Bell Media Partners With DAIS, A Launchpad For Creative Content and Digital Projects

− Led by Canadian cultural powerhouse Sol Guy, DAIS is dedicated to nurturing content production and collaboration with a focus on digital storytelling –
− DAIS headquarters is a 5000 sq. ft. production space located in the creative and artistic heart of Toronto on Queen St. West –

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TORONTO, Nov. 22, 2016 /CNW/ - Bell Media, Canada's leading content creation company, and renowned Canadian artist and creative powerhouse Sol Guy today announced their partnership on the creative hub and artist incubator, DAIS. A launchpad for the development, production, and distribution of landmark content, DAIS's key pillars are short-form web series, music, and radio.

"We are very excited to partner with Sol and strengthen our relationship with content creators," said Randy Lennox, President, Broadcasting and Content, Bell Media. "We're thrilled with what we've seen so far and look forward to leveraging the Bell Media megaphone to help take select projects to the next level."

"The opportunity to partner with Bell Media and develop world-class projects is extremely exciting. Their platform ecosystem is unparalleled, like a sandbox of creative possibilities, and we intend to bring the best artists in the world there to work, collaborate and play," said Sol Guy, founder of DAIS. "Randy Lennox has always believed in artist development being the key to long-term success. These are changing times and Bell Media's commitment to adapting by supporting the artists who will shape our future is extremely inspiring."

DAIS's mandate is to develop projects in Canada that can be brought to the world stage while expanding Bell Media's millennial audience. DAIS has already forged several strategic partnerships and is working with creators across multiple cultural sectors. Examples include:

• a development partnership with rising star Ezra Miller (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them);
• a four-part series Movement Art Is (M.A.I.), to be co-produced with CNN-backed short-form content production house Great Big Story based on "Color of Reality," which marries dance with visual art and socially relevant narratives;
• a partnership with recording label and artist management group Pirates Blend/Sony Music Canada and also with Cadence/Universal Music Group to co-develop musical talent;
• a four-part music video series with Canadian electronic group A Tribe Called Red to be broadcast on MUCH, W5, and iHeartRadio Canada;
• a partnership with award-winning incubator The Remix Project to collaborate on video production in support of democratizing education in the creative industries;
• a DAIS-branded digital radio station on iHeartRadio Canada, which debuts later this year, showcasing the best in Hip-Hop, R&B, Soca, and Afro Beat.

DAIS provides a safe space for creators to grow, network and produce. Based in Toronto's artistic Queen Street West neighbourhood, DAIS has transformed a four-storey townhouse into a multi-functional, vibrant space designed to support the creative process. DAIS provides infrastructure support, inspiration, and a foundation for artists from ideation to production to delivery including: a music studio, digital production facilities, radio/podcast suite, 4K edit room, multi-purpose working suites, and a street-level gallery and performance space.  

Additional DAIS projects and collaborations will be announced in 2017.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Facebook:
Facebook/DAISCreates

Twitter:
@DAISCreates
@BellMediaPR

Instagram:
@DAISCreates
@bellmediapr

About DAIS:
DAIS is a launchpad dedicated to developing, producing and distributing creative projects. We operate a safe, creative and collaborative townhouse in downtown Toronto equipped with production facilities, innovative work space, a music studio and a gallery. We put artists and the creative process first because the stories we tell shape our world. Our business partnership with Bell Media allows DAIS to broadcast our projects across a multitude of networks and platforms in Canada while seeking out global partners.

About Sol Guy:
Guy tells stories across all mediums, with a passion to connect art and social change. Guy's early days were spent as a founding member of the legendary Canadian hip hop group Rascalz, which he then parlayed into a successful career as a television host, film producer, artist manager and social entrepreneur. He has collaborated with some of the most influential artists in the world, including Lauryn Hill, JR, K'naan, Robert De Niro and Cameron Diaz. Most recently, he was based in New York City where he was the Creative Director of Tribeca Enterprises. Working closely with founder Jane Rosenthal, Sol's contributions reached across the Tribeca Film Festival, their production company and non-profit organization. 

About Bell Media:
Bell Media creates content and builds brands that entertain, inform, engage, and inspire audiences through the platforms of their choice. Bell Media is Canada's leading content creation company with premier assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. Bell Media owns 30 local television stations led by CTV, Canada's highest-rated television network; 30 specialty channels, including TSN and RDS, Canada's most-watched specialty channels in English and French; and four pay TV services, including The Movie Network and Super Écran. Bell Media is also Canada's largest radio broadcaster, operating 105 licensed radio stations in 54 markets across the country, as well as managing the iHeartRadio brand and streaming service in Canada. Bell Media owns Astral Out of Home with a network of more than 30,000 advertising faces in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Québec, and Nova Scotia. Bell Media also operates more than 200 websites; delivers TV Everywhere with its CraveTV and GO video streaming services; operates multi-channel network Much Digital Studios; produces live theatrical shows via its partnership with Iconic Entertainment Studios; and owns Dome Productions Inc., a multi-platform production company. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. For more on Bell Media, please visit www.bellmedia.ca.

SOURCE Bell Media

Image with caption: "Bell Media (CNW Group/Bell Media)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161122_C3323_PHOTO_EN_824020.jpg

Scott Campbell, 416.384.4235, [email protected]