D&AD could not have had a better aim for its festival speakers than to inspire now and future generations to use their creative ingenuity to make the world a better place. With all of its problems right now, the world really needs to be a better place.
The Festival features an all-star line-up of creative keynotes, fireside chats, workshops and masterclasses delivered by industry greats from advertising, art, design, fashion and film. There are sessions for those with power and experience in their careers, and sessions and masterclasses for those who want them.
Those on the way up will appreciate:
The First Draft of Anything is Shit — with Alice Tonge (Head of 4creative, Channel 4)
Tuesday 21 May 2019, 10:45am – 11:30 am
4creative’s Alice Tonge will share the creative process and sleepless nights that go into crafting bigger, better, and more beautiful ideas.
Messages of Impact: A Poster-Writing Workshop – with Naresh Ramchandani (Partner, Pentagram)
Tuesday 21 May 2019, 11:30am –13:00pm
Armed with toolkit of alphabets, scissors & glue, learn to create powerful messages and your very own poster — with a partner of Pentagram.
Shaping the Future – with Liv Little (Founder, Gal-dem)
Wednesday 22 May 2019, 10:30 am –11:15 am
Gal-dem’s Liv Little will discuss the rise of people creating their own platforms in response to an increasingly fragmented media landscape
Also worthy of an asterisk are the headliners:
Professor Green: The crossover music star and rapper otherwise known as Stephen Manderson has recently presented critically acclaimed documentaries for the BBC and Channel 4, and published his autobiography, Lucky. With his life and music intertwined, he will take the stage to talk about his music career as well as his creative response to difficult issues he is helping to move beyond taboo status – namely male mental health, depression, and suicide. (Wednesday 22 May, 5:45pm)
Rankin: The world-famous British photographer, publisher and film director has a portfolio ranging from portraiture to documentary, and has photographed The Rolling Stones, Kate Moss, and The Queen. Known for being fearless behind the lens, he will discuss his career, the craft of photography, the impact of tech and, most notably, the effect of Instagram on the photography industry. (Tuesday 21 May 5:00pm)
Jefferson Hack: The maverick editorial director and publisher of Dazed Group, as well as creative director of MAD Agency London and influential website, Nowness, is a true industry pioneer. An icon of creativity, in fact. Jefferson Hack has been consistently at the cutting edge of journalism, film, photography, television and digital media, and will be discussing his views on music, fashion, and the current media landscape. (Wednesday 22 May, 11:15am)
Lauren Laverne: Chart-topping singer turned DJ turned presenter of all things cultural, the former host of BBC2’s The Culture Show is now the frontwoman of iconic Radio 4 show, Desert Island Discs. She is one of a very few broadcasters with the crossover appeal to appear on all of the BBC’s network radio stations. She will be talking to the D&AD crowd about music and its importance in the cultural and creative landscape. (Tuesday 21 May, 5:45pm)
Joining the headline speakers is an array of award-winning designers, advertisers, animators, storytellers and more from across the creative spectrum.
The future’s creators and designers will include people applying their creative brains to space travel, such as NASA’s visual strategist Dan Goods.
Other speakers include Sarah Andelman (founder, Just An Idea, Colette), Camila Garay (art director, UNICEF – United Nations), Rob Janoff (creator of the Apple logo, Rob Janoff Studio), Susan Hoffman (chair, W+K), Paula Apkan & Nicole Crentsil (founders of Black Girl Fest), Chris Kiefer (creative director/UX designer, Westworld), Edel Rodriguez (artist) and Shantell Martin (visual artist).
New to the Festival for 2019 is a separate two-day course for aspiring creative pioneers. This will guidance and insight into what makes great creative leadership and is led by Sir Clive Woodward (Rugby World Cup winning coach), Nils Leonard (founder, Uncommon), Anna Higgs (Head of Entertainment, Facebook) and Leila Fataar (Platform13).
Harriet Devoy, D&AD President, stated, “D&AD Festival is a powerful moment that brings together the global creative community to share knowledge and be inspired. Culminating with the awarding of this year’s Pencils, the Festival helps shape D&AD’s agenda for the year ahead, influencing our education programmes and initiatives to strengthen our offering as a learning provider for the creative industry.”
Tim Lindsay, D&AD CEO, added, “The Festival offers a rich programme of talks, workshops, masterclasses, interactive features, fringe events and networking opportunities, plus, a chance to view the most outstanding work of the past year. In short, it is a wonderful, creative learning experience. Attendees can expect diverse, inspiring, relevant content delivered by the world’s leading creative practitioners, designed to develop the full breadth of essential professional skills for every discipline and career stage.”
This year’s Festival will also feature an exhibition with regular screenings of the work shortlisted for a 2019 D&AD Pencil, showcasing thousands of pieces of the best commercial creativity to discover and learn from. The D&AD Awards Ceremony will close the Festival on the evening of May 23.
Find the full list of D&AD Festival speakers confirmed so far, along with programme details, including a breakdown of all talk topics, insight sessions, workshops and timings on the D&AD website here.
