Building
@13amStudio | Week 7
Last week marked our first venture overseas for Project 195.
The idea was simple, could we land in one of the remaining countries and find an artist within 24 hours? That destination turned out to be Cyprus.
The goal, of course, was to discover a Cypriot artist, but just as important was creating the next YouTube episode following the success of our embassy day, while also testing what the Final 13 might actually look like. How long do we need in each country? How do we approach artists? What does the reality of filming, logistics and outreach actually feel like?
The day itself was mixed. Some amazing conversations, brilliant artists and real characters, alongside rejections, mistakes and plenty of learnings.
I won’t give too much away as the full video drops tonight on YouTube, but one key takeaway is clear, 24 hours isn’t really enough. When we come to the Final 13, we’ll need more time, more preparation, and a deeper level of immersion in each country and its culture.
That said, this trip proved something important, it is possible to turn up, start conversations, share the vision and begin building something real from nothing.
Keep an eye out for the full video dropping this evening.
I’ve also spent the weekend pushing forward on the website, which is now close to completion, along with the sponsorship deck. This means the next phase begins, reaching out to brand partners.
This is a key moment in the journey. The opportunity to partner with Project 195 is genuinely unique, to be part of a positive, global movement and a world-first achievement, while also aligning with what I believe can become a highly engaging, potentially viral YouTube series and a lasting cultural moment.
In terms of progress, we added another country last week, Bangladesh, taking us to 154. That leaves just 28 more before we know our Final 13. Outreach now needs to ramp up, and I’ve spent a lot of the weekend doing exactly that. We’ve also started to see strong responses from embassies, with countries like Seychelles and The Gambia actively looking to connect us with artists. Next step here is to shift approach slightly, spending time calling cultural departments directly and pitching over the phone to see if that unlocks more opportunities.
A big week ahead with sponsorship outreach and the Cyprus episode going live.
Onwards and upwards.
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