Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, has announced an exciting partnership called Black Out 2023 with the Black British Network and Cannes Lions. This collaboration aims to create essential access for black talent at the Cannes Festival and associated industries.
Black Out 2023 is a call to organizations in the marketing and creative industries to ensure the presence of black talent at the world's largest industry gathering. The program will guarantee the participation of up to 50 individuals from the black community at this year's festival through a campaign focused on stimulating investments from leading organizations. Cannes Lions will provide Festival Passes, and the Black British Network will lead an investment campaign to cover flights, accommodation, and associated costs. Any additional funds raised will support the ongoing work of the Black British Network in achieving equity and inclusion in the industry.
The campaign is centered on authentic accessibility improvement, starting from scr
atch, and is open to black talent at all stages of their careers, from those who have been in the industry for many years to those seeking an entry point. Applications are now open on the Black British Network's website, and the Crowdfunder is live.
Black Out 2023 is an evolution of Cephas in Cannes, an independent campaign launched by Cephas Williams in 2022 to see greater black representation at the Festival. Prior to the Festival, Williams committed £20,000 of his own money to bring black talent with him and invited the industry to act on their commitment to inclusion and invest alongside him. Williams' initial investment was more than tripled by the subsequent campaign, ensuring fully funded access to Cannes Lions for six individuals.
Williams' sustainable ability to spot opportunities that elevate and develop black individuals has inspired Cannes Lions to formally collaborate with the Black British Network on a joint talent program. While industry leaders collectively express the need for greater diversity, black talent continues to be underrepresented and undervalued at all levels.
Black Out 2023 provides these leaders and their organizations with an opportunity to publicly and internally demonstrate their commitment to action and take a concrete step towards increasing industry access while investing to make the industry more conducive to black talent. Organizations and individuals wishing to contribute can get in touch at
bbn@cephaswilliams.com.
Cephas Williams, founder of the Black British Network, stated, "Black Out is a significant milestone for the Black British Network. Collaborating with Cannes Lions, the world's largest creative marketing event, allows us to meaningfully drive black representation in this field on the global stage.
It ensures that black talent is authentically visible and engaged at the heart of the industry, rather than just a quota or surface-level representation. There's a famous quote, 'Diversity invites people to the party, inclusion allows them to dance.' I say true inclusion provides them the platform to play the music they want to dance to, and one step further would be co-creating the ecosystem so that we can create our own parties. Real representation starts with proximity and parity, not just accessibility that only sees us able to be ourselves behind closed doors.
Black Out gives black talent the authentic proximity they need to grow personally and within the industry, establishing meaningful relationships while connecting with a community of like-minded individuals. Meeting the world's biggest brands and influential media and marketing leaders is an unmissable opportunity to leverage social and economic currency to create lasting change."
Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, stated, "Cannes Lions is committed to fostering equity within our industry, and we are delighted to partner with Cephas to launch Black Out as part of our active commitment to address underrepresentation.
Our industry recognizes the importance of supporting black talent and removing barriers to progression, and Black Out allows organizations to demonstrate their support.
We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Cephas in offering more opportunities and access to the Festival.
Article written by Gino.G
Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, has announced an exciting partnership called Black Out 2023 with the Black British Network and Cannes Lions. This collaboration aims to create essential access for black talent at the Cannes Festival and associated industries.
Black Out 2023 is a call to organizations in the marketing and creative industries to ensure the presence of black talent at the world's largest industry gathering. The program will guarantee the participation of up to 50 individuals from the black community at this year's festival through a campaign focused on stimulating investments from leading organizations. Cannes Lions will provide Festival Passes, and the Black British Network will lead an investment campaign to cover flights, accommodation, and associated costs. Any additional funds raised will support the ongoing work of the Black British Network in achieving equity and inclusion in the industry.
The campaign is centered on authentic accessibility improvement, starting from scr