The One Club and WPP launch second year of ONE School UK for Black creatives

The programme unlocks the potential of the next generation of Black creatives to build careers in advertising and marketing services; UK programme to be run by creative leader Sherina Florence

The One Club for Creativity and WPP will continue their successful partnership for the second year of ONE School UK, a free 16-week online portfolio programme designed to open doors to a career in advertising and marketing services for talented UK-based Black creatives.

ONE School launched in the US in 2020 and in the UK in 2022 as a free alternative to ad schools to provide new career opportunities for creative Black individuals, and help make agency and brand creative departments more diverse. The results-oriented school has already made a tangible difference: an 80% hire rate at top agencies and brands to date for its 250 graduates, 60% of whom are women.

The virtual ONE School UK returns for its second cohort on 29 October, 2024. Black creatives from all walks of life can apply by the 25 October for one of just 15 highly sought-after places. No prior knowledge of advertising or marketing is required.

ONE School UK will be run by Sherina Florence, a multi-talented creative leader who is an accomplished executive creative director and known for leading AI conversations and influencing the world’s best brands. She has held senior creative positions at Ogilvy, 72andSunny, Apple, Beats by Dre and others, serves on The One Club Board of Directors and donates time outside of work to organisations that are passionate about democratising equal rights and access.

“ONE School continues to create opportunities globally, demonstrating that The One Club is truly for creativity. It’s an honour to participate in building an inclusive future for the creative industry,” said Florence. “Considering the shifts in our current cultural landscape, paired with our new AI tools, I will bring my passion for new media and high concepts to continue elevating and liberating Black creative scholars. Here’s to an army of diverse creators building the future.”

ONE School teaches students how to navigate the industry while Black. Courses are taught by Black tutors – including some from WPP agencies – and designed to help students bring their authentic voice into their work.

The partnership aligns with WPP’s set of anti-racism commitments and actions from 2020, which aim to advance racial equity and support Black and minority ethnic talent. It forms part of WPP’s Racial Equity Programme.

Rob Reilly, Chief Creative Officer, WPP, said: “The ONE School programme is more than education, it’s about empowering the next generation of creative talent and giving them the tools to revolutionise the industry. To create the best work, our teams must reflect the dynamism and diversity of the world we live in. Talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t. The expansion of ONE School in the UK is how we continue to change that. I can’t wait to see these graduates bring their full selves to the industry and blow us all away.”

Dr. Stacie Graham, Global Director of WPP’s Racial Equity Programme, said: “We’re proud to continue this meaningful partnership with an organisation that shares our commitment to supporting the next generation of Black creatives in the UK in unlocking their full potential. With Sherina at the helm, we can ensure that the talented cohort members are equipped with the know-how to utilise tools that are rapidly advancing and amplifying creative transformation while also embedding their craft in tried and tested creative practice. ONE School UK has an opportunity to shape the industry’s landscape, so that it can meet the diverse needs of the consumers that make up this market.”

Black creatives wanting to make the leap into advertising can find more details here about ONE School UK, including information on how to apply by 25 October.

About WPP
WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. For more information, visit www.wpp.com.

About ONE School UK
ONE School UK is a free, intensive portfolio program where students work through 10 briefs tailored to UK culture that are designed to get them thinking beyond traditional advertising. The focus is on developing the conceptual thinking skills needed to come up with big, modern, exciting ideas at the intersection of advertising, culture and technology.

The US program was co-founded with The One Club by Mother NY CCO Oriel Davis-Lyons, who worked with industry veteran and One Club head of Creative Development Bob Isherwood to develop the school shortly after the death of George Floyd. The initiative aims to ensure that the high cost of portfolio schools does not get in the way of giving world-class Black creative talent a route into the industry.

The One Club for Creativity – home of The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) awards, ONE Asia Awards, Type Directors Club and competition, TDC Ascenders, Young Guns, Young Ones Student Awards, Next Creative Leaders, ONE Screen Short Film Festival, and more – is the world’s foremost non-profit organization whose mission is to support and celebrate the success of the global creative community. Revenue generated from entries to its global awards shows goes back into the industry to fund programming under the organization’s four pillars: Education, Inclusion & Diversity, Gender Equality, and Creative Development.