Thriving in the Creative Economy
Canon Futures was born and created to equip young Canadians with the tools to thrive in the creative economy.
Background
A few years ago, Canon Canada awarded us the mission to develop an instructional and mentorship program that, at its core, would accelerate the visual storytelling and creative skillsets of Canadians, aged 18-24. We built an evergreen program that provides ten months of extremely well-rounded, rich curriculum and access to a community of passionate peers and mentors.
Challenge
With the rapid launch of new social media platforms featuring an increased focus on storytelling and the accessibility of artificial intelligence, one of many challenges each year is how to continually adapt the curriculum to keep on top of trends and appeal to a wide variety of content creators while also keeping them engaged throughout the duration of the program.
As the number of program applicants increases each year, so does the talent and skillset making the process of narrowing down the annual field of applicants no easy feat. Our goal is to ensure we select a well-rounded group of creators across the country, with varying backgrounds and skill sets in content creation from photography to filmmaking, video production, and storytelling.
Also, with the shift of new trends influencing how we interact and engage online, we need to ensure the topics and delivery of the workshops are appealing to the FUTURES creators and align with their creative aspirations and varying skill sets. Not to mention the fine art of scheduling bi-monthly workshops in timeframes that suit the busy schedules of our mentors and creators who often juggle post-secondary education, work, and other obligations along with their creative pursuits.
Challenge
With the rapid launch of new social media platforms featuring an increased focus on storytelling and the accessibility of artificial intelligence, one of many challenges each year is how to continually adapt the curriculum to keep on top of trends and appeal to a wide variety of content creators while also keeping them engaged throughout the duration of the program.
As the number of program applicants increases each year, so does the talent and skillset making the process of narrowing down the annual field of applicants no easy feat. Our goal is to ensure we select a well-rounded group of creators across the country, with varying backgrounds and skill sets in content creation from photography to filmmaking, video production, and storytelling.
Also, with the shift of new trends influencing how we interact and engage online, we need to ensure the topics and delivery of the workshops are appealing to the FUTURES creators and align with their creative aspirations and varying skill sets. Not to mention the fine art of scheduling bi-monthly workshops in timeframes that suit the busy schedules of our mentors and creators who often juggle post-secondary education, work, and other obligations along with their creative pursuits.
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Solution
Our team designed the Futures logo and developed a thorough creative identity and set of brand standards to differentiate this program from each of the Canon Creator Lab programs available to enthusiasts and professionals.
We built a program that provides ten months of extremely well-rounded, rich curriculum and access to a community of passionate peers and mentors. Each participant receives technical equipment and instruction, practical insights, and exclusive coaching. They are also provided with invaluable perspectives and new tools that can be applied as they take the next step as postgraduates to develop their careers. After two years of the program, we carefully evaluated our pool of applicants and modified the applicant age range to 20-25 years old as we found that, historically, this audience is the most engaged with the program.
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The curriculum also includes a once-in-a-lifetime launch retreat in Banff, Alberta, alongside a collection of Canon’s supporting Ambassadors. This opportunity not only sets the tone for the program but also delivers the cohort with a real-world client brief for a very impactful kick-off to the curriculum that follows in the months ahead. It also provides an invaluable networking and bonding experience for our creators, mentors, and program staff to meet each other outside of a virtual setting and form lasting friendships.
Results
This program became Canon Canada’s first-ever creative incubator for young and emerging creatives, artists, and story tellers and is now currently in its third year. The program has received a total pool of nearly 900 applicants since we first put pen to paper.
Upon completion of the 2023-2024 curriculum, the current creator class will gather in person for a celebratory event to recognize their achievements and dedication to the program. We also celebrate what we hope has been a very successful creative career kick-starter for each of them.
Many of our creators have gone on to achieve success in hosting solo exhibits, photographing musicians, festivals, professional sporting events, and creating short films that have premiered in several domestic film festivals. Select creators have also been hired by Canon Ambassadors to contribute to their creative outlets and have been offered various opportunities by Canon Canada to support other Creator Lab initiatives.
Each alumni was selected by a diverse panel of experts, including filmmaker and photographer Justin Wu; digital producer, editor, and photographer Pam Lau; and, celebrity fashion and portrait photographer Richard Bernardin. Working closely with the Canon Canada marketing team, we continue to build and modify the multifaced curriculum that is now in-market for its third year. The Canon Ambassadors and Mentors continue to engage and support our current cohort of creators and our alumni on their path to accelerating their creative careers.
