Saudi Creatives take centre stage at Young Talent Academies as inaugural edition of Athar Festival kicks-off in Riyadh

A three-day curated Young Talent Academy Programme kickstarts Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity, the largest gathering of the creative marketing industry in the Kingdom. More than 80 Saudi creatives – professionals and students – aged 30 and under, are partaking in an exclusive and invaluable opportunity to learn, network, and unlock their creative potential.

Running in parallel with the festival from 13-15 November, the focused training programme features six Young Talent Academies focused on PR, copywriting, innovation, branding and design, social communications, and planning.

Each academy features immersive and engaging workshops presenting a unique opportunity for the attending professionals to get hands-on training, interact, exchange ideas, and learn directly from industry leaders. A key feature of the programme is an academy-wide 24-hour hack competition with each winning team being recognised at the Athar Awards gala dinner on 16 November.

Commenting on the commencement of the programme, Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner & Group Editor-in-Chief of Motivate Media Group, said, “This initiative marks a pivotal moment in nurturing the creative spirit of our youth. By investing in this programme, we are not only recognizing the boundless potential of young talents but also fostering a culture of innovation and excellence. This aligns seamlessly with our commitment to shaping a dynamic future for the creative industry in Saudi Arabia, championing a new generation of talents ready to make their mark on the global stage.”

Echoing his sentiments, Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS, commented: “We are delighted to launch the Young Talent Academy Programme at the debut edition of the Athar Festival. The programme has been meticulously designed by experts in the field to ignite the passion for creativity among the youth, empowering them to discover their inner strengths and talents. We aim to embolden the next generation of innovators as drivers of the Kingdom’s future-forward economy.”

Carefully designed to empower participants and propel them to the next stage of their careers, the academies are being conducted in collaboration with esteemed partners TRACCS, Saudi Ad School, Getty Images, and What’s On Saudi Arabia, and led by Athar Festival’s Academy Leaders – a team of industry professionals and subject matter experts dedicated to equipping participants with the tools needed to excel in their disciplines.

Will Awdry, an award-winning coach, consultant, and writer, is leading the Copywriting Academy. The Innovation Academy is headed by Warren Knight, CEO of Think Digital First, while the Social Communications Academy is led by Jessica Avedikian, Founder and Consultant at Social Astronauts. Yaz Ghon, Head of Creative at KickAds, is mentoring the participants at the Planning Academy while Lamiaa Ameen, Brand and Communication Manager at Andalusia Health, heads the Branding and Design Academy. Finally, the PR Academy is led by Rami Abbas and Samer Allouzi, Director of Strategy and Development and Senior Communications Director at TRACCS, respectively.