Global marketing communications company WPP has partnered with The One Club for Creativity to help unlock the potential of Black creatives across the UK with a 16-week online portfolio initiative kicking off in March 2023, enrolment for which closes on 31 January 2023.
After a successful 2020 US launch in which 84% of the 128 graduates got hired at a top agency or brand, 66% of whom were women, ONE School – which is a free alternative to traditional ad schools – is looking to make waves in the UK with its initial 15-cohort class in 2023.
Black creatives from all walks of life are encouraged to apply for one of the 15 sought-after places and, crucially, no prior knowledge of the advertising industry is required.
Successful applicants will get hands on, one-to-one tutoring from an all-Black team of tutors, lecturers and mentors working in the top creative departments in the industry.
Ez Blaine, ONE School UK lead, said: “As a Black creative from the UK, it’s very meaningful to me to help bring new Black talent into the creative industry. Our choice of Black lecturers and mentors helps close the gap and exposes students to creative leaders who they can relate to, allowing them to see a pathway for themselves into the industry. This is about teaching talent to stand out for their Blackness, be 100% authentic to who they are and understand the value that brings.”
The US programme was co-founded with The One Club by Spotify Creative Director Oriel Davis-Lyons, who worked with industry veteran and One Club Head of Creative Development Bob Isherwood to develop the school shortly after the death of George Floyd. The initiative aims to ensure that the high cost of portfolio schools does not get in the way of giving world-class Black creative talent a route into the industry.
Karen Blackett OBE, President of WPP in the UK, added: “We’re proud to partner with an organisation that shares our commitment to taking meaningful action to support, build and grow the Black creative community. Not only is this partnership – spearheaded by the wonderful Dr Stacie Graham via WPP’s Racial Equity Programme – about positively impacting under-represented talent, it’s also about recognising that, without diversity, our industry simply won’t thrive. The ONE School has been described as one of the biggest social change programmes in the history of the US ad industry. I can’t wait to see what it can do here in the UK.”
Black creatives wanting to make the leap into advertising can find more details about ONE School UK, including information on how to apply, at https://oneschooluk.org/
