Fans of Michaela Coel’s upcoming HBO/BBC series, I May Destroy You, are getting tons of supportive content related to the show and its highly personal themes.

HBO has developed the “Gathering the Pieces” campaign for the upcoming series in order to “elevate the conversation, raise awareness of the topics depicted in the series and provide expert POVs and resources to Black and Queer communities.” Hailed as a “groundbreaking digital first” by the network, the campaign will primarily focus on “dating, friendships, relationships, sexual wellness and freedom, trauma and therapy, self-love and self-care.”

The conversations will take place via Instagram Live, featuring resources from HBO’s IMDY Resources page. Several personalities, called a “host committee” of experts and influencers, will lead the conversations and connect with viewers on the aforementioned topics.

“HBO is a place for all stories. The themes of Michaela Coel’s extraordinary I May Destroy You, touch upon experiences that are all too real, and disproportionately affect many people, especially in the LGBTQ+ and Black communities, who sometimes suffer in silence,” said Jackie Gagne, Vice President, Multicultural Marketing HBO, in a statement. “We created this compelling series of live community conversations in order to organically and respectfully engage audiences in discussions around the topics of consent, dating and relationships in this modern landscape,where the fine line between liberation and exploitation can be unclear.”

Verb co-founder Shannon Jones also stated how creating the campaign meant staying true to I May Destroy You‘s themes and tone.

As we collaborated with HBO on the ‘Gathering the Pieces’ campaign, our goal was to remain authentic to the experiences depicted on the show and select peers and experts who could help the public explore the sensitive themes and tonality of the series, with the aim of empowering marginalized groups and survivors,” said Jones. “Social media is where people gather to share and explore new topics, so a social-first campaign was the right avenue to raise awareness and reach audiences with these important conversations and healing resources.”

Along with the events listed below, I May Destroy You will have two events lined up on June 7, the day of the series’ premiere. The first, Refinery29’s Unbothered Presents Real Talk: A Conversation with Michaela Coel and the Cast of I May Destroy You on the Unbothered Instagram page (@r29unbothered). Later, the series premiere Community Watch party will be hosted by Crissle (@crissles) and Joel Leon (@joelakaMaG), using the hashtags #IMAYDESTROYYOU and #GATHERINGTHEPIECES on Twitter.

HBO has also partnered with The Creative Collective NYC and Therapy for Black Girls to curate a seeding kit, highlighting themes from the series. “The kit encourages recipients to ‘gather the pieces’ and prioritze their relationship with self and others,” states the press release. “Touching on six key themes (Write it down, Talk it out, Reach Out, Have patience with yourself and Treat your body with care), the kit includes a variety of items that approach self-care in a myriad of ways.”

The partnership also includes social media, with prompts to be released aimed at developing conversation around the series and ways to practice self care.

I May Destroy You will premiere on HBO June 7 at 10:30 p.m. ET, and will be available to stream on HBO GO, HBO NOW, HBO via HBO Max and other partnering platforms.

Here’s the full lineup of events:

June 4

12:00PM, ET: The Power of “I AM” – Manifestations and Journaling Workshop with Lauren Ash(@hellolaurenash)

9:00PM, ET: The Politics of Pleasure + Intimacy with Penda N’Diaye (@pendajai) and EvyanWhitney (@evyan.whitney)

June 5

12:00PM, ET: Breaking Up: Friendships + Relationships with Tracy G. (@itstracyg) and J.Wesley (@writehiswrongs)

9:00PM, ET: The Tell All: Dating + Relationships with Angela Yee (@angelayee) and MichaelArcenaux (@youngsinick)

June 6

12:00PM, ET: Understanding Cannabis and the Brain with Mary Pryor (@msmarypryor) and Dr.Ayana Jordan (@drayanajordan)

9:00PM, ET: Clarifying Consent + Modern Dating with The Friendzone’s Assanté (@heyassante), Fran (@heyfranhey) and Dustin (@lookatdustin)

After the premiere watch party, post-show “Gathering the Pieces” live sessions will resume on Tuesday nights, hosted on IMDY Resources. The sessions include:

June 16

9:00PM, ET: Reclaiming Your Body with Deun Ivory (@deunivory)

June 23 9:00PM, ET: Showing Up for Yourself: A Workshop with Alex Elle (@alex_elle)

June 30

9:00PM, ET: Triggers, Trauma, and Breaking Through with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford (@hellodrjoy)

July 7

9:00PM, ET: NewFest, New York’s leading LGBTQ organization, will host a virtual post-premiere talkback focused on identity, oppression and trauma through a queer lens.

READ MORE:

‘I May Destroy You’ Trailer: Michaela Coel’s HBO Series To Bow In June

‘I May Destroy You’ Teaser: HBO’s Michaela Coel Series To Explore Sexual Consent

 

Photo: HBO