Cannes Lions presents a week of unrivalled content exploring talent, art, data and music

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is set to offer a wide range of unequalled multi-platform learning opportunities to complement the extensive week-long seminar programme and themed Brazil and Innovation days.

A record 41 agencies will appear on The Forum stage, from big names such as JWT, Mother and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners to independent shops like 123W, The Monkeys and Forsman & Bodenfors. Running from Sunday 15 June to Friday 20 June, The Forum content programme will each day explore a different topic relevant to the creative industries.  Presented and discussed by a mixture of well-known industry figures, new names on the creative scene, and the occasional surprise special guest, the carefully curated Forum programme will inform opinion, broaden horizons and encourage debate.

Creative Talent (Sunday 15 June): Where to find true talent? How to keep it? What are the structures that allow creativity to flourish? Moderated by talent organisation Sasha The Mensch, Cummins Ross, SheSays and HyperIsland are a few of the sessions that will answer these questions.

Creativity in a Multi-screen World (Monday 16 June): Essential for anyone attempting to tell stories or deliver creative work to an audience in the digital space, speakers from a broad range of creative, media and production disciplines such as Getty, Sony Mobile and Mother will be moderated by National Geographic.

Data, Insight, Strategy & Creativity (Tuesday 17 June): Presented by Nielsen, Exponential and StinkDigital amongst others, this forum moderated by Decoded examines the myths and realities of whether Data can really create an Idea.

Independent Agency Day (Wednesday 18 June): Featuring Lion-winning agencies and new shops that are attracting attention, this forum will be a global tour of independent spirit and creativity. Moderated by Mondelez, sessions include the likes of Forsman & Bodenfors, Jung von Matt and Party.

Art Meets Advertising Remixed (Thursday 19 June): Two powerful creative worlds come together in this day which explores the relationships between art and advertising. Talenthouse, Nova, SuperHeroes and exciting names from the artistic world such as Ben & Julia and Charlie Patterson are amongst those presenting, moderated by Central St Martins  and Nova Awards (Central St Martins graduate awards backed by Lowe+Partners to foster creativity).

Music Day (Friday 20 June): Looking at the different processes at work in music discovery, artist success and commercial potential, there will be contributions from artists, managers and agencies. Moderated by W Communications, Grammy award-winning star Ne-Yo, The Martin Agency, Sony Music and Vision Artist Network will be amongst those taking to the stage.

The Cannes Lions Workshops deliver diverse one-hour practical and interactive learning sessions in a relaxed environment – an ideal way for delegates to broaden knowledge, experiment with new career paths or refresh existing skills. Delivered by leaders in their field, a broad spectrum of subject matters are available to choose from including hostage negotiators teaching the latest and most effective negotiating techniques – essential for a successful client-agency relationship; and Cirkus will showcase the production processes, man hours and budget required for the creation of a high-end, 3D-animated spot.

The Workshop programme runs from Sunday 15 June to Friday 20 June. A total of 16 hour-long sessions will each take place twice, allowing delegate more flexibility in planning their day.

Master Classes, primarily aimed at Young Lions and students, the Master Class programme is a chance to get up close and personal with some of the industry’s biggest who will share their advice and experiences on how to get ahead in brand communications, and discuss the latest trends shaping the industry. Amongst those presenting these one-hour very personal sessions will be Keith Reinhard, chairman emeritus of DDB Worldwide; Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council; Richard Edelman, president & CEO of Edelman; Mark Tutssel, global chief creative officer of Leo Burnett;  Ben Silberman, CEO and co-founder of Pinterest; and Kathryn Parsons, Co-CEO of Decoded.

Says Terry Savage, chairman of Lions Festivals: “The Cannes Lions Forum, Workshops and Master Classes provide a wide range of focused, personal and hands-on learning platforms that will not only inspire and reinvigorate but will also hone skills and provide practical advice to further careers. With art, music, production, technology, talent, data and strategy just some of the topics being addressed, delegates will have numerous opportunities to be immersed in creativity at all levels.”

Additional streams of content at this year’s Cannes Lions festival include seminars, TechTalks, Brazil Day and Innovation Day. Over seven days there will be more than 500 speakers taking part in more than 250 sessions.

Cannes Lions takes place from 15-21 June in Cannes, France. Further details on the content programme, including the full interactive week planner, A-Z of speakers and information on how to register to attend, can be found online at www.canneslions.com. The free Cannes Lions app is now available to download on iOS and Android.