How do we fix the creative industry when it’s exclusionary by design?
Two indigenous creatives explain why and how the industry needs immediate change
For Brad Cooke, Co-founder of Campfire x, at the heart of creativity is one central tenet: the best stories are told by the people they’re about. Too often, advertising is homogenous — and indigenous people in the industry are forced to become the sole representative for their communities. Indigenous people must be given the creative freedom of their colleagues and allowed to voice their own stories if change is to happen.
"I have to think about my community. I have to help other people to thrive," says Joana Mendes, President of Creative Club, who also centres community-wide change as a way to fix the system. She argues that the gatekeepers of the industry are simply not willing to act, preferring instead to sugarcoat the reality of life for ethnic minorities and indigenous people in advertising. In their talk Fix the system to #SHIFTCreativity at D&AD Festival, both say: It's time we stopped talking — and started acting.
Watch more highlights from D&AD Festival here.
