Interview: Marc Lewis, School of Communication Arts
Marc Lewis is the person behind the School of Communication Arts in London. A place that isn't anything like a traditional school and has in fact turned education upside down. Instead, the School is more like a creative hub of a city advertising agency, doing the complete opposite of conventional learning and university education.
Originally founded by the late John Gillard in 1985, the School of Communication Arts offered first-class preparation for those wishing to pursue a career in advertising. It closed in 1995 but is set to reopen this September with 50 students on its books and Marc as its new dean. We chatted to Marc to find out more...
Tell us a bit about your background Looking back, conventional education just wasn't for me. I failed at school and felt that the entire system had let me down. There just wasn't any alternatives until I won a scholarship at the School of Communication Arts, which was originally founded by John Gillard and supported through the Guardian newspaper. John utterly changed my life and helped me to discover what I was and wasn't good at. Following my time at the School, I went on to establish a successful web business during the Dot.Com boom which I later sold for millions.
So how did you become the School's new dean? The School had to close in 1995 due to John Gillard's failing health and a lack of funding. Sadly, John passed away in 2000 and now 10 years on, it seemed only right to honour his memory and relaunch the School.
How does the School work? We have created a comprehensive business model and plan for the School whereby we have 'Heroes & Legends' that offer sponsorship and support, totalling over £290,000. Through their generous funding, we are even able to offer 15 full industry scholarships.
How is the School different to other universities? I really think qualifications from traditional universities aren't industry modern. They use dinosaur tactics. What we really need is to help the next generation of talent, that's what the School strives for. We have a closer tie with the advertising sector compared to universities. What's more, we have the first ever module written by 220 mentors from the industry with over 6,000 contributions so far. It's almost a 'Curriculum Wiki' and is constantly updated to provide fresh learning for our students.
That sounds amazing. So what do you hope the School will achieve? There's a massive diversity problem in the advertising industry, so we certainly hope to address that. We aim to be an elite creative school that welcomes everybody and promotes diversity. Diversity is crucial in advertising so that creativity can flourish. We need to be able to adhere to different markets and engage with all parts of society. Diversity is key to fresh ideas that add value. We hope the School will help change the industry as predominantly male and white and instead introduce a new generation of diverse and creative talent to ensure advertising continues to thrive in the UK.
Finally, do you have any top tips for people looking to get into advertising? If you're looking to secure a job, think carefully about the agencies you approach and how you could be an asset to their team. Use your generational advantages, e.g. social media, to help fill a niche wherever possible. Help established agencies to diversify and stay fresh and modern with your own skills and experience. Essentially, you're a brand so market yourself and show them you have the right skills. Finally, make your portfolio stand out - don't rely on university projects as other candidates will often have the same. Go out and find new opportunities to add to your portfolio and you'll stand out from the crowd. I'd also recommend Positioning: Battle for your Mind. It's a great book and one that helped me when I first started out.
To find out more about Marc and the School of Communication Arts, visit Schoolcommunicationarts.com.
