Two of Australia’s leading creative directors, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne’s Stefanie DiGiavincenzo (pictured above, right) and Google’s Tara McKenty (pictured above, left), have today launched a new initiative aimed to combat the lack of diversity in creative departments across the country.

Launching in partnership with D&AD, RARE is a four-day masterclass featuring industry leaders from around the world, aimed at giving creative talent from diverse backgrounds the network and knowledge they need to succeed.

Hosted in Sydney at The Glue Society from 20 to 24 November, the concept for RARE came about based on the recognition that while there’s been a lot of talk about diversity in the creative industry, there’s been little action.

Creative and tech departments are still lacking in diversity of gender, colour, class, preference and perspective, especially at the top.

Being a minority brings about a set of issues that many aren’t equipped to deal with, leading to great talent dropping out of the industry prematurely.

Highlighting the issues that RARE has been designed to address, D&AD chief executive Tim Lindsay recently said: “The general lack of ethnic and demographic diversity in our business and the appalling lack of gender balance at senior levels in agency creative departments is getting worse, not better.

“And as our business becomes more homogenised, whiter, more middle-class and more male we serve our clients less well and produce homogenised thinking and solutions. So, for the future of the business, we all have to do something to put this right.”

The four-day masterclass is designed to combat the challenges that diverse creative talent face in the workplace, by arming them with tangible tips and skills from industry leaders who’ve overcome these challenges over the course of their careers.

The RARE program has been developed in partnership with Berlin School, with the lineup of speakers including BBDO India chairman and chief creative officer, Josy Paul, CEO and chief creative officer of Amusement Park, Jimmy Smith, Apple’s UK Lead on Beats by Dre, Emily Kortlang, and one of the world’s leading female stencil artists, Vexta, among a host of other local and international creative leaders.