The Gardening.club

Colin Davis, our new Global Head of Innovation brings something new to the mix, a future-facing vision grounded in creative integrity. His work might already be familiar to many of you, but some of his most notable projects include the Cannes Grand Prix winning Pedigree Adoptable, the Google x Gorillaz AR virtual concert and immersive products for Meta, NBA and others. He’s been working with the leading-edge technologies (AI, mixed reality, game engines and many others) finding ways to elevate and expand creative opportunities, in the role as Head of Production - Immersive & EP at Nexus Studios. (The Pedigree project is still taking the awards circuit by storm!)

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Jacqui has a long history with The Sweetshop, working alongside co-CEO Melanie Bridge as a creative for many years, then as co founder of The Rumpus Room with Tomas Roope. Jacqui's focus with new company The Gardening.club will be as Creative director and AI talent curator. In the ever-evolving intersection of art and AI technology, Jacqui Kenny stands out as a true innovator. Since 2020, Jacqui has embraced AI and NFTs, producing three sold-out collections and collaborating with brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Known for her groundbreaking project, "The Agoraphobic Traveller" Jacqui has captivated audiences worldwide with her unique vision and creative resilience. Utilising Google Street View, she captured stunning snapshots of remote locations she couldn't physically visit due to agoraphobia, transforming personal limitations into a powerful narrative of overcoming obstacles through creativity. Her work quickly gained international acclaim, featuring in National Geographic, Vogue, The New Yorker, and Wired, and inspiring millions. ​Jacqui's latest projects continue to push the envelope. "Safety Behaviours," her upcoming collection, delves into deepfake technology, promising to explore new realms in digital art. She is also working on an experimental AI film funded by the British Art Council.

Tom Roope is a digital creative director and futurist with over 30 years of experience in the industry. He has been at the forefront of exploring the intersection of technology and creativity, particularly in the realm of AI. Notably, in the digital space, he has worked with many high-profile clients such as Coca-Cola, Nike, Google, LVMH, Pharrell Williams and David Beckham and produced a crowdsourced campaign for Xbox with Lily Allen that garnered an enormous viewing of 32 million in 2012, and was rumored to have inspired the early days of Music.ly/Tik Tok. Tom and Jacqui co-founded The Rumpus Room with The Sweetshop in 2007, a digital agency focused on creating immersive experiences. In 2016, Tom took on the role of Group Creative Lead at Google ZOO, their creative think tank where he led a team of creative technologists to solve complex problems for Google’s top clients using advanced technologies like machine learning. ‘Fabricus’, was a project conceived by Tom’s creative team at Google, while working on Ubisoft's "Assassin's Creed Origins" the team created the concept and software to harness the power of machine learning to translate hieroglyphics. Tom has won many awards for his digital and creative work, including 3 D&AD Silvers and a Gold Lion at Cannes. He is an Honorary Royal Designer for Industry (awarded by the Royal Society of Arts), is in the BIMA Digital Hall of Fame, and has received an honorary doctorate from the University of Lincoln for his contribution to digital culture. Tom's latest project has been to create an AI tool for Black Eyewear. Tom worked with the founder, to train an AI with his perceptual skills, that can now make personalized recommendations at any time, from anywhere from your phone.

As a creative, AI is the most incredible way to get an idea out of your head, explore it, and make it better than you ever thought possible. AI is smart in many ways but needs a good idea and an artist's vision to produce truly groundbreaking results. Melanie is leading The Sweetshop's focus on AI in partnership with Tom and Jacqui and has been learning AI filmmaking since the partnership began, with the aim of exploring her AI work in both commercials and long-format film, while guiding the company and its directors through all of the possibilities AI offers. "From my work so far, I genuinely believe it is the most incredible tool for storytelling. I am already creating work." Early in her career, Melanie’s remarkable eye for filmic detail and visionary mindset propelled her to great success in directing, including being selected in the Cannes Young Director Showcase and nominated as one of the top 100 directors in the world. Committed to fostering a culture of excellence, Melanie empowers individuals within The Sweetshop, serving as a mentor, guide, and source of inspiration. Her ability to nurture and support the team has been instrumental in the company's success. Her understanding of the creative process ensures that the company maintains its unique identity and pushes creative boundaries. Melanie is immensely proud that The Sweetshop is one of the few fully female and director-led film production companies in the world, as well as being well on the way to gaining full global B Corp certification.