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LIONS has announced the launch of the LIONS Scholarship. Designed to support the next generation of talent, the scholarship offers a group of young people from around the world a fully-funded place on the Cannes Lions Brand Marketers and Creative Academies, which take place during the Festival in June 19-23.
The new initiative sits alongside a range of talent programmes, which are part of LIONS’ drive to introduce more opportunities for underrepresented groups through fully-funded talent programmes at Cannes Lions.
Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said,“We’ve spent 70 years helping to shape careers, foster connections, and platform the power of creativity on a global scale. As we look forward to the next 70 years, we will focus on creating opportunities, providing access, and nurturing the next generation of creative marketing leaders. As part of our mission to support those ‘in the making’ and drive progress for people, we’re opening up the Festival to more than 130 people from groups traditionally underrepresented in the creative industries. To mark our 70th edition, we’re introducing the inaugural LIONS Scholarship. This initiative is designed to increase the accessibility of Cannes Lions’ bespoke academies, which offer a curated education programme at the heart of the Festival.”
The LIONS talent programme includes a range of early career initiatives with the LIONS Academies and Young Lions Competitions designed to catapult young talent in their careers. Additionally, LIONS current talent accelerator programmes continue this year, including See It Be It, which aims to help achieve equal gender representation of creative directors and leaders.
Included within the wider talent programme are community-led initiatives which have been designed in partnership with the global creative industry.
These include: a programme with The Black Executive CMO Alliance to bring Future Leaders from The BECA Playbook to Cannes; complimentary passes for the winners of the Perifa Education Programme which is designed for creatives from the Brazilian peripheries; support of the #CannesForAll initiative, launched by the Brixton Finishing School, DigiLearning Foundation and Lollipop Mentoring, with Festival access for their 12 talents; and a continued partnership with Cephas Williams to provide Black talent with Cannes Lions access and a curated Festival programme.
