEWTR brand’s latest endeavor to amplify the unique work and perspectives of diverse creatives, striving to raise awareness of the systemic disparities that continue to stifle equitable access and exposure across the arts, celebrate the work of diverse creatives and help cultivate new opportunities for the next generation.
“As a creative and an avid consumer, I’ve witnessed firsthand how bias flows through fashion, film, music, visual arts and other creative territories,” Rae said in a press release. “LIFEWTR understands that creativity literally doesn’t exist without diversity of culture, perspective and interpretation. Together, we’re inviting everyone to help shine a light so the work of unseen artists can be seen.”
Rae has consistently been vocal about the lack of diversity in the entertainment industry both in front of and behind the cameras and the importance of telling authentic Black stories.
“Being Black, being in these experiences where you are constantly going back and forth and code-switching between environments, it becomes second nature for a writer to want to tap into their own stories,” Rae said at the Wallis Annenberg Hall in 2017. “I’m no expert on all stories of Black people, but all I can do is represent myself and my truth.”
Life Unseen will focus on four key campaign elements:
The Life Unseen Study: Life Unseen introduces a first-of-its-kind study, developed by the Institute for Quantitative Study of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (QSIDE). The study can be viewed in its entirety as well as through an interactive tool, and seeks to increase awareness of representational blind spots and systemic disparity across four major creative industries, including fashion, film, music and visual arts, that impact those of diverse, underrepresented backgrounds, including people of color, persons with physical disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community and women.
The Life Unseen Artist Collective: The campaign includes a 20-strong artist collective, featuring creatives spanning fashion, film, music and visual arts, who have been selected to showcase their artistic expressions and stories with the world. Each creative was tapped to submit their own inspired pieces of artwork, which will be featured on the LIFEWTR brand’s largest bottle collection to date.
The Life Unseen Launch Video: LIFEWTR unveils its latest visual content on behalf of Life Unseen, serving as a visual representation of what happens when diverse artistic works go unseen, featuring diverse creatives both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
The #LifeUnseenContest: Aiming to inspire creative flow for all, LIFEWTR and Issa Rae are calling upon the next generation of creatives to share their own concepts using the hashtag #LifeUnseenContest now through July 30, for a chance to receive exposure through the LIFEWTR platform, mentorship from Issa Rae and $10,000 to fund their future endeavors.
