Creative luminaries, including Ray Black, angry that AWARD Copy School cancelled this year by management of The Communications Council
Several creative luminaries, including Ray Black, are angry that AWARD Copy School this year has been cancelled by the management of The Communications Council.
According to sources their reason given is that “It does not meet our business plan as we do not have a full complement of twelve paying students”.
CB understands that the school – now in its tenth year – has so far attracted six paying students this year but that there are quite a number of serious enquiries from young writers.
In an email to this year’s tutors, AWARD Copy School organiser Ray Black (above) said: “Times are tough for young students so we should do it at no cost for all twelve. AWARD and AWARD Copy School is all about raising standards. It’s about giving, not taking. Our tutors donate their time and talent. I have never accepted a cent for my involvement and we have a great venue at the Newspaper Works that is not costing us a cent. These facts were rejected by The Communications Council management.
“I suggested we could still go ahead with Copy School at no cost to The Communications Council and so would not upset their ‘business plan’. This was rejected.
“This is where we stand at the moment.”
Justin Drape (chief creative officer at The Monkeys), Tom McFarlane (Asia Pacific, US regional creative director at M&C Saatchi), and David Nobay (creative chairman at Droga5) were among the list of leading creatives enlisted to guide this year’s students through the disciplines and understanding required from today’s copywriters.
CB has asked The Communications Council CEO Margaret Zabel for a comment. She was in a meeting so we expect her to respond some time today. We also expect a response soon from AWARD chairman Mark Harricks, ECD of JWT Sydney. Attempts by CB to contact Ray Black were unsuccessful at time of writing.
34 Comments
Seriously AWARD has gone south ever since the communications council have been involved. Shit events, shit management and shit bar tabs – the show is dying on a regional level (in place of Spikes and Adfest) and needs some serious management to prop it back up.
That is a real shame to hear, particularly considering how many designers and art directors do AWARD School and can’t find Writers to partner with at the end of the course. Unfortunately there is a real lack of talented young Writers in this country.
Let’s see how well written TCC’s press release is written. No pressure.
Sad indeed, if everyone involved is donating their time and location, what could possibly be the issue?
If this event was held in Melbourne I would have definitely signed on…CC has got their head up their arses 99% of the time, not surprised this happened.
This is part of a long history of AWARD and the CC exploiting students and tutors.
AwardSchool and the Copyschool are now simply income generators for them.
Fuck them.
Why not write to Margaret Zabel, head of TCC, to voice your displeasure. I did and it made me feel better.
hello@communicationscouncil.org.au
Do it anyway. Why do you need the CC involved. Break with these muppets and go it alone!
If the story as posted is true then the CC would be better off just closing its doors.
In what can only be described as an act of unequalled stupidity and sheer bad manners, the CC has managed to – insult the very industry people it claims to represent [those senior industry figures who gladly give of their time freely] – insult the next generation of industry creatives they claim to want to foster – insult a major media company and sponsor – and insult our industry by telling the world that advertising’s major representative body’s sole reason for promoting any mentoring scheme is to make money. On top of all that, they’ve insulted Ray Black, a man who has devoted much of his career helping countless young creatives get a start in advertising. And here’s the bit that should stick in every CC board members throat – he’s done it for nothing. Communications Council? I don’t think so.
Ray, you have done an incredible job for anyone who wants to get into advertising and does not have the funds to do so. Where award has let them down you have given them the opportunity. I think its disgraceful what they have done. Could they be thinking If MIami ad school is here maybe we can turn a bigger profit from young hopefuls and kick you to the curb? Surely not.
Yet another dumb decision from the anti Communications Council.
It would be interesting to hear which of the board members endorse this idiocy……………………
margaret@communicationscouncil.org.au
Marg’s meeting’s running way loooooong, are we still expecting comment today?
The CC has gone completely downhill in the last 2 years.. the events, the training, everything.. This doesn’t surprise me. Shame, shame..
The last time I taught award the extra hours and constant stress led to a series of nervous breakdowns, the loss of a beautiful girlfriend, partner and a top job.
And then I read this…
A word of advice: stay away from sharp objects fro the next couple of days.
“Writers? Who needs ’em? Give me two $50 a week writers, and I’ll write it myself.” – Sam Goldwyn
CC’s. You can’t say no.
Judging by some of the comments on this thread, particularly (and ironically) @ David Ogilvy, there’s a desperate need to train aspiring writers.
Who needs copyrighters anyway when we can probly get copy of facebook pages google or get clients to just do it themself’s.
First we kill all the writers. Image is everything, and words? Well, they’re just things for people to read and say. They don’t really have meaning. They’re not ‘content’. A picture is worth a thousand of them. Too many words, anyway.
I once felt sorry for myself because I had no shoes, until I met a writer who had no feet.
@copyWRONGER
Your a legend.
6:48 and 9:11 are further evidence of my earlier point. Guys, please tell me your illiteracy was deliberate.
I remember when Award School was free. I still couldn’t afford it.
@ Old CD Guy
Most definitely. It’s incredibly important that young writers are able to access the training they require. To cancel events like this for the sake of making a profit is to trivialise the future of our industry, wouldn’t you agree?
I would complain but, I live in Adelaide. If the CC even thought about having a copyschool here it would be a tremendous leap forward.
One can only dream I guess.
So Lynchy, is it now the case that TCC have refused to comment to a question from the country’s biggest Advertising Blog/Publication?
Of course, @copyWRONGER, of course.
As a former AWARD committee member with special portfolio responsibility for AWARD School, I didn’t just support schemes that train the future of our industry in the skills and standards they need to be an effective creative person – I actually rolled up my sleeves and got involved. How appallingly petty and short-sighted of the laughably titled Communications Council to axe this programme. It’s an action that’s right out of the Tony Abbott playbook.
@ Old CD Guy
Who’s Tony Abbott?
How does a so called industry body charge for courses that exist only from donated labour? Welcome to advertising kids – ya gonna be fxcked up the ass.
Sorry @ London, I meant George W Abbott.
I believe the Communications Council shouldn’t charge young creatives for any course when all the lecturers don’t charge for their time and the facilities are provided free of charge.
I challenge the CC to publicly declare why they charge students to attend this course and what they do with the approx. $20K they receive in fees.
I await their response with interest.
Some earlier CC spin on the event: (Source Access PR media release)
“Copy School is a unique course for people who want to refine the art of copy. It provides students with an insight into the creative process, inspires creative thinking and develops the discipline of writing as an art form. Most importantly, Copy School is directed by the advertising industry.” – Tesha Jones of The Communications Council.
Well, that’s yer actual bollocks right there. Seems it’s now directed by spreadsheet-worshipping jobsworths at the Communications Council who wouldn’t know how to parse a sentence if their sad, pitiful lives depended on it.
I feel very sorry for the people who did sign up. They will now miss hearing some of the industry’s finest minds explain the finer points of an important craft. And all of whom donate their time free of charge.
I hope Ray rebels, shows them two fingers and runs it anyway.
Rant over. Pass the shiraz.