Recognizing outstanding type-oriented achievements of designers age 35 and under; program branding by Anıl Aykan at Barnbrook Design London.

The Type Directors Club, the world’s leading typography organization, today opened the call for entries for its global Ascenders competition, celebrating international typographers, letterers, and type designers age 35 and under.

Ascenders is a fast-growing portfolio-based competition dedicated to type in all its versatile forms, and the inspiring up and coming designers — individuals or duos — who are elevating the medium. Entrants submit six projects – typography, use of type, design, lettering, etc. – with short descriptions, a statement of their role in the project's creation, and a list of individual credits where applicable.

Entries are now being accepted, with entry fees increasing after the regular deadline of March 15, 2023. The extended deadline is April 15, 2023, and winners will be announced in June.

This year’s entries will be judged by a diverse jury of global leaders in the field, including some past Ascenders winners. The 2023 Ascenders jury is as follows:

Frank Adebiaye, type and document designer, Forthcome, Paris
David Barnett, co-owner, Noble Signs, Brooklyn
Alia Bright, self-employed artist and designer, Portland
Chris Campe, designer, writer, All Things Letters, Hamburg
Marina Chaccur, designer, The Hague
Vincent Chan, director, type designer, Matter of Sorts, Naarm/Melbourne
Cyla Costa, lettering artist, Cyla Costa Studio, Curitiba (Brazil)
Liza Enebeis, creative director, partner, Studio Dunbar/DEPT, Rotterdam
Golnar Kat Rahmani, founder, art director, Studio Katrahmani, Berlin
Kenneth Kuh, visual designer, San Jose (California)
Susana Machicao, brand consultant, Visual Communications and Design, Machicao Design, La Paz
Masashi Murakami, graphic designer, art director, emuni, Tokyo
Kiel Mutschelknaus, designer, educator, Baltimore/Washington DC
Shivani Parasnis, senior designer, Spotify, Baltimore
Claudia Rubín, senior designer, The New York Times Magazine New York
Tré Seals, founder, Vocal Type, Washington DC
Matthew Tapia, lettering and graphic artist, Honolulu
Li Zhiqian, cofounder, type director, 3type (三言), Shanghai

In order to make Ascenders affordable around the globe, TDC offers a four-tier price structure with significant discounts – up to 66% – based on the country where the entrant is located. TDC members also qualify for discounts.

Last year’s Ascenders winners, selected from the highest number of entrants in the competition’s history, included 25 talented young creatives from 13 countries and regions. Prominent past Ascenders winners include Au Chon Hin (Macao, 2022), Kevin Cantrell (Mantua, USA, 2018), Roxane Gataud (Brussels, 2022), Gemma O’Brien (Sydney, 2022), Juan Carlos Pagan (New York, 2018), Tré Seals (Maryland, 2018), and others.

“Ascenders is the space to confront yourself and overcome the biggest obstacle: the limited perception that we have of ourselves when we are starting out,” said Fer Cozzi, graphic designer and type designer based in Buenos Aires who was an Ascenders winner in 2019 and judge last year.

“This competition isn’t about having the perfect portfolio, but more about looking toward the future,” she added. “Ascenders entries should contain conviction, not just show off technical skill. I can’t wait to see what this year’s winners will show, since it will certainly reveal where the discipline is headed.”

This year’s Ascenders branding and award are designed by Anıl Aykan, graphic designer at Barnbrook Design in London and member of the TDC Advisory Board. The design depicts the “ascending” creatives by embracing the idea of growth and invasion, with the journey demonstrated by visual metaphors of steps toward further growth and expansion.

For more information and to enter, please visit the Ascenders website.

Havas Worldwide India, the creative arm of Havas Group India, has further strengthened its creative team with the appointment of Debanjan Basak as Group Creative Director.

Havas Worldwide India has been on a creative transformation journey in recent years, with notable additions to the team's creative steam. Debanjan’s appointment follows the appointment of Anupama Ramaswamy as Chief Creative Officer last year followed by Jaibeer Ahmad as Managing Partner – North. Debanjan will report to Anupama and will oversee the expansion of the agency's digital and social portfolio. He'll be based in Gurgaon.

Speaking about the appointment, Bobby Pawar, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India said, “For the last four years, Rana and I have gone about shaping Havas Worldwide India into a brand-led, digital-first creative solutions company. This has helped us grow the agency multi-fold. The creative output, too, has gotten steadily better. Anupama is here on a mission to raise it several notches and I believe, with the addition of Debanjan, the creative leadership team will accelerate that. He is a man of many talents – he’s non-territorial, a great team player, and he can write. As you can imagine, I am kinda partial to that.”

Anupama Ramaswamy said, “With a superb body of work, Debanjan brings with him a wealth of experience across formats. He will play a key role in driving our agenda of creativity beyond silos. Debanjan is not only a good creative leader, but he is also an extraordinarily warm and generous person. That’s exactly what Havas Group believes the new bunch of leaders should be. Debanjan will be responsible for driving creative excellence for clients and it really is such a pleasure to have him as a part of the Havas Worldwide India team.”

Debanjan Basak said, “Havas Group India's continued focus on producing both relevant and meaningful work, Havas Worldwide India’s impressive and expansive client roster, and the fact that it is led by creative stalwarts like Bobby Pawar and Anupama Ramaswamy were all things that really excited me about the network. I've always believed that a brand reflects not only the ever-changing market trends, but also the ever-changing human emotions, and that we as advertising professionals must weave stories that capture both. I am confident that Havas Worldwide India will provide me with the opportunity to create these engaging stories, particularly in the digital space, and I am very excited about the opportunities that await me in the future.”

With over 14 years of experience, Debanjan has worked across agencies including Ogilvy Mumbai, Dentsu India and Contract Advertising. He specializes in brand building, copywriting, impactful storytelling, and Digital Marketing and he has created clutter-breaking work for numerous prominent brands including IKEA, Maruti Suzuki, Carlsberg, Netflix, Hindustan Times, Roca Parryware, Westside, Toyota, Platinum Guild International, Amul Innerwear, Bata, to name a few. His campaign ‘#CloseOpenDefecation’ was featured on United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals’ website. His work has also been the recipient of Goafest Abbys, Kyoorius Elephant, with some of his campaigns also getting featured in Lürzer's Archive.

India’s largest business news platform, Economictimes.com from Times Internet, has rolled out its annual Union Budget news reportage with an insightful campaign called Rising Bharat.

Rising Bharat will provide a detailed analysis of the Union Budget, surveys, sentiment tracker, live speech of FM tracking, budget timeline, tax calculator, budget highlights, budget takeaways, expert news and much more.

Consistently 1st ranked business news platform for the past 3 years, Economictimes.com also offers optimum advertorial solutions game several unique themes for its clients like manufacturing beat, digital Bharat opportunity, infrastructure beat, banking & fintech, climate goals sustainability and many more. Further providing these unique themes through customized tools for maximum visibility amongst target audience with articles, videos, conversations and events.

Check out our LinkedIn page and Website for more details

Anne-Marie, CKay, Farhan Akhtar, DIVINE, Prateek Kuhad, Anuv Jain and more…

• UK’s breakthrough popstar Anne-Marie will headline Vh1 Supersonic 2023
• International musical sensation CKay will play for the first time in India on the Vh1 Supersonic stage
• Nation’s heartthrob Farhan will perform his indie-English set ahead of his album launch
• Indie artists – Anuv Jain, Prateek Kuhad, DIVINE, OAFF and Savera to add up to the melody at Vh1 Supersonic 2023
• Vh1 Supersonic 2023 promises a power-packed edition of many ‘firsts’ five spectacular stages and varied experience zones

One of India’s biggest multi-genre music and lifestyle festivals is back after 3 years, with a range of pop culture-defining experiences! Adding to the excitement, Vh1 Supersonic 2023 has unveiled its stellar line-up of international musical sensations, Anne-Marie and CKay to India for the very first time! Marking their debut performances in India, the global artists and headliners will be joined at this 8th edition by India’s favourite musicians including rapper DIVINE, singer-songwriter Anuv Jain and indie sensation Prateek Kuhad. Performing LIVE for the first time will be OAFF & Savera, music producers of the critically acclaimed film music of the 2022 Bollywood movie Gehraiyaan. Adding to the indie scene at Vh1 Supersonic 2023, Farhan will also be seen performing his indie-English set.

Grab your tickets at gosupersonic.in and https://www.skillboxes.com/events/vh1-supersonic and watch them live at Mahalakshmi Lawns, Pune, on the 24th, 25th and 26th of February 2023! BE THERE, BE FREE!

The most-anticipated latest edition promises an unrivalled experience of many ‘firsts’ for music and culture connoisseurs. Beginning with UK’s breakthrough pop-star and Psycho-hitmaker Anne-Marie who will perform solo in India for the first time on the Vh1 Supersonic 2023 stage, the festival has already raised the bar. Adding to it, Nigerian singer Chukwuka Ekweani aka CKay, who blazed through global music charts and social media with Love Nwantiti, will also be seen taking the Vh1 Supersonic 2023’s stage by storm with his first performance in India.

Apart from the international stardom – Anne-Marie and CKay, along with our country’s favourites – Farhan, DIVINE, Anuv Jain, Prateek Kuhad, OAFF and Savera, this year’s Superfam will also get to experience a wide musical spectrum featuring indie electronic music producer Anyasa, indie techno artist Arjun Vagale, British DJ Bill Brewster, Qilla Records founder Kohra, electronic producer Zokhuma, and multidisciplinary electronic and techno phenomenon BLOT!. Playing with the broad landscapes of sound, Sandunes and finding new comfort in disco infused house and techno, Stalvart John, the line-up also includes Peter Cat Recording Co. and Lifafa. Experimental lo-fi artist Begum, soul/R&B band Easy Wanderlings, Hamza Rahimtula, and Ranj x Clifr, will provide a musically diverse experience for the attendees. Right from T.ill Apes, Tyrell Dub Corp, Bee Wise, Earl Gateshead, General Zooz, Harshal, I-tal Soup feat David Goren, Leah, Mozez x PlanB, Nida, Ninjahdread, Petah Sunday, Parallel Live, Praise Jah Sound, Sanyas-I, Sourfunk x Joven Roy, Sunflower Tape Machine to Yash Nirwan, music lovers are in for a sensory and auditory treat! More International and Indian artists to follow, adding to the musical score at – Vh1 Supersonic 2023, one of India’s biggest multi-genre music and lifestyle festivals.

Talking about performing at Vh1 Supersonic 2023, Farhan said, “As a singer-songwriter, there’s nothing more that I love than performing live for my fans, and Vh1 Supersonic is the perfect stage for it. I’m so looking forward to sharing my music with everyone at the festival!”

In conversation with Nikhil Chinapa, artists Savera and OAFF expressed excitement over performing at Vh1 Supersonic 2023. “It is going to be a fun experience as we are putting effort to go all out playing live”, said Savera. Further to this, OAFF added “It’s our first time connecting with our fans directly and it’s very new for us. So, we are super kicked to experience it at Supersonic. We previously have watched great acts at Supersonic, and since pandemic came it was really difficult to experience this. We are looking forward to play live which will have bunch of our songs, some new stuff with cool collaborators.”

Festival Curator, Nikhil Chinapa, said, “This year, Vh1 Supersonic continues on its journey of being a ‘Festival of Firsts’. As we’ve always done, this year too, we’ve got an epic line-up of ground-breaking global artists and indie musicians performing for the first time in India. Our lineup reflects our own passion for dynamism and progress and includes artists that many will find exhilarating and unique. Our festival layout sees many changes too, unfolding like an exciting graphic novel where each panel brings a new surprise and tells a different story, challenging our fans to explore, indulge and experience our Vh1 Supersonic festival, 2023.”

Gaurav Mashruwala, Business Head, Viacom18 LIVE (Integrated Network Solutions) added, “The excitement of our Superfam has only heightened over these three years, reinforcing how Vh1 Supersonic has always been at the heart of all things pop-culture. As we return after a hiatus amidst all the fan excitement, the 2023 edition will feature an incredible line-up of global artists and indie artists set to perform live in India for the very first time, making it a striking mix of musical styles and genres. With the support of our distinguished partners, we’ve curated a unique, multi-sensory fest combining multi-genre music stages, eclectic experience zones across fashion, food, art, and flea-style markets – all in one place. With an unprecedented curation of experiences, Vh1 Supersonic 2023 is set to bring a year of many ‘firsts’ for its Superfam.”

Vh1 Supersonic 2023 will encompass five spectacular stages. The Main Stage will offer attendees the best of Pop, Hip Hop, Jazz, and Indie Pop – an experience that will also be extended to Bangalore on the 24th of February where two of the main festival headliners will perform as well! Ardent LIVE music fans can get their dose of their favourite music at the NEXA Stage; festival-goers can also enjoy a striking car show by the automotive giant. The Reggae Stage will pack a musical punch, powered by 10,000 Lions Sound System. Budweiser will bring a dynamic BUDX Spectrum Stage, with a dancefloor to host Techno and House artists, and the Beer Garden, a one-of-a-kind, high-spirited experience for the guests. Last but not the least, India’s favourite bar, SOCIAL will have its own eponymous stage specially programmed by the team at SOCIAL!

Committed to an elevated pop-cultural experience, Vh1 Supersonic 2023 will also bring to its Superfam the SuperStreet arena, a melange of everything pop and trending including fashion wear, NFT and immersive augmented reality art and more by NRYTA & Sunday Soul Sante. The stage itself will be helmed by artists playing acoustic music. Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality will bring to the festival the exceptional - SuperFlea, a flea market inside the festival will offer mouth-watering food to fulfil the hunger pangs of all, from all the restaurants under the Impresario portfolio like SOCIAL, Smoke House Deli, Salt Water Cafe, Slink & Bardot, Boss Burger, Dope Coffee & many more.

Vh1 Supersonic 2023 is an audio-visual, multisensory music and lifestyle experience you don’t want to miss. SuperFam enthusiasts can block dates for the super-fest from 24th to 26th February 2023 at Mahalakshmi Lawns, Pune. Fans in Bengaluru can watch two of the headliners from the main festival on 24th February, before the rest of the country!

Tune in to Rising Uttarakhand on News18 Uttar Pradesh / Uttarakhand on January 20 starting 3:00 PM onwards

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Shri. Pushkar Singh Dhami will share his vision for Uttarakhand at the Rising Uttarakhand Leadership Summit being organised by News18 Uttar Pradesh / Uttarakhand in the state capital Dehradun on January 20. Rising Uttarakhand is a part of the Regional Leadership Summit series pioneered by India’s largest news network, News18 Network.

The day-long event will also see top industry leaders, sportspersons, artists and well-known personalities from the entertainment world engage in a constructive dialogue on the strategic roadmap for the development of ‘Dev Bhumi’ i.e. Uttarakhand.

Among the distinguished speakers will be Mr. Ajay Bhatt, Uttarakhand Sports Minister, Rajya Sabha MP Mr. Sudhanshu Trivedi, senior Congress leader Mr. Yashpal Arya, BJP State President Mr. Mahendra Bhatt, Tourism Minister Mr. Satpal Maharaj, Chairman of Patanjali Ayurveda, Mr. Acharya Balkrishna, Uttarakhand Finance Minister (Former Assembly Speaker), Mr. Prem Chand Agarwal, Advisor to CM, Dr. Durgesh Pant, DG State Council for Science & Technology, Dr. Anil Joshi, Union Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Rekha Arya, and Former Chief Minister, Mr. Harish Rawat.

Singer and Director, Mr. B K Samant, SIDCUL Manufacturers' Association of Uttarakhand (SMAU) Chairman, Mr. Harindra Garg, Pharma industrialist, Dr. Mohinder Ahuja, and CII Uttarakhand Chapter Chairman, Sonia Garg will also grace the gathering.

Panel discussions will be moderated by senior journalists from the News18 Network.