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However, the creative industry is by no means an ‘easier alternative’ to other fields. The need for relevant, industry-leading skills and experience has proven to be a major barrier to entry for young people – especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – hoping to get a foot in the door of a creative agency or business. “There has been a lag in laying the groundwork for the level of inclusivity needed in South Africa’s creative industry, and this has limited our ability to create work that resonates with different target markets as effectively as it could,” says Xolisa Dyeshana, Chief Creative Officer at Joe Public.

One Club Diversity Programme

While there are many agencies and businesses that offer internships and other programmes to enhance an understanding of the industry, these opportunities are rare and are often limited to a handful of successful applicants. How do we bridge this gap in order to create more opportunities for the youth, regardless of their backgrounds or the speciality they are interested in, to enter South Africa’s ever-growing creative economy? According to Dyeshana, initiatives like the One Club Diversity Programme are instrumental in driving diversity in South Africa’s professional creative space and building an industry that reflects the population it advertises to.

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Dyeshana was instrumental in introducing the One Show Diversity Programme in South Africa, which allows students to take part in four-day intensive ‘Creative Bootcamps’ run by the country’s top agencies and creatives. Participants learn about creative processes in advertising and how to create and present a campaign for a real client. “The One Club Diversity Bootcamp gives young, underprivileged students the opportunity to experience first-hand what it is like to work in advertising and to solve a real client brief. It also gives them intimate access to the best creative individuals from abroad and locally who not only look like them, but come from very similar backgrounds to them too.”

One Club Showreel

This year, Vega will host the ‘One Show Showreel’ at its various campuses throughout July 2017, inviting creatives of all ages and interests to attend. The events will be presented by Dyeshana, along with Chairman, CEO and CCO of Amusement Park Entertainment, Jimmy Smith, who will both share and discuss a showreel of creative work from across the industry.

“When I was starting out in my career, there were zero diversity programs – at least none that I knew of,” says Smith. “The One Club’s Creative Boot Camps, along with its other diversity programs such as ‘Where are all the black people?’ are revolutionary and important for injecting cultural intelligence and talent into an industry whose clients sorely need fresh, ground-breaking ideas.”

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Inclusion and diversity manager at The One Club, Stefanie Smith, says that the bootcamps not only allow students to sharpen their creative skills, but also provide a platform for them to showcase their talents and ideas.

“Each student has their own unique story about how they came to pursue a career as a creative and the path that brought them to our boot camp. Many face what seem like insurmountable obstacles in getting there, but we are always so impressed by their dedication to becoming creative professionals,” she says. “We understand the challenges they face and what hurdles it takes to come to day-long bootcamps for four days, yet they still come in happy, eager, and ready to work.”

One Show’s partnership with Vega

The One Show, an annual awards ceremony that takes place in countries across the world to celebrate creative work on a global scale, allows students to gain valuable insight into creative industries. Led by some of the country’s most renowned creatives, the event aims to provide the next generation of designers, developers and advertising geniuses with an opportunity to immerse themselves in a professional community.

If the Cape Town leg of the One Show Showreel, that took place at Vega on Friday, 30 June 2017, is anything to go by, the upcoming showreels promise to be an inspiring experience, offering invaluable insight into the latest trends from two of South Africa’s leading industry professionals.

It’s also fitting that One Show has chosen to partner with Vega, a tertiary institution with an unconventional approach to educating and nurturing young minds. In line with One Show’s core values of diversity and inclusion, Vega’s teaching philosophy ensures that students are equipped to make meaningful contributions to organisations and to ‘be the change’ the world needs. Vega also runs ‘Trailblazer’ sessions on a regular basis, encouraging alumni to suggest and get involved in community development initiatives.

Creating more opportunities for young creatives

Transforming the creative industry is a contentious and complex subject, but it’s clear that we need to start by providing youth with wider access to career-building opportunities at the grassroots level. The One Show Showreel and Creative Bootcamps are a great first step towards creating more opportunities for young creatives to build sustainable careers as creatives, and promoting diversity and inclusion across creative industries.

“The future – as is always the case – hinges on the next generation, and the next generation needs to reflect the real world. The One Club is heaven bent on developing talent for the ad industry, so that agencies can view the world with real and honest augmented reality glasses,” says Jimmy Smith.

For more information on the One Show Showreel, taking place at Vega campuses in Johannesburg and Durban, click here.