YOUTUBE ORIGINALS DEBUTS NEW UK SERIES ‘THE SCHOOL OF…’
A GROUP OF YOUTUBE’S BIGGEST STARS EXPLORE SOME OF LIFE’S GREATEST PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS
Series debuts with ‘What Is The Secret Of Happiness?’ and ‘Can We Stop Being Anxious About Being Anxious?’ in time for WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY
Today, YouTube Originals and The School of Life have teamed up to launch the new Original series, “The School Of…” The series sees the world renowned YouTube philosophy channel for Alain de Botton’s The School of Life collaborate with a group of the world’s most interesting and diverse YouTube creators to explore some of the greatest philosophical questions of our age – such as “What is the secret of happiness?’, ‘Is democracy dangerous?’ and “Is greed good?’.
“The School Of…” is an approachable, relatable and exciting exploration of some of the most pressing and universal questions, concerns and societal challenges. In each episode, YouTube creators like Lady Leshurr, Jessica Kellgren-Fozard, The Martinez Twins, Luzu, Adam Saleh and more, do practical explorations and real-life experiments to assess some of the questions that humanity has pondered throughout time. Narrated by Alain de Botton, this series works to make these important topics understandable and fun to watch, thereby giving the audience a compelling view of life’s greatest philosophical questions and jumpstart to learn more on YouTube.
In time for World Mental Health Day (10 October), Alain de Botton and YouTube creators Jessica Kellgren-Fozard and The Martinez Twins explore themes of anxiety and happiness in two episodes launching today: ‘What Is The Secret Of Happiness?’ and ‘Can We Stop Being Anxious About Being Anxious?’.
Luke Hyams, the Head of YouTube Originals EMEA, has said:
“One thing that unites the YouTube community and people everywhere together is the desire to learn. YouTube is a place where people come to explore their interests and passions, but also a place to educate themselves. Working with Alain de Botton’s hugely successful philosophy channel on “The School Of…” has been a tremendous honour, and we are so pleased that for the first time, some of YouTube’s most diverse and compelling stars are exploring life’s most challenging philosophical questions. We hope this series encourages viewers to delve into these important topics and continue to engage with philosophical, well-being, and educational content on YouTube.”
Alain de Botton founder of The School of Life has said:
“YouTube has become the world’s classroom, offering some amazing lessons in pretty much everything anyone needs to know. At the School of Life, YouTube has changed everything we do, bringing us a global and diverse audience to the business of emotional education. We’re therefore so pleased to have teamed up with some of the world’s best YouTube creators to investigate the largest questions that deserve the largest audiences. The School of YouTube is a superficially playful, but in essence deeply serious attempt to mobilise mass engagement around the important themes. We’re honoured that the team at YouTube saw the potential and took the risk.”
Summary of episodes from new YouTube Original, The School Of…:
- Episode 1 (launching today 8th October): THE SCHOOL OFJESSICA KELLGREN-FOZARD | WHAT IS THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS? [VIEW HERE – LIVE NOW] This is the BIG one, the question that has been searched for as long as humans have traveled the earth. Perspective on this matter is everything. One such perspective comes from British YouTube creator Jessica Kellgren-Fozard, who suffers from two rare nerve disorders as well as having impaired hearing, vision and mobility. In this episode, she shares her Seven Secrets of Happiness.
- Episode 2 (launching today 8th October): THE SCHOOL OFTHE MARTINEZ TWINS | CAN WE STOP BEING ANXIOUS ABOUT BEING ANXIOUS? [VIEW HERE – LIVE NOW] Anxiety has replaced depression as the number one mental health issue amongst teens. In this timely episode, we will explore the best ways to stop being anxious about being anxious. How? By following the journey of actual teenagers experiencing anxiety as they go discover how to deal with this ailment. Meet Spanish twins Emilio and Ivan Martinez (The Martinez Twins) who moved away from home to live in LA, where they built a fanbase of over four million subscribers with their content. Without family support, barely speaking any English, and the pressure to create content pushed these young creators into overwhelming feelings of anxiety.
- Episode 3 (launching Thursday 10th October): THE SCHOOL OF LUZU | WILL THE NEXT PICASSO BE A ROBOT?Technological advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are pushing the boundaries of the characteristics that define a machine. One of those characteristics is something that we once believed to be a strictly-human attribute: the ability to make art. Luzu, originally from Spain but who now lives in LA, established his global reputation on YouTube playing video games. Luzu will meet an AI that creates art and will face a test to see if he can identify art created by this machine when it’s up against art created by humans.
- Episode 4 (launching Tuesday 15th October): THE SCHOOL OF LADY LESHURR | IS DEMOCRACY DANGEROUS?Democracy is the most perfect system of government ever invented. It’s also delivered some of the worst decisions ever made. In this episode British rapper and YouTube creator Lady Leshurr launches a bid for power at a school in London. She will run an election campaign against experienced teachers who have the best interests of the children at heart, with a manifesto based on false hopes and empty promises. Promise this will be an invaluable lesson for all.
- Episode 5 (launching Thursday 17th October): THE SCHOOL OF HANNAH STOCKING and ANWAR JIBAWI | IS GREED GOOD? No…Actually, it needs a closer look. In this episode, we look at Capitalism and Socialism by running rival cupcake stands in a downtown market in Los Angeles. There, good friends Hannah Stocking and Anwar Jibawi, two LA-based YouTube creators best known for their comedy skits, will become rival cupcake-stand competitors. Using different economic principles, they will prove or disprove whether greed is good. Tough sell.
- Episode 6 (launching Tuesday 22nd October): THE SCHOOL OF ADAM SALEH | SHOULD I MARRY SOMEONE I DON’T LOVE? To put it differently, is acting on impulse, blinded by love, really the cleverest way of choosing the person we will be with forever? Adam Saleh, best known for his hip-hop music videos and online pranks, is a member of the dating app generation. But, as a native New Yorker of Yemeni heritage, everyone else in his family has had an arranged marriage. Now, aged 25, Adam finds out if it’s time to wave goodbye to the lure of physical attraction and short-term excitement, and open the door to logic by having an arranged marriage himself.
- Episode 7 (launching Thursday 24th October): THE SCHOOL OF AZZYLAND | A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY. Stoicism, Daoism, Machiavelli, Nietzsche, Existentialism, and the basics of Plato explained in a short and sweet 5-minute run. Who could tackle such a thing? Popular Toronto-based content creator AzzyLand will give us a whistlestop tour of Philosophy’s most important theories.
Episodes 1-2 are live today on YouTube. Episodes 3-8 being released semi-weekly following launch day, with episode 3 airing this Thursday 10th October. Starting today, YouTube Premium subscribers now have access to enjoy all eight episodes.
The series is produced by Acme Films. Executive Producers include Alain de Botton, Jamie D’Cruz, Evie Buckley.
