The lack of diversity within creative agencies has been a hot topic for a long time which is why two of Australia's leading female creatives have come together to launch workshop to tackle it.
Working in partnership with British educational charity D&AD, which exists to promote excellence in design and advertising, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne creative director Stefanie DiGianvincenzo and Google creative director Tara McKenty are launching Rare.
It’s a four-day masterclass aiming to give people with diverse backgrounds a starting point for cretives to build a network and knowledge base that will help them succeed in creative agencies. In turn, they hope it will encourage more diversity within agencies.
It will be hosted by The Glue Society on 20 – 24 November and will feature industry leaders from around the world giving tangible tips and advice on how to navigate the challenges that face people from minority backgrounds “in an industry traditionally dominated by white, straight males”.
Read about The Agency Circle's efforts to tackle diversity here.
DiGianvincenzo says she and McKenty came up with the idea because they were frustrated at the lack of action being taken on gender diversity.
“Rare truly is a response to a collection of experiences that Tara, myself and many other creatives of diverse backgrounds have had in this industry. Creative departments have been enshrined in a particular way of thinking, acting and behaving,
and often it’s at the detriment of fantastic talent who don’t fit a certain profile,” she says.
McKenty adds that the workshop should help arm creatives with the tools they need to succeed in departments that “aren’t geared to nurture diverse talent”.
“There’s been so much talk about increasing diversity through different means and measures, but we’re still fundamentally missing out on the most important driver of change in all of this – the diverse talent themselves. With the collection of creative
leaders in attendance at Rare, we’re hoping to provide future creative leaders with the knowledge and networks they need to remove that sense of isolation and equip them with tools they can use to overcome any barriers to their success,” she says.
The speaker line up includes BBDO India chairman and chief creative officer, Josy Paul; CEO and chief creative officer of Amusement Park, Jimmy Smith; Apple’s UK lead on Beats by Dre, Emily Kortlang, and Banksy’s only female protégé, Vexta.
D&AD CEO, Tim Lindsay, recently said, “the general lack of ethnic and demographic diversity in our business and the appalling lack of gender balance at senior levels in agency creative departments is getting worse, not better. And as our business becomes more homogenised, whiter, more middle-class and more male we serve our clients less well and produce homogenised thinking and solutions. So, for the future of the business, we all have to do something to put this right.”
Founding partners of the event include The Glue Society, Maud, Alt/Shift YouTube and D&AD.
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