ADCE launches Rising Stars to give further support to European creative talent

Cristina Blanaru Creativity, Education

The Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) is stepping up its efforts to provide best-in-class education for European creatives of all levels, with a new platform titled Rising Stars. ADCE Rising Stars aims to give cross-cultural development opportunities and support to creatives at every stage of their career. From expert and specialized training for senior level professionals, to mentorship, inspiration and guidance for those taking their first steps into the creative industries.

In its mission to promote excellence in European advertising and design, ADCE first began exploring educational initiatives in 2013, with the successful launch of the Creative Express in Austria.

Fueled by the positive feedback and support of the ADCE’s 18 member clubs, the Creative Express has now completed five successful editions, prompting ADCE to explore how it could provide greater support for its members, and the wider European creative community.

Thanks to co-financing from the Creative Europe Programme – created by the European Commission to fund development of the creative and cultural sectors – ADCE Rising Stars was able to become a reality.

Amir Kassaei, ADCE President, explains:

Rising Stars has one big goal: to raise the quality of creative communication in Europe by empowering talent of all ages.

To do that, we’re bringing together all the best initiatives from all the national clubs to create a real best-in-class offering, designed to put our members, and beyond, in a position to adapt and succeed in a challenging climate.

Moving forward, the Rising Stars banner will encompass all of ADCE’s educational and networking programs, supporting young creatives, senior professionals and creative leaders.

ADCE Rising Stars launches with a Creative Leadership Program, developed in partnership with the Berlin School of Creative Leadership. Taking place 9-10 June at the Disseny Hub in Barcelona, the program aligns with the ADCE core values of collaboration and hands-on learning among a diverse, multinational mix of attendees.

It features an intensive two days of talks, discussions and workshops on the power of leadership, based on the Leadership Acumen concept, which is at the heart of the Berlin School’s approach. Led by Jamshid Alamuti and Professor David Slocum, the program focuses on practical topics, using real world examples and participant interaction.

The Creative Leadership Program is open to a select group of individuals nominated by ADCE member clubs, and is one of a number of exciting new opportunities for European creative professionals, more of which will be announced in the near future.

The Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) is a not-for-profit association headquartered in Barcelona comprised of professional clubs and associations of graphic design and advertising from 18 European countries: Austria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Ukraine. Founded in 1990, the ADCE strives to foster excellence in graphic design and advertising creativity at a European scale. The association represents more than 4,500 professionals from the field and internationally spotlights the best works accomplished at a local scale through its annual European awards. The association’s current president is Amir Kassaei, Chief Creative Officer at DDB Worldwide, and one of the most recognised advertising creatives in the world.