Riz Ahmed joins forces with industry leaders to create the Adobe Creative Council, pushing for inclusive creativity

The creative industries have been on a mission for some time now to tackle the long-standing problems ingrained within them, which often restrict the visibility of creatives and creative work from more diverse backgrounds. The creative software platform Adobe aims to contribute to this mission, adopting an ethos of “creativity for all”, which hopes to empower more creatives to devise their own stories and enable them to utilise their creative voices.

“I believe we’re at an exciting and pivotal time right now in the creative industry, and empowerment, diversity and innovation are at the forefront,” says Derin Adetosoye, one of the four founder members of the council. Adetosoye, a YouTuber and Formula E presenter, claims that if we’ve learnt anything from the past year with the pandemic and movements for social justice such as Black Lives Matter, it is that community and connection are important, as is making sure all voices are heard.

Riz Ahmed leads the conversation – the Oscar nominated actor (and millennial heartthrob) has always been at the forefront of representing his second-generation immigrant background through film, music, and across the media. He now joins Adetosoye, along with Charlene Prempeh and Konstantin, in supporting the development of Adobe’s programmes to support its brand vision.

Adetosoye tells us that she grew up in an era when more traditional careers were favoured over creative ones, “so seeing Adobe’s work in this area would’ve given me the push to tell myself I could do this.” She would have appreciated knowing that she didn’t need to be a lawyer or banker to be successful, she tells It’s Nice That: “I can follow my passion and make it a full-time profession.”

Adetosoye continues: “This is what’s great about Adobe’s mission to enable ‘Creativity for All’ with initiatives like the Creative Council.” The presenter hopes that she can help Adobe shine a light on underrepresented creators and “ensure that everyone has the opportunity to tell and share their story”. Having been an Adobe Ambassador since the start of the year – a milestone for her career as she uses Adobe products every day for editing and designing, she notes – the council helps support Adetosoye’s own creative self-expression goals to educate and inspire others, “particularly those from a younger generation who are consistently looking for ways to learn and grow their skills.”

If Adetosoye could give emerging creatives one piece of advice off of the back of the announcement, it’s to utilise programmes like these to perfect your craft and build a network of like-minded individuals in order to pursue a fire that might be lit inside of you. “There are so many free resources available online, so take advantage of these and experiment with what’s available – whether that’s watching YouTube tutorials, being part of Instagram challenges, tuning into events such as Adobe MAX or showcasing your latest work on creative hubs such as Behance.”

Register to Adobe’s annual creativity conference, Adobe MAX 2021 here, held on 26-28 October.