ADC Festival 2021 to invoke power of creativity

4 March 2021

Festival to focus on unleashing creativity for restarts in wake of crisis

This year’s ADC Festival (May 04 - 07, 2021) is invoking the power of creativity to make the impossible possible under the motto of "Superpower Creativity - Always Find a Way!" And this optimistic message is conveyed by the motif of nailing jelly to a tree albeit with a golden ADC nail. The announcement of the winners of the ADC Nails and Grand Prix at the ADC Award Show counts among the highlights of the festival.

Creativity crucial

"Times like these call for superpowers, especially that of creativity," said Dörte Spengler-Ahrens, President of ADC. Creativity leads to solutions and is the prerequisite for change. It summons up new thinking, innovation and uses inspiration, passion and sometimes a bit of madness. A superkraft series will get delegates in the mood for this year's festival. Every two weeks, pioneers, innovators and out of the box thinkers will stir up interest in the festival - live on ADC's YouTube channel. They include brain researcher Dr. Gerald Hüther, Professor Nico Rose, a pioneer of positive psychology, the artist Max Siedentopf and designer Daan Roosegaarde.

Dealing with uncertainty

"We have planned the festival digitally - including an ADC Festival TV channel on which we will stream content for 24 hours. We will offer everything that is physically possible in May," said Klaus Gräff, Managing Director of ADC. Those behind the ADC Festival have tried to come up with a viable plan amid all the precariousness caused by the pandemic. Yet, this uncertainty holds opportunity, according to Pascal Finette, founder of several technology start-ups and lecturer at Singularity University - a Silicon Valley think tank. "Corona has made us realise that we live in an uncertain and complex world. There are a lot of things we don't currently have answers for."

Pascal Finette, founder and lecturer at Singularity University

ADC Congress

Yet people are programmed for answers. Good marks are given for correct answers in school. "Curiosity is the other superpower that we now have to discover in ourselves apart from curiosity," Finette stressed. Curiosity can be defined as a mix of novelty and greed, he noted, adding: "We have to be greedy to learn new things." The value of good, creative questions is increasing, he believes. Finette is among the keynote speakers at the ADC Congress on May 6 and 7, 2021. He will be joined by Steve Vranakis, one of the advisors to the Greek government, Björn Ståhl, the brain behind the "Moldy Whopper" campaign, and Godo Röben, member of management of Rügenwalder Mühle. Dr Carsten Brosda, Senator for Culture and Media, noted: "We need creativity. We now have the chance to do things differently, to think differently. And we should seize this chance by the scruff of the neck."

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Sources and further information

www.adc.de

The "Art Directors Club für Deutschland (ADC) e.V." brings together over 750 leading creatives. Its members include designers, journalists, architects, scenographers, photographers, illustrators, directors, composers, producers, digital media specialists and advertisers. As an independent association, ADC aims to find and promote excellent creative communication. To this end, it organises competitions, congresses, seminars, lectures, events, B2B events and issues various publications.