Breaking barriers at Spikes Asia with neurodivergent talent

Spikes Asia 2024 redefined inclusivity in the creative industry. This year, the region's top advertising festival and educational platform embraced and actively empowered diversity. The Misfits Camp and its exceptional neurodivergent creatives are at the forefront of this initiative for me.

I call this a partnership for progress.

This year, Spikes partnered with The Misfits Camp, a Philippine training centre dedicated to nurturing the creative talents of individuals with neurodiversity and physical disabilities. This groundbreaking collaboration goes beyond mere sponsorship. The Misfits Camp served as the event's creative digital partner for 2024, actively helping with the event's digital design.

"This year, Spikes Asia had the honour of partnering with Merlee Jayme and The Misfits Camp," said Jaime Ng, festival director of Spikes Asia. "Their work as our creative digital partner was nothing short of phenomenal. The students' talent truly blew us away."

More than attendees, they were changemakers

The partnership didn't end there. Spikes took a historic step by sponsoring two neurodivergent creatives, Francesca Atienza and Igi Rollan, from The Misfits Camp as delegates. These talented individuals had the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the festival experience, attending conferences, workshops, and the festival academy which was themed ‘Fearproof’.

This gave them invaluable learning, networking, and exposure to the industry's best.

The last day of the Spikes Asia Academy wrapped up with Francesca’s very touching speech, in which she thanked Spikes for giving her the opportunity to experience the two-day event. She mentioned that being diagnosed with Asperger's/ASD did not stop her from reaching her goal of graduating college. Now, she aims to be a part of the creative workforce.

A festival transformed

What Spikes did was a testament to the power of inclusivity. By embracing The Misfits Camp's innovative spirit, the festival diversified its landscape and discovered fresh perspectives and groundbreaking ideas. This partnership serves as a powerful message to the entire creative industry, urging them to acknowledge and nurture the immense talent within the neurodivergent community.

The success of this collaboration paves the way for a brighter future in which the advertising world thrives on the strength of diverse voices and perspectives.

The ultimate goal is for all divergent creatives to dream bigger and fight for their right to be ‘included’ in our creative industry—with full confidence, the right skills, and never being ashamed of their disabilities but celebrating their ‘being different’.

Melree Jaymee is the chairmom and founder of The Misfits Camp, a safe space for the creative neurodiverse.