March 2022 Tiltify Fundraiser: Spring-Into-Action for Accessibility!
March 2022 Tiltify Fundraiser: Spring-Into-Action for Accessibility!
Ahh Spring Break, a time when the colder weather clears out, and the spring sunshine moves in. While the crowd enjoys some sun and the great outdoors, do they think about inclusion, and those living with disabilities? These stories are all too real, and in fact 1 in 5 people live with a life altering disability. Dreamscape strives to enhance individuals’ lives by funding their needs for accessible technology.
This Spring Break, grab your favorite snacks, and load up Twitch.. because I hope you’re ready for a Week-Long Spring Break Fundraiser Marathon! Starting this Friday, March 11th – 4 selfless Twitch streamers “Spring-Into-Action for Accessibility!“
Meeting The Stream Team
We first met up with our resident Street Fighter V streamer, Shivs! He initially got into streaming during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a way to substitute his passion for competing in Street Fighter tournaments. Shivs is mostly described by his chat as their villain, but anyone could tell that he has a strong sense of empathy & good-doing.
Next, we were introduced to Terravin, a variety Vtuber, meeting them through our previous charity streamer jessyabeb! They started getting into broadcasting speedrunning modded Sonic the Hedgehog games early 2021, but has recently switched to variety content. Terravin’s livestream sets out to be a welcoming environment for people to hang out to have a good time.
Our next two streamers come as a pair! Meet Failish and MadamSlips, two best friends who are huge disability advocates. Slips, who works with an Australian government body called the National Disability Insurance Agency as a Support Coordinator, knows exactly what it means to provide accessibility to those who need it. Failish, also known as Em, met Slips as recently as early 2021, but has since become a daily part of each other’s lives. The two of them will stream together all week, hoping to raise all $2,000 of our donation goal!
Inspiring The Dream
We believe that in order for the disabled to be successful, they should at least be empowered enough to meet their educational and employment goals. However, in order to do that, there are certain disability needs that we, as a community, must provide. We asked our four charity streamers what exactly inspires them to support our cause:
“I have never been in the position to give back, and now I am, so I would like to do my part!” – Failish
“As my background has been in disability, I always want to continue to help as much as I can. My mother has worked in disability for over 25 years, and inspires me every day to d and be a better person and to help others in any way I can… In my field, it’s all about building capacity for the participant. I want them to know they are a person LIVING with a disability, they are NOT their disability. They deserve everything in this life that everyone else is entitled to.“ – MadamSlips
“My friend jessyabeb has been doing a lot of charity work recently on her livestreams, and she’s inspired me to do what I can to help.” – Terravin
“Honestly, just human nature would be enough for me to want to contribute to charity, I like to think I have a strong sense of empathy and I want to be able to help out those less fortunate than myself.” – Shivs
Spring-Into-Action for Accessibility
We cherish what these amazing Twitch streamers are doing as a part of giving back to Dreamscape’s disabled community. Our “Spring-Into-Action for Accessibility” event will be filled with entertainment and passion from different people all around the globe. Let us all gather and unite to raise $2,000 for Dreamscape Foundation!
According to Terravin, people with disabilities in his area struggle greatly just to live a fulfilling life, as most places have no accommodations for them. Many are forced to be taken care of by family members, and have an extremely hard time being independent. A huge part of our mission at Dreamscape Foundation is bridging the accessibility gap, and we believe that it’s an area that deserves more mainstream appeal.
Join us (starting this Friday, for a week straight) on Twitch and Tilitfy! If you have anything to give, please consider how much of an impact you can make for someones’ livelihood. Depending on how much you donate, you will be eligible to win a variety of prizes. From redeemable Steam keys, to Dreamscape branded T-Shirts, Magnets & Drawstring Backpacks. If you are unable to lend anything, just know that Sharing The Dream is all that counts!
« PreviousA Small Girl with a Big Heart, Xsharls to Host Dreamscape’s Next Charity Stream
A Small Girl with a Big Heart, Xsharls to Host Dreamscape’s Next Charity Stream
Dreamscape Foundation is happy to introduce our first Charity streamer for 2022! Meet Sharls, also referred to by her twitch community as “xsharls”. Described as a small girl with a big heart. She may seem chaotic and never fails to fail streamer as she always tries to make people laugh and entertain others through her antics on stream, but everyone knows that she is a fighter, someone who does not give up easily despite the challenges life throws at her and is always about spreading love and kindness to one another.
Some Dreams Come True
As a bubbly teenager, she had always dreamed of being a content creator. Early in her endeavors, Sharls started filming YouTube vlogs as well as live stream using Bigolive to interact and make more friends online. Due to lack of time and switching her priorities towards studying, she was unable to continue those ventures. After which, an online friend named spadefanatic insinuated the idea about streaming on Facebook Gaming. Spade also shared the same dream about being a full-time streamer; thus, encouraging her to do the same.
After the friendly encouragement, xsharls founds a goldmine of time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It didn’t take her long to take the idea into action and embark on her first streaming journey through Facebook. With a few months of streaming experience under her belt, Sharls made the move to Twitch, which allowed her to grow her community.
“I never once regretted my decision to stream, as it has been so awesome so far! In my streams, we celebrate being our authentic selves – we celebrate being unique and weird, as I am as transparent and open to my community. I treat my stream as a safe haven – where anyone can come by to share and be open about themselves, as it is all about love!” – xsharls
First Time Charity Streamer!
This may be her first time doing a charity stream, but xsharls is not new in helping those around and in her community. From local volunteering to personal donations, we are very honored that she decided to have her first charity stream with Dreamscape Foundation. According to Sharls, she was elated to do a charity stream with Dreamscape as it resonates with her hopes that with everyone’s help, anyone could have a better future.
“What resonated with me is that Dreamscape believes in offering hope and that knowing is not enough. Hope is understanding that we can do better for the future, and we have a role to play in making that future a reality. I am a strong believer that we should take action and do our part to continue spreading awareness, in order for us to grow as a society. I impart this vision through my mental health podcasts that I do bi-weekly, which places emphasis on continuing to have these difficult conversations, as it gets better as we continue to talk about it. I felt that my vision was in line with dreamscape, therefore it was a no-brainer for me!” – xsharls
What to Expect During the Charity Stream
One thing that she will surely bring for her stream is “FUN” as she tries to make it an exciting experience for everyone! Participants will be able to use their donations to trigger certain actions on stream such as drinking her least fav drink – matcha, or to make her play a horror game, just to name a few.
When & Where Can I Donate?
Xsharls will be raising funds for Dreamscape Foundation’s mission on her Twitch channel on Friday, January 28, 2022, at 8:30am EST. Her hope is to raise $200 for our disabled community by the end of the stream. Depending on the amount given, donors will be eligible to win a variety of prizes, from redeemable random steam keys to Dreamscape branded physical gifts like T-shirts, Magnets & Backpacks. If you have anything to give, this is an amazing cause. Help us Share the Dream!
« PreviousNext »Stackbradford to Host First Charity Stream for Disabilities
Stackbradford to Host First Charity Stream for Disabilities
Meet Mike, or StackBradford as he is referred to by his chat. Stack is a full-time Twitch Partner that mostly plays Street Fighter V but has recently garnered interest in “Speed Running” Resident Evil 1. On top of this newfound hobby, he’s also starting to Charity Stream! We interviewed Mike to help share his story and learn why he is inspired to raise funds for our disabled community.
A Brand New Experience
Although this is his first charity stream, we can definitely feel his excitement and enthusiasm streaming for Dreamscape Foundation, “To be frank, I enjoy everything involved with streaming. If I’m able to be creative in a new process as well as help out a community that needs it, all the better!” Mike explained.
If there’s one thing to guarantee for the stream, it would be the proficiently in Street Fighter V. As far as interactions with his donors, Stack also plans to add challenge incentives, that will make his gaming experience unique to the stream. It looks like we can expect a fun pack stream heading our way!
Humble Beginnings
Mike’s emergence into the gaming world is not unlike most gamers. Stack and his brother were introduced to fighting games from their Father, but his love for games didn’t blossom until the Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Tournament in 2012. When he came across the winner’s finals of the tournament and saw Daigo’s playstyle, it was that exact moment where he decide to take it to the next level.
Another highlight for Mike is the play-by-play calls, “I honestly have to say the commentary is what made me decide to want to perform in front of other people. The genuine excitement and the completely foreign terminology really made me want to understand what it was all about. James Chen and Ultradavid have done more than they know!” he added.
Recently Stack Bradford also joined Community Effort Orlando, or mostly known to the gaming community as “CEO”. The event is an annual Fighting Game Tournament organized by The Fighting Game Community in Orlando. For Mike, it was an interesting experience as this was his first offline event after beginning to stream full time. His competitive reputation in CEO and YouTube brought along mixed responses, but he says he doesn’t regret any of it.
When asked what inspires him the most, he confidently said that his wife gives him the reason, but the things that get him out of bed in the morning are typically a quote from Jocko Willink, or [life] achievement from someone like Vasyl Lomachenko.
“There is only hard work, late nights, early mornings, practice, rehearsal, repetition, study, sweat, blood, toil, frustration, and discipline.”
– Jocko Willink
Stack Bradford in Raising Funds and Awareness for Dreamscape Foundation
Stack Bradford will be raising funds for Dreamscape Foundation’s mission on his Twitch channel on Friday, December 17, 2021, at 10 am EST. His hope is to raise $500 for our organization by the end of their stream.
Participants will be able to use their donations to trigger certain actions on stream, as well as win a variety of prizes, from redeemable in-game loot codes to physical gifts, like t-shirts.
Stream Team Knights Of The Order raises funds for Disability Awareness
Stream Team Knights Of The Order raises funds for Disability Awareness
We at Dreamscape know a thing or two about Charity Streaming. It’s an enormous task for an individual to raise funds all while maintaining an entertaining persona for hours on end. Dreamscape is happy to announce our collaboration with, not only one streamer, but a group from a recently created Stream Team! They’re called The Knights Of The Order, and at the helm of the ship is Twitch Partner TheOrderOfDylan. We sat down and got to know Dylan, and we’re excited to share his story.
A Pandemic Metamorphosis
As the pandemic began, many of us have been working at home now under lots of different circumstances. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dylan started as a moderator and video editor for Twitch Partner / Solar Stream CEO Lowco. At the moment, our streamer friend is taking on new, exciting projects. Some of which include streaming and creating a stream team!
As Told By Dylan
Dylan started his Twitch journey as AsToldByDylan (a reference to the Nickelodeon show As Told By Ginger). But when he settled into Star Wars content, Dylan opted to change his name to reflect the name of his community: The Order of Dylan!
His channel specializes in carefree gameplay with a highly interactive, engaging chat. The content he provides includes talks about life, food, Marvel, and everything in between, all while playing games with all of his viewers. He also takes viewers on IRL stream adventures to Disney World every now and then.
Surpassing The Odds
Dylan’s father suffered from complete renal failure and was told he may not make it past dialysis. Four years later, he received a kidney transplant and has lived a healthy life ever since. His story, and the story of other achievers, motivate Dylan to push past the difficult challenges in life and persevere.
Dylan believes everyone, regardless of circumstance, deserves the opportunity to be successful and have the tools they need to succeed. Dylan added, “I lived with a visually impaired friend in college who struggled to find the right equipment to get through many of his digital technology classes. An organization like Dreamscape spoke to me personally and is a cause I couldn’t wait to get behind.”
Knights Of The Order Event Details
Our campaign will begin with TheOrderOfDylan on December 11, 2021, at 12:00 pm, followed by _, _ and _. They will be playing Knockout City, a fun, fast-paced multiplayer game, along with viewers from the community! From there, the following Knights members will be streaming everything from Art, to Halo Infinite, and more! All with their own unique incentives!
Dylan added, “I am excited to work with Dreamscape to help provide the disabled community with the accessibility and access to tools they need to build a better tomorrow for themselves and the world!”
You can follow our Twitter & Facebook accounts to stay up to date with all the event details, as we lead up to our Charity Stream with Knights Of The Order.
« PreviousNext »DamnitKid Shares The Dream During 2021 Giving Season
DamnitKid Shares The Dream During 2021 Giving Season
The 2021 Giving Season is upon us, and that means more fundraisers! As a new holiday season begins, new faces will emerge to help spread awareness of Dreamscape Foundation’s cause. We’re happy to announce that on December 14th, Dreamscape is collaborating with a brand new Twitch streamer, and we’re excited to share his story with you.
A Streamers Humble Beginnings
Meet Conor Dennis, or as his chat more commonly knows him, Damnitkid. Conor came up with his username when he was 18, after being called “The Kid” at a brewery he used to work at. Dennis explained to us that whenever he made a mistake a work, his peers would always say “Damnit, Kid”. Conor decided to keep that banter label to this day and uses “Damnitkid” as his handle across all online community platforms.
When meeting someone new, we find it extremely telling of who a person is by how their friends describe them. Let’s just say, Damnitkid’s online friends stood up to the plate and didn’t hold back:
Black_Frost22: “A very kindhearted person, who when allowed will do everything in his power to achieve a goal. Always looking out for everyone he knows. Determined, strong, caring, giving puts other before himself! Gives good advice and a very helpful attitude always out to do well!”
Full Tryhard: “Conor is the kind of person you meet late in life and wish you’d met sooner. He’s classy and sophisticated without being stuffy or condescending. He brings joy to those fortunate enough to know him. His charisma lands him naturally into leadership roles where those around him don’t feel a sense of devoir, rather, a desire to follow his lead. His friends are loyal and quick to come to his defense. He doesn’t make his happiness anyone else’s responsibility, nor does he appear to allow anyone to get under his skin. In colloquial terms, the sun shines out his a** and he’s an absolute Chad.”
His love for playing games started when his older brother gave him his old Gameboy Color with a copy of the Pokémon Blue Version. In 2019, Conor discovered his now ‘go-to’ streaming game Escape from Tarkov, 2 years ago. He not only fell in love with the game but with the Tarkov Twitch online community as well.
Upon further inquiry, Damnitkid explained “The Tarkov Twitch community is full of incredibly helpful people that make the brutal nature of the game much easier to get through. These amazing people inspired me to start streaming and try to do something good of my own, while also playing a game that I fell in love with.”
Like Mother, Like Son
When you lose a loved one, especially a parent, it can be earth-shattering. In 2019, Conor lost his biggest motivator, his Mother, to Breast Cancer. He described her as someone who would put others before herself, no matter who you were. Going out of her way to make meals for the less fortunate during Thanksgiving, participating in Charity Walks, and giving out toys during Christmas to name a few examples. You could say that Conor’s Mom was an all-around Charity Allstar. In her memory, Conor strives to make her proud by participating in charity drives as often as he can!
A few months ago, an opportunity was presented to him when Dreamscape reached out for help. When asked about his interest in our disability charity, the streamer said “I don’t have a big twitch following, but that doesn’t seem to matter to them. They just want to do everything they can to help individuals with disabilities, and I am thankful for the opportunity to help in any way I can”. Conor added, “I have an odd work schedule which I know is not easy to work around, but they’ve been very patient, and I seriously appreciate that.”
During an earlier fundraiser this year, he was able to raise a bit over $1200 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and while he still feels like it is not enough, it is a step up from the $50 he was able to raise last year.
Damnitkid Upcoming Event with Dreamscape & What to Expect!
During Damnitkid’s Tuesday stream on December 14th, he will be playing his favorite game Escape from Tarkov! Tarkov being as serious as it is, Conor will make sure it will be a fun time. Charity donations will mess with the game, doing stuff like making him throw grenades, or even closing the game entirely! Dennis will also have some donation milestones set up: Activities like painting his nails, having a pie thrown into his face, putting on a costume, drinking some extreme hot sauce, and even shaving a reverse mohawk into his head!
Together with Damnitkid, we invite you to watch our Charity Stream on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, at 4:00PM EST. Conor will be streaming for 12 hours straight and the event will be jam-packed with fun! We hope to see you there as we attempt to reach our $500 donation goal for our disabled community!
Damnitkid concluded our interview with, “I just want to thank Dreamscape again for this awesome opportunity. I want to make it as fun, as possible and hopefully, we can reach our goal! Dreamscape has also set up some amazing prizes for donors, so be sure to check it out!”
You can follow Dreamscape’s Twitter & Facebook accounts to stay up to date with all the event details, as we lead up to our Charity Stream with Damnitkid.
« PreviousNext »Sh0wtig3r Returns for Second Fundraiser Supporting Accessibility
Sh0wtig3r Returns for Second Fundraiser Supporting Accessibility
We are happy to announce that Sh0wtig3r continues to support Dreamscape Foundation and our cause to make life easier and more accessible for people with disabilities.
Sh0wtig3r is Back with Support!
You might remember Brianna Ritchie, better known to her Twitch community as Sh0wtig3r. She hosted a charity stream for Dreamscape Foundation this past May! Ritchie has been doing great in the past few months since we spoke to her. According to our updates, “Since the last time we spoke I have received a promotion at my office job which is helping my boyfriend and I get closer to our goal of moving back home to Vermont in Summer of 2022.” Brianna explains.
Brianna’s Favorite Holiday Traditions
As she gets ready for her first Giving Season fundraiser with us, we asked about her favorite parts of the holidays: “Since I am the youngest in my family, I was always peeking around during the holidays to find where my parents hid the gifts. It was always a blast brainstorming with my older siblings on where the new hiding place was and if the parents would catch us. In the end we never found where the gifts were hidden, probably because my parents knew we were looking for them, but it was always a good time just laughing.” We here at Dreamscape are guilty of gift hunts as well!
Round Two for Accessibility
Our good friend Brianna excitedly accepted our call for action due to our previous work and our mission statement. She quoted “I love working with Dreamscape not only because of the passion of the staff but also because of the mission statement. Dreamscape goes above and beyond to do everything they can to help get their message across including making great bonds with content creators by working together for a great cause. I enjoyed working with Dreamscape in the beginning of 2021 and I am excited to be working with them again with hopefully more to come in the future!”
Dreamscape is counting down the days for our collaboration! Her cheerfulness and creativity are an inspiration to everyone she interacts with. One of Brianna’s favorite memories from her 1st charity stream with Dreamscape was having to draw a goatee using an eyeliner on her face, and wearing it for the remainder of the stream! She made this one of her higher incentives – and her community made sure that no matter what, she was going to look silly for charity.
This time around, she has a few returning ideas from her last charity stream, “…googly eyes and of course eyeliner facial hair, but I look forward to sharing some of my secrets that I have up my sleeve. We will be streaming for 12 hours on December 4th and it is going to be jam packed with fun!”
A Big Thank You To All
Sh0wtig3r concluded our interview with a heartfelt message: “I just want to thank everybody for taking the time out of their day to help support Dreamscape in any way that they can. With it being the holiday’s even if you cannot physically donate which is more than okay, spreading the word helps just as much!”
Together with Sh0wtig3r, we Invite you to watch our Charity Stream on Saturday December 4,2021 at 3PM to 3AM EST. We hope to see you there as we attempt to reach our $500 donation goal!
« PreviousNext »CombatNursing Targets Accessibility for Dreamscape’s Next Charity Stream
CombatNursing Targets Accessibility for Dreamscape’s Next Charity Stream
One glance at Twitch streamer CombatNursing’s handle, and you can likely guess its origins. The name reflects her past experience as a combat medic for the Army as well as her civilian career as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse. However, this carefully chosen name means more to CombatNursing than just her resume. It also holds a deeply personal meaning to its owner.
“It’s about making sure that I always acknowledge where I came from,” she said. “The people who trained me, the people I worked with, my patients, they really taught me a lot… They can show you how to survive.”
As a NICU nurse, CombatNursing witnessed firsthand just how resilient humans can be, even in their earliest moments of life.
“Things that you wouldn’t expect a little tiny human like that to be able to handle, they handle it. Watching them leave the NICU, and then years down the line come back for a reunion really teaches you resilience; resilience as a person and an inner strength that you might not know you have. So it’s a very personal and very important tag for me.”
CombatNursing Promotes Awareness and Support for Individuals with Disabilities
Dreamscape Foundation’s mission to help improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities is one that hits close to home for CombatNursing. She knows firsthand the impact that physical disabilities and mental health struggles can have on day-to-day life, and she actively advocates for assistance and resources to help improve the lives of those who struggle with them.
“My father’s a Vietnam veteran and is also a disabled veteran,” she said. “He was wounded in combat. My husband was injured while serving in Iraq. He suffers from PTSD, but he also has injuries that made him disabled. So working with organizations that make it a point to highlight disabilities, and that work for accessibility for the disabled – that is a big part of what I feel is necessary. I love to do charities to raise awareness.”
In the past, CombatNursing conducted charity streams to support Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that not only addresses mental health impacts on soldiers, but also provides support for those who become physically disabled due to injuries sustained while on duty. It’s a cause she is passionate about supporting. However, when she heard about Dreamscape Foundation, she found it to be an opportunity to extend that mission beyond just service members.
“Wounded Warrior Project is the military side, but there’s also a need for the civilian side, and so I felt like [Dreamscape] would be a perfect fit.”
CombatNursing’s Week-long Charity Event Begins in November
CombatNursing’s charity event to support Dreamscape Foundation will be held from November 1 to November 5. She will stream each day from 9:00pm to 7:30am EST. During that time, she will be playing Destiny 2 and Call of Duty: Warzone. Her goal is to raise $1,200 for our organization.
“I would love to see if we could pass the $1,200 goal, but if not, it’s a worthy goal to go after,” she said. “Hopefully we have people from all over the world come out and show support.”
Those who tune in can use their donations to win prizes, as well as trigger incentives or on-stream antics. To tune in, simply go to CombatNursing’s Twitch channel during the appointed dates and time.
« PreviousNext »Skootish Takes the Digital Stage in July Charity Stream
Skootish Takes the Digital Stage in July Charity Stream
Jackson Harrington is a young actor and comedian with a larger-than-life personality.
“At a very young age, I always knew acting and performing was the thing that I was put on this earth to do,” he said.
He faithfully chased that dream all the way into higher education where he earned a BFA in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College. It was meant to be the start of his career; a foundation that would serve as a springboard to a future in professional theater.
But, like many, he found his path derailed by the pandemic in 2020. As the world came to a halt, so did the acting opportunities. Yet instead of giving up, Harrington switched gears. Moving from New York back to Boston where his family lived, he focused on building a Twitch channel where he could harness his talents in a new way.
Skootish Takes the Digital Stage on Twitch
Harrington invested serious research into how he could grow his Twitch channel. He created a steady schedule and crafted a unique persona that he believed would capture an audience – and he wasn’t wrong. With his efforts came steady growth as he saw his consecutive viewers rise from an average of nine per stream to as high as 50 to 60 consecutive viewers per stream.
Beyond consistency and character, Harrington attributes his success to his viewers’ experience.
“It’s all about… creating an environment where everyone around you feels as though they were in the same room as you and you could pass the control over them and they can take control of whatever game you’re playing right now,” he said.
When forced to boil down that environment to one word, Harrington describes it as “loud.”
“I have always been loud,” he explained. “I’ve always been high energy. I’ve always been willing to jump in the air and dance and let my freak flag fly.”
As a boisterous entertainer with a knack for improvised comedy, Harrington naturally draws in a crowd. His community totes their “skootie” flag with pride as they actively engage with him – and often play games with him – throughout the stream.
“Everyone in my community and in the neighboring communities know me as someone who is loud, rambunctious and loves a good joke, even if it’s at my expense,” he said. “We like to laugh together. We like to smile.”
Giggle and Give During Skootish’s Charity Stream on July 10
Recently, Harrington received an invitation to do a charity stream in support of Dreamscape Foundation. As he learned about our non-profit’s efforts to make the world more accessible to the disabled community, he felt compelled to support it.
“I was a camp counselor for a very long time,” he said. “I had kids that would have benefited a lot from Dreamscape’s mission and I wish I could have provided that help to them then. [To be able to] provide that help to them now is, I think, very powerful and a very wonderful thing that I can do.”
Starting at 12pm EST on Saturday, July 10, Harrington will hold a marathon playthrough of Kingdom Hearts RE: Chain of Memories from start to finish via his Twitch channel. During that time, he will offer various incentives to give, giggle, and earn cool prizes. You can donate to our fundraiser on Tiltify here. All proceeds will go to Dreamscape Foundation to support its mission.
« PreviousNext »Johan Yusof Reaches for the Stars in This 5-Day Charity Event
Johan Yusof Reaches for the Stars in This 5-Day Charity Event
Johan Yusof may have first graced the streaming community with his handsome voice and smooth dance moves in 2018, but when it comes to singing and dancing, he is a seasoned veteran. Yusof began performing on stage 21 years ago, planting his roots in theater before branching out as a Japanese pop (J-Pop) singer.
Before COVID-19, he could often be found performing at anime conventions across Malaysia and Singapore. However, the pandemic restricted live performances, spurring this multitalented artist to connect with his audience via a safer, digital venue: Twitch.
Johan Yusof Becomes a One Man Show on Stream
Like so many across the globe, COVID-19 had a significant impact on Yusof’s career and aspirations. As the world cocooned within the safety of their homes, he found himself pressed to find new avenues of income.
Thus, Yusof turned to Twitch, making it his new stage. He brings energy and entertainment as a one-man show on his channel, which consists of a mix of him dropping moves in Just Dance, playing video games, singing, doing impersonations, and even acting out dares posed by his viewers.
“I’m glad I had streaming to fall back onto,” Yusof confessed. “Even though it’s not very easy, I’m glad that at the very least, this is something that I could do at home and be able to make the best out of it.”
Although singing is his self-proclaimed first love, dancing also holds a special place for Yusof. His mother was a professional dancer whose career had her performing at festivals, on stage and even on television. Now that she is retired, he feels the need to take up the baton.
“Part of the reason I’m dancing a lot on stream is because I want to continue carrying on my mom’s legacy as a dancer,” he said.
For those who have never tuned into Yusof’s streams, they’re like a party with an open invitation. He dances in a room illuminated by colorful lights, and engages with an active chat in between songs and requests. The experience is, in many ways, more intimate than the concerts and shows he put on previously. It offers a two-way street that allows viewers to become a part of the experience rather than simply observing it.
“I enjoy connecting with people from all different walks of life, to have that kind of interaction, to be able to chat with a lot of people, and to get to know them,” he said. “Putting on a show at the same time is something I find something very, very, valuable to me. It’s something that I really enjoy and really cherish.”
To him, it’s not just about performing but making his viewers feel happy.
Johan Yusof’s “Five Days of Fireworks” Takes Flight in July
When Yusof first received the invitation to do a fundraiser for Dreamscape Foundation, he felt the need to dig deeper into the non-profit’s mission and the ways it uses its funds to help others. The more he learned about our mission, the more he felt compelled to support it.
“Dreamscape’s MO [modus operandi] is basically to help out those within the disabled community, and I feel that what I do streaming, or gaming, or even dancing or singing for that matter, is for everyone to be able to enjoy whether they able-bodied or not,” he said. “And if there are ways for the disabled community to do what they love to do, what they want to do, and what they’re passionate about doing, without having to be forced to conform to any sort of limitations, I would love to help them out in any possible way.”
That help will be taking the form of a multi-day fundraising event called “Five Days of Fireworks.” Scheduled to take place from July 1 to July 5, the schedule is as follows:
- Thursday, July 1, 2021:
- Just Dance 2021 (9AM – 1PM EST)
- Friday, July 2, 2021:
- Karaoke JOYSOUND for Nintendo Switch (9AM – 1PM EST)
- Just Dance 2021 (9PM – 1AM EST)
- Saturday, July 3, 2021:
- Either Mario Kart 8 Deluxe / Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (9AM – 1PM EST)
- Sunday, July 4, 2021:
- Just Dance 2021 (9AM – 1PM EST)
- Monday, July 5, 2021:
- Just Dance 2021 (9AM – 1PM EST)
To participate in this event, tune into Yusof’s Twitch channel, and donate by visiting the Tiltify Campaign.
« PreviousNext »VoidedMods Invite You to Join Family Game Night
VoidedMods Invite You to Join Family Game Night
Freckles and Farce, GranDaddySkulls, Legend of Layne, and ItsAMeWolfie were once moderators (aka “mods”) for the same Twitch streamer. During that time, they found chemistry and friendship beyond taming the Wild West that is a streamer’s live chat. But in 2020, those duties came to an abrupt end.
“Recently, the person we had been modding for decided to step away from Twitch and continue on their own path, and we looked at each other and went, ‘Well, we can’t just stop. We love this.’ So we decided to start our own stream,” Skulls explained.
The departure of the streamer they modded for triggered the birth of their own streaming channel on Twitch called VoidedMods.
The Streaming Quartet and Their Community
The streaming quartet may share a history as moderators, but each of them has their own personality.
Freckles “brings the weird” to their streams and community. She’s known for dropping random facts and bringing humor and levity to the conversation.
Layne delivers “high BS energy” and keeps the conversation flowing.
Skulls feeds off of Freckles’ humor, expanding on the inevitable odd fact and fueling the banter within the conversation. They are also the one that “goes after the money”, meaning they encourage opportunities for monetization within the stream to help fund the VoidedMods channel.
Wolfie, by contrast, is the grounded one. He serves as the anchor that brings this high-energy, fun-loving group back down to Earth.
Together, they create an atmosphere that draws in a diverse and inclusive community that is as much a part of the VoidedMods stream as the streamers themselves.
“I would consider us variety streamers, as we play a different game every time. But as a Twitch stream, I would say we’re very community based,” Layne said. “Everything we do, all the decisions we make, and the games that we play [are] for the people on our Discord server. It’s all based on what we hear from them.”
When VoidedMods aren’t engaging their viewers live on stream, they’re actively communicating and hanging out with them in their Discord server, The Lost Void, where they hold all kinds of activities, including movie nights and open mic nights.
VoidedMods Takes Pride in Creating an Inclusive Environment
One of the biggest things VoidedMods prides themselves on is the inclusiveness of their community. All of them are members of the LGBTQ+ community, and they actively speak out on their desire to create a place where people feel welcome and safe.
Periodically during their stream, viewers will see a message that says, “On this stream we, the VoidedMods, believe that black lives matter, black trans lives matter, women’s rights are human rights, we condemn anti-Asian violence and hate, we support the rights of disabled people, and we embrace the entire rainbow of the LGBTQ+. If you do not align with these beliefs, you are free to leave but please leave in peace.”
It’s this kind of message and motivation to create an inclusive environment that inspired them to support Dreamscape Foundations mission to bridge the accessibility gap.
“[Dreamscape Foundation] really goes along with our usual ‘charity wants,’” Skulls said. “We want equality, we want people to feel welcomed, and we want people to have the world to be accessible to them… We want people to come into our community and feel like they have equal rights and equal love and equal attention. A charity like this meshes so well with what we’re trying to put together for our own community.”
Join in on the Fun and Games in VoidedMods’ Charity Stream
On June 26, 2021, VoidedMods will put on a charity stream that aims to raise $600 for Dreamscape Foundation. The theme is Family Game Night.
“I kind of came up with this concept because we’ve always seen ourselves as a family,” Freckles said. “We’re going to be doing different games that are common for families to play [like] Monopoly and Uno. We might throw in Scribble It! because it’s kind of like Pictionary.”
Want to be a part of this fun-filled Family Game Night? You can tune in from anywhere. The charity stream will begin at 2:30pm EST on their Twitch channel and is scheduled to last for at least six hours.
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