CREATIVE CALLING CREATIVE CONTROL
The Creative Circle are long-term advocates for a more diverse creative workforce, and 2018 sees the launch of its foundation, a free school. CEO, Jeremy Green, shares the foundation’s plans and manifesto here.
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ince 1945, the Creative Circle has celebrated the best in British creativity. But this year marks a special year in the history of the awards body. Through years of planning and consulting with various industry luminaries, 2018 will see the official launch of the Creative Circle Foundation, an educational charity which aims to address the imbalance of diversity in UK creative departments. The Foundation is a free full-time school to help people who couldn’t normally afford - and wouldn’t usually come in to contact with - one of the existing advertising courses available in the UK. With the increasing cost of living in London, barriers to employment in creative roles are commonplace. The foundation intends to break the mould of traditional routes into the industry by offering education, mentoring and employment to young people across the UK. The school will cater for 15 students and begins term in September 2018. The course consists of a one term boot camp, followed by two terms touring creative agencies working on briefs, before a guaranteed six-month industry placement. All profits from this year’s Creative Circle awards as well as 10% of all awards entry fees, and 100% of membership fees will go towards supporting the next generation of creatives through the foundation. Individuals and companies in the UK creative industries can also fund students. Each student’s fees are broken down into terms. A sponsor can choose to support a student for one, two, or the entire three terms.
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“AS AN INDUSTRY, WE NEED TO UNITE AND CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FUTURE TALENTS OF THE ADVERTISING WORLD. IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE TRUE DIVERSITY AMONGST THE INDIVIDUALS WHO DRIVE THIS BUSINESS, AS WELL AS IN THE IDEAS WE HAVE, WE NEED TO FIND A NEW WAY OF THINKING. WE NEED TO ADDRESS HOW AND WHERE WE FIND FUTURE CREATIVES AND DRIVE CHANGE IN THE PROCESS.” Jeremy Green, Creative Circle Foundation CEO To launch the foundation, Creative Circle President and joint Chief Creative Officer of Grey London, Vicki Maguire, issued a rousing manifesto.