A festival conference with a truly positive message, unlike any other, is coming to Dublin. Spotting a bleakness in our cultural and political landscape, this conference aims to break the dominant narrative of underwhelming perspectives about years to come, giving us something to aspire to instead. Through an exploration and celebration of media, business, innovation, arts and culture, the Future at the RDS, Dublin wants to “prove that the world will thrive, once we come together, create and make it so”.
On November 3rd and 4th, the function halls of the RDS will play host to an incredibly rich line-up of ambitious and conscientious speakers, all of whom believe in the potential society has.
An eclectic blend of mindful producers, tech pioneers, personal representatives, business owners, entrepreneurs, architects, advertisers, artists and activists, the Future will bring together some of the world’s best and most experienced minds together under one roof. Each committed to the creation of a future with the potential to do great things, this festival hopes not just to inform us, but to inspire a new world view. With over 70 speakers across four stages sharing their thoughts over the weekend, there is surely something for every mind to mull over. The festival has divided the speakers thematically to make it easier to navigate. ‘The End of Advertising’, ‘New Brand Visions’, ‘Future Pioneers’ are but a few of the categories, each looking forward in anticipation at what is to come.
Here are a few speakers you shouldn’t miss: on Friday, you can catch graphic designer David Heasty of Triboro, Brooklyn. The design firm is the work of Heasty and his co-designer Stefanie Weigler. Among many other projects and client-based design solutions, they have recently launched a take on the New York subway map, printed in colours they consider completely “inappropriate” for the context. They do something fresh with conventional graphic design and have received recent acclaim for the standard and originality of their work.
Dean Stockton, or D*Face, will speak on Saturday. He is a UK-based graffiti artist, whose easily recognisable work has earned him his own gallery space in London. Hinting at the work of Warhol through his depiction of iconic figures dressed with his own touches, his work encapsulates a world of dysfunction imagined against the banal everyday. Stockton is an example of the growing commercial and cultural potentials in urban art.
Shelley Fox, the Donna Karan Professor of Fashion at The New School, Parsons Faculty, in New York City, will also speak on Saturday. Fox’s award-winning designs have been displayed in a number of prestigious galleries across the globe, from the Victoria and Albert in London to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Fox is an inspiring woman whose success is the product of both determination and brilliant ability.
Platform13’s Leila Fataar’s slot is on Friday. The previous Head of Culture and Entertainment at global drinks company Diageo, Fataar has made Platform13 a personal venture, currently counting his old employer as a client. Fataar is responsible for Smirnoff’s inclusivity advertising campaign, whose slogan “We’re open” could be seen across Dublin during the marriage equality referendum. Fataar believes in cultural branding and Platform13 is based upon the idea that tuned-in creativity can make brands flourish.
People like Fataar are pushing boundaries and developing a space where marketing and advertising meet cultural relevance.
Those speaking also include Carl Fox of Core Media, Emer O’Daly of Love & Robots, Pyrotechnics innovators Arcadia, Patrick Godfrey and Scott Dadich of Godfrey Dadich Partners, Sharon Greene Queens of Neon and Adrian Newey OBE of Red Bull Racing Formula One Team.
This festival has come at just the right time. It will hopefully fulfill its goals in giving attendees a much-needed mood lift, leaving them eager and empowered to make a difference.
Tickets are available at https://www.the-future.is/tickets/
