Born Ugly Launches 'Ugly Ducklings' Initiative

Brand transformation and creative change agency Born Ugly has announced the launch of its ‘Ugly Ducklings’ initiative.

The initiative, which aims to champion and showcase ideas from emerging creatives in the UK, sees Born Ugly partner with the Universities of Leeds, Lincoln, Salford, Norwich and Nottingham Trent to offer students outside of London an opportunity to uncover their true creative potential.

Beginning earlier this week with an interactive workshop at the Born Ugly studios in Leeds, participants presented their ideas on the theme ‘Sell the Unsellable’, showcasing their ability to transform something so easily accessible, with seemingly little value, into a desirable product or experience.

From initially hundreds of young creative participants, 15 have been selected to present their ideas to the Born Ugly team. Winners will be presented with the ‘Ugly Duckling’ award as well as having their ideas showcased online.

Ugly Ducklings’ seeks to bridge the gap between academia and the professional creative industries, providing opportunities for those who may not have had access to traditional paths
Rob Skelly

There will also be several talks and activities from guest speaker Tim Greenhalgh, former Chief Creative Officer at FITCH, that champions and nurtures raw, unformed ideas and highlights their importance.

Rob Skelly, Creative Director of Born Ugly said: “With a long history of collaboration with universities and other institutions, Born Ugly recognises the need to support young creatives from diverse backgrounds.

“We want to go further, highlighting the ugly truth of art funding cuts while raising the importance of creativity at school level to break down barriers into the industry.

“Ugly Ducklings’ seeks to bridge the gap between academia and the professional creative industries, providing opportunities for those who may not have had access to traditional paths while simultaneously showcasing the creative ability that exists outside of London.”

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