Connecting the dots of creativity can be a difficult space to navigate – especially in today’s age, when brands and talent are searching and producing from seemingly endless angles. However, one platform is working to make things easier for both parties: Contact.
The brainchild platform of Reuben Selby, celebrated designer and creative in his own right, Contact provides a place for a diverse roster of talent, and heavy-hitting brands to converge and collaborate – creating a space of creative empowerment for all involved. Having just secured a further £3 million in investment, the platform is continuing to push its core ethos of pursuing changes in industry standards, and uplifting emerging creativity. This announcement represents a crucial moment for the agency – allowing it to expand in terms of people and platform.
At the moment, Contact houses models, photographers and makeup artists, but is set to expand to encompass all and every facet of creativity. In an industry that currently arguably values nepotism and wealth over authentic creative expression, collectives and agencies like Contact are helping to readdress this balance – placing emphasis on nurturing young talent, and opening doors for creativity to thrive without logistical, financial or social concerns.
Relying on its cultivated and dedicated community, Contact’s genuine passion for giving young creatives the recognition they deserve has helped to carve its place as a leader within the talent agency worlds, all whilst disrupting existing expectations. They’re not about the corporate life – choosing instead to focus efforts on breaking down financial barriers that may be in place for emerging creatives – by not taking a percentage of earnings, and readdressing archaic practices in creative industries.
Far from the get-rich-quick boardrooms that underpin collectives which package themselves as championing and nurturing young talent, Contact’s ethos stems directly from founder and director Reuben Selby’s personal mission to proactively give back to creatives. Operating within a web of creatives in all aspects of his career, Selby aims to open doors for the Contact community, and inspire a new wave of creativity in young people.
Set to build on the technology it has cultivated since its conception in 2020, the platform puts the power back into the hands of the talent: forging a space for creators to connect, learn and earn, as well as develop their own communities. No existing contacts in the industry? No problem – this platform is set to be your first point of Contact.
More on CULTED
See also: WHAT’S YOUR SIGN? I’M A GUCCI
See also: DEMNA & DISTRESSED SNEAKERS: WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON?
