Hxouse and Adidas Announce Program for Canadian Creatives

Toronto-based think centre Hxouse, a non-profit founded by XO’s Lamar Taylor and Ahmed Ismail, has teamed up with Adidas to open a creative project management program for young creatives and the application process is now open.

The program runs from Oct. 14-30 in Toronto. It’s an immersive, creative project management course where students train and receive access to industry leaders to not only become top creative directors, but also the best project managers they can be. They’ll learn to build experiences (from ideation to production) for brands and it culminates in an as-of-yet unannounced prize from Adidas that creatives spend years building towards.

“The program is a complete journey of a creative artist meeting project management,” says Ismail. “There’s really nothing like it in Canada.”

The idea came about because of Ismail, Taylor and The Weeknd’s experiences as self-made successful creatives, and seeing the lack of opportunities for young creatives in this country. Ismail says every company is looking for “students fresh out of college with 10 years experience,” but where will the next generation come from without chances to grow and develop?

“Creatives in Canada don’t get enough wins,” Ismail said. “This is to showcase that Canadian creative directors and project managers matter, and you shouldn’t have to leave Canada to find success.”

Ismail also praises Adidas for investing in Canadian talent.

“Adidas is sponsoring young people, underprivileged people, people who don’t have access to opportunities,” he says.

They’re looking for creative directors, account managers, project managers, graphic designers, strategists and interaction designers to apply.

For more information on how to apply, visit Hxouse’s official site.