The One Club, Russell's Reserve launch global grant programme for young BIPOC creatives

There is no fee to apply, and the grant is open globally to all BIPOC creatives who qualify for the club’s prestigious Young Guns competition (age 30 years and under with at least two years of professional creative experience, and never having won Young Guns in the past).

Candidates must submit links to six projects in their portfolio, as well as a short essay and a 60-second video (phone or webcam acceptable) to introduce themselves and describe their dream project.

Deadline for application is 12 April 2021.

A BIPOC jury of past Young Guns winners will review submissions and select one gifted entrant to receive a no-strings attached $3,000 grant towards a professional dream project of their choosing, as well as free entry into the Young Guns 19 competition later this spring. In addition, the first 10 qualifying candidates to enter will also receive free entry into YG19.

Rich Tu

The initiative, part of the bourbon brand’s #ReservedForAll inclusivity program, was conceived by Rich Tu, VP of Digital Design at MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo at ViacomCBS, host of the "First Generation Burden" podcast, and a Young Gun 8 winner.

“When Russell’s Reserve brought me on to join their #ReservedForAll campaign, it was important for me to pay it forward with generosity towards the community that’s shown me so much love from my early days to now,” said Tu. “Colorful will provide opportunities to communities of color in the creative world, and help them early in their careers when it can be hard to find space for their unique creative voice in this industry.”

He added there’s also a tremendous benefit to the first 10 qualified creatives who submit to Colorful, all of whom automatically gain free entry into Young Guns 19.

"One of the biggest hurdles to entering something as prestigious as Young Guns is thinking that you don't belong in the club," Tu said. "By eliminating perceived barriers to entry, we hope is to empower young creatives of color to enter these spaces with confidence and continue to pay forward opportunities for generations."

Branding for the grant programme was created by Tu and graphic designer Tré Seals, a Young Guns 17 winner.

Colorful: A Prelude to Young Guns 19 is the latest example of The One Club’s ongoing global non-profit commitment to pushing diversity and inclusion forward in advertising and design.

The effort began more than a decade ago when the organisation started its annual Where Are All The Black People diversity conference and career fair, and continued with its global Creative Boot Camps and mentorship programs for diverse college students and other young creatives.

Last year, the club launched One School, a groundbreaking free portfolio program for Black creatives now active in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.

In February, The One Club introduced The One Show Fusion Pencil and ADC 100th Annual Awards Fusion Cube, the advertising and design industry’s first global awards to recognise great work that best incorporates diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles, and underrepresented groups in both creative content and the team that made it.

Unlike for-profit awards shows such as Cannes and others, The One Club is a non-profit organisation that puts revenue generated from awards entries back into the industry in the form of programmes under its four pillars: Education, Inclusion & Diversity, Gender Equality and Professional Development.