In a year like no other, showcasing and amplifying the creative work of women has never been more vital, as She Takes Over explores in a panel event presented in partnership between adam&eveDDB, Creativebrief and Clear Channel.
Most of us could easily name five famous male directors. But name five famous women directors? It gets harder. And five women composers? Photographers? Cinematographers? Harder still.
She Takes Over is determined to change this and is committed to raising the profile of women creators to make them just as easy to think of, and hire, as men.
But what’s the answer? Should women be represented in every bid? Should treatments be blind? Or is all fair in love and pitching?
A panel of creative women hosted by Nicola Kemp, Editorial Director at Creativebrief will be discussing this issue, how that’s reflected in their personal stories as well as highlighting the women they’d like to champion and their vision for the future in the first edition of She Takes Over Talks at BITE LIVE 2020, pulled together off the back of the #SheTakesOver campaign created by adam&eveDDB in March 2020, set to re-run in 2021.
The panel is brought to you by adam&eveDDB, Clear Channel and Creativebrief.
The power of collective action. Ultimately, She Takes Over was created by adam&eveDDB to channel the power of collective amplification. It’s about building a platform to promote young female talent and inviting the agency’s partners to do the same. As Laura Rogers, Global Creative Director for Unilever at adam&eveDDB, says, “what we wanted to do was elevate those people, increase their visibility so no one has an excuse to say they can’t find anyone.”
New voices elevate creativity. Fundamentally for Rogers it always comes back to the work, a belief that is echoed by every panellist. “Our role as creative people is to be surprising and different and the best way to get that is about bringing in new voices,” she says.
Amplifying talent lifts everyone up. Maruska and Donna-Marie Mason, a photography duo, spoke passionately about the importance of diversifying the teams invited into the set; of checking with younger talent and offering them mentorship and advice where needed. It’s something that the composer Daisy Coole, Co-Founder of Two Twenty Two, says she felt uplifted by: “people are really actively sharing each other’s work and I think that’s really beautiful and a really important thing we can do.”
Speak up and out for diversity. Award-winning director Meena Ayittey believes that allyship comes from using your voice to speak up and out for diversity in all its forms. “If you want to be an ally and part of the progress it’s about being vocal and taking action and that means often having uncomfortable conversations,” she says. While she acknowledges people often don’t want to be in a position that rocks the boat, she believes more harm is done by not saying anything at all.
Everyone is part of a community. The power of community is something that has been pervasive across the creative industries as the crisis has only lengthened. It’s something that Coole in particular was pleased to notice because, as she wants to remind people, “you are not on your own. There is always a community. [And] maybe you’re the one to bring that corner of creativity together.”
Don’t lose your creativity. What every panellist emphasised was the importance of creating, even in spite of the turbulent times we’re living through. This was a point particularly made by the Masons who wanted to invite people to find out what truly matters and use that as a strong foundation on which to build. “Don’t lose your creativity in this time. Find your niche and what you're passionate about and stick to it,” advises Maruskya Mason.
To read a full write up of the event, visit the dedicated BITE page, She Takes Over Talks: Recognise and represent
In a challenging, fast-evolving marketplace, it’s undeniable that diversity in all its forms is vital to making a creative and cultural impact, and we are passionate about the power of virtual events to bring the creative community together at a time of unprecedented change and disruption. This is why BITE LIVE 2020 is free to attend.
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