Applications for the 2018 Cannes Lions Festival See It Be It opens
The Festival has created an additional five places on the scheme, meaning that 20 women from the creative sector will take part in the career development and empowerment programme.
See It Be It was launched in 2014 to shine a light on the issue of gender imbalance at senior levels and galvanise the industry into action. The initiative serves as an acceleration programme aimed at identifying future female leaders in creative functions in the branded communications industry and tackling the gender disparity across the creative sector.
Leadership theme
In recent years, Spotify has engaged in a series of global initiatives internally and with partners to drive inclusivity and diversity across all of their business functions. Spotify’s Danielle Lee, VP, global head of partner solutions and Jackie Jantos, VP, brand and creative at Spotify, will be involved with See It Be It onsite at the Festival and throughout the year-long programme of events.
“The creative community is only as effective as the talent it employs. As the world becomes rapidly more diverse and multifaceted, it is imperative that creative talent reflects the world we live in,” says Lee, VP, global head of partner solutions at Spotify. “We look forward to partnering with See It Be It to enable women of all backgrounds to achieve their maximum potential in creative marketing."
Building on last year’s theme of ‘Confidence’, the theme for 2018, set by this year’s ambassador Chloe Gottlieb is ‘Leadership’. Participants will develop skills to lead from the inside-out and will realise a direct impact on confidence and ambition over time.
The programme is receiving nominations for mentors who are able to donate time and expertise both onsite at Cannes Lions and at regional events. Interested parties should contact seeitbeit@canneslions.com for further information.
The importance and power of female leadership
“See It Be It provides an opportunity to change the ratio of female creative directors, which currently stands at 11%. We’ve seen that the best way for change to occur is to take action and over the past four years we’ve had involvement from some incredible partners who have really enhanced the experience for the participants. This year we’re bringing an additional five women on the programme and we’re delighted to partner with Spotify to amplify and generate greater awareness of the importance and power of female leadership,” said, Louise Benson, executive See It Be It Lead for Cannes Lions.
Gottlieb, EVP, chief creative officer, R/GA has recently been announced as this year’s See It Be It ambassador and will lead this year's selected women through a tailored programme of executive training, exclusive networking opportunities and a dedicated mentorship scheme. Alongside Gottlieb, Madonna Badger, chief creative officer, Badger & Winters is this year’s See It Be It chair who will act as a guide and industry advocate for three years.
Potential candidates interested in being part of See It Be It 2018 should click here to apply before the final deadline on 16 March.
