Organizers of the Pitcher Festival of Creativity have announced the theme for the 2024 edition of the globally recognized pan African award. The body has also opened doors for entries for Africans in Diaspora.
Tagged “Creativity for a Connected Africa”, the theme reflects the current and future state of marketing and advertising in Africa, as well as the opportunities and challenges of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which aims to create a single market for goods and services, business, and investment in the region, the pan-African award platform wrote in a statement.
Open doors to entries for African Diaspora
Pitcher Festival now accept entries into the Pitcher Awards for work created for the African Diaspora communities worldwide.
This move further strengthens Pitcher Awards’ position as the true pan-African benchmark for creative excellence in line with the African Union’s declaration of the African Diaspora as the 6th region of Africa, the pan-African awards platform wrote.
The African Union defines the African Diaspora as “Consisting of people of African origin living outside the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union”. To this end, it spearheaded the formation of the State of the African Diaspora, SOAD, which already has a prime minister and other state officials.
Pitcher Festival recognizes the growing influence and popularity of African pop culture, such as music, film, fashion, and art around the world and the trend for brands to collaborate with African artists, celebrities, and influencers to create culturally relevant and authentic campaigns.
“As the leading pan-African advertising and marketing communications awards platform, Pitcher Awards is set to champion the curating of these exciting developing trends. This will enable Pitcher Festival to showcase the best creative works from the African Diaspora and provide a platform for African creatives to connect with their counterparts in the Diaspora,” the statement read.
With this expansion in the eligibility criteria, Pitcher Awards is now open to receive entries for works created in Africa or created elsewhere for implementation or release in Africa or in the African diaspora communities around the world.
Dr. NnamdiNdu, chairman, Pitcher Festival, said, “Geography is no longer destiny. In today’s world, shared history, culture, aspirations, and interests are the new uniting factors. So, we look forward to the opportunities that this opening creates for collaborations and professional development in the African creative industry.”
Celebrating creativity in Africa
The Pitcher Festival is a platform to celebrate and inspire creativity in Africa and the African Diaspora and consists of three main segments: the Pitcher Awards, the Pitcher Talks, and the Pitcher Academies.
The Pitcher Awards is the pan-African benchmark for creative excellence which recognizes and rewards the best creative work from across Africa and the African Diaspora n various categories, such as film, digital, design, PR, media, entertainment, social good other areas of marketing communications.. Entries are currently open till 31 March 2024.
The Pitcher Talks features sessions from industry experts, thought leaders, and innovators on topical issues such as leveraging AI, VR and AR to create immersive and personalized experiences, using influencer marketing and video content to engage and inspire audiences, and adopting ethical and sustainable practices that build trust and loyalty. As can be deduced from this year’s theme, the Pitcher Talks sessions will also showcase the potential and impact of creativity in fostering collaboration, innovation, and growth across Africa.
The Pitcher Academies include the Future Creative Leaders Academy, a professional immersion programme for university students intending to join the marketing communications industry. Every year, a participating student is sponsored from the class to attend the Cannes Lions Roger Hatchuel Student Academy programme in Cannes. A second track of the Pitcher Academies is the Young Professionals Academy, a career acceleration programme for industry professionals of up to 30 years. The Young Professionals Academy programmes include intensive training sessions lead by senior industry professionals, the Young Pitcher Competitions and the national Young Lions Competitions, where winners qualify to represent their countries at the global finals in Cannes, France.
Overall, the festival will highlight the role of marketing and advertising as key drivers of the creative economy, which contributes to job creation, social inclusion, and cultural diversity. We invite you as a creative, industry professional, enthusiast, and stakeholder to join us for this landmark celebration of African creativity.
