Now in its second year, D&AD Festival is the largest gathering of creative minds to take place in east London. Spanning three days, and five stages of talks, there’s no shortage of action either. Speakers come from all areas of the creative sphere – everything from fashion and film to technology and traditional disciplines such as illustration and photography. There's also reams of Pencil-winning work to be envied, a showcase of the most promising new directors and photographers, and a Fringe Festival that sees local agencies open their doors to visitors.
This year's headliners are heavy-hitters from some of the world's most innovative brands and businesses. CEO and co-founder of Kickstarter Yancey Strickler will be discussing the ever-changing boundaries of creative culture, and NOWNESS Creative Director Anna Higgs will delve into the question of curation versus clickbait, to understand how it's still possible to champion bold creative work.
Also from the world of publishing, Refinery29 founder Piera Luisa Gelardi will draw on her experience building a media powerhouse to discuss how you can sustain creativity while growing a global business. For those with their heads firmly in the design and advertising industry, KesselsKramer Creative Director Erik Kessels will be exploring how mistakes inspire him, and Sagmeister & Walsh co-founder Stefan Sagmeister will challenge beauty's bad reputation, and discuss how we can reverse this. Much-loved artist David Shrigley is not to be missed, and Oscar-winning filmmaker Armando Bo will also join DAVID ECD Joaquín Cubría in conversation.
Of course it's not just about the headliners. More than a hundred other speakers from the creative industry will be sharing wisdom on a diverse range of subjects, from making a difference with great ideas, to the future of food. Catch book designer Coralie Bickford-Smith, illustrator Mr Bingo, designer Morag Myerscough, and creative ethnographer Karli-Jade (among others). If you're the sort of person that likes to get involved, there's also workshops on generating ideas, becoming a creative activist, launching your own startup and uncovering your leadership skills.
Find out more here and book your Pass here.
