The true meaning of wellness will be explored in a Global Wellness Institute film series produced by BBC Storyworks, the commercial, creative arm of BBC Global News. The series will be launched at the 2022 GWS in Tel Aviv.

The series will be deployed through documentary-style short films, immersive audio content and in-depth contextual written pieces.

Once live, all content will live on a dedicated central microsite at BBC.com.

Members of the GWI network will be invited to submit case studies for consideration, with the opportunity to engage BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions’ creative teams to develop pieces for the series.

The series has the following objectives:
• Raise awareness of the importance and impact of wellness and preventive health approaches.
• Define and demystify the term 'wellness'.
• Reaffirm the value of credible, evidence-based solutions on holistic health and improve consumer trust in the sector.
• Spotlight innovative developments across the industry that contribute to individual, community and societal wellness.
• Explore the digital revolution’s impact on the wellness industry, highlighting its benefits and challenges.
• Inspire audiences to kickstart their own wellness habits and lifestyles.
• Challenge the perception that wellness is exclusive.
• Identify solutions that democratise the pursuit of holistic health.

The announcement was revealed live today (1 December) at the 2021 Global Wellness Summit (GWS) in Boston by Nickie Omer, executive producer, BBC Global News, UK; Ophelia Yeung, GWI senior research fellow, US; and Simon Shelley, VP of programme partnerships, BBC Global News UK.

Shelley commented: “BBC StoryWorks is thrilled to be exploring the true meaning of wellness through human-centric stories of those seeking holistic health for both themselves and the wider society.

“We hope to bring a new comprehension of wellness to our global audiences, and start a deeper conversation about integrated, personalised health.”

Yeung added: “The BBC is aligned with our mission of disseminating rigorous, honest and fact-based wellness industry information to advocate for wellness for all.

“This project will bring wellness stories to life from around the world, and amplify important messages about healthy lifestyles and wellness practices in a diverse and inclusive way.”