I Wish This Program Existed for Sikhs When I Applied. Now It Does.
For a long time, I was drawn to film, storytelling, and the arts, but I didn’t know what that path looked like for someone like me. As a Sikh, I rarely saw people who looked like me in front of the camera, behind it, or in the rooms where creative decisions were being made. When I did see Sikhs represented, it was often limited, stereotyped, or flattened into a single narrative.
Still, I kept coming back to storytelling. I was curious about how media shapes public understanding, how narratives can humanize communities, and how film, journalism, and art can create empathy where policy or headlines often fail. But pursuing creative industries without clear mentorship or visible pathways felt isolating. I wished there were a space that understood both the cultural weight of representation and the realities of the media industry.
That’s why I’m excited to share that applications are now open for the SikhLEAD Media Internship Program – Summer 2026.
This is the program I wish existed.
SikhLEAD Media offers hands-on internship placements in film, television, and journalism; one-on-one mentorship with Sikh and South Asian creatives; professional development through workshops, screenings, and studio visits; and direct access to industry leaders and advocates. It’s designed to turn interest in storytelling into real-world experience and long-term opportunity.
Representation matters. When Sikhs tell our own stories, we shape how our communities are seen, understood, and remembered. This program is about building a pipeline of Sikh creatives, expanding industry access, and changing the narrative on how Sikhs are viewed in America.
If you’re a Sikh-identifying junior, senior, graduate student, or recent graduate with an interest in media or storytelling, especially those based in or able to relocate to Los Angeles, this opportunity is for you. To learn more about SikhLEAD, please visit here
And if you know someone who should apply, please share this with them.