A creative collaboration is when several individuals or companies work together to achieve a shared goal in an innovative way.

Working collectively rather than independently is particularly appealing for freelancers, and many creatives in Abu Dhabi and across the rest of the globe have found it helps them significantly progress in their careers.

Collaborations take many different forms and they are considered a crucial part in the development of the media and entertainment industries.

Below, we go into more details about why freelancers should consider pursuing creative collaborations, and why such partnerships are the future of freelancing.

The benefits of creative collaborations

There are many benefits to forming creative collaborations. Indeed, these arrangements have been key to some of the most impressive projects in the history of the media and entertainment industries.

Below are some of the main reasons why they are becoming more and more popular.

• Results in better work

Involving the ideas and skills of several people, rather than just one, often leads to more creative and imaginative results.

For instance, hiring a creative freelancer to assist with a project will not only provide a fresh perspective on things, but it is also likely to increase the productivity of an organisation, and result in higher quality work being produced.

• Leads to new relationships

Creative collaborations can help freelancers forge strong new professional relationships that may lead to even more future work opportunities.

These arrangements can also help freelancers increase their communication and team work skills, and enable them to experience what it’s like to be part of a team, without having the restrictions of a full-time contract with one particular company.

However, when taking part in a joint project, it’s important to nurture your relationships with your fellow collaborators by speaking and communicating regularly with them.

This can involve weekly face-to-face or video call check-ins to make sure everyone is on the same page, or using communication tools such as Slack to interact quickly and swap ideas and resources throughout the day.

• Suited to remote working

Creative collaborations are perfectly suited to today’s flexible working models.

With remote and hybrid working becoming increasingly popular since the pandemic, creative collaborations complement these arrangements smoothly as they can be formed between individuals who have never met face-to-face, and even those who live on opposite sides of the earth.

Of course, depending on what kind of project it is, remote working can bring complications. However, on the positive side, working remotely allows creatives to generate and work on ideas freely and in their own space. After all, many people come up with their best ideas away from busy office environments, and instead when they are doing more mindless and comfortable tasks, such as cooking in the kitchen or pottering in the garden.

Examples of creative collaborations

Creative collaborations can involve freelancers and media professionals who possess all kinds of different and valuable skills. Whether it’s a screenwriter teaming up with a videographer to create a short film, or a graphic designer partnering with an app developer to launch a new platform, they are all creative collaborations.

Some iconic examples of creative collaborations include:

• Pixar

Although he is mostly famous for Apple, Steve Jobs grew Pixar from being a relatively small and unknown film studio, into one of the world leaders in cinematic computer animation by collaborating with computer scientist Ed Catmull, and producer John Lasseter.

All three played a key part in the tremendous success of this collaboration.

• Steven Spielberg and John Williams

Known for creating some of the greatest movies of all time, master director Steven Spielberg would not have been able to initiate quite the same astonishing range of emotions from his audience without his collaboration with composer John Williams.

By combining moving scores and amazing acting, together the two have created some of the most iconic moments in cinematic history, including memorable scenes in Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and Jaws. 

Where can you form creative collaborations in Abu Dhabi?

Yas Creative Hub, the state-of-the-art new home of twofour54, contains a number of innovative spaces that are specifically designed to nurture and encourage collaboration and creativity.

Created to inspire, grow and foster Abu Dhabi’s evolving creative industry and booming media scene, it’s the perfect place for freelancers, including those who specialise in creative content, art, production and technology, to come together, share ideas and pursue the next chapter in their careers.

Spanning 2.9 million sq.ft, the state-of-the-art facilities include production suites, sound studios, a Community Hub, Gaming Hub, and numerous flexible working spaces.

The below features are particularly suited to freelancers who are interested in forming creative collaborations.

The Community Hub

The Community Hub is a vibrant home for professionals, start-ups, freelancers and those who are taking their first step into the media and creative industries. It provides access to a unique, collaborative ecosystem and cutting-edge infrastructure that has been purposefully curated to empower creative individuals and encourage them to pursue their ambitions.

Purposeful collaboration at the heart of its DNA and design and the Community Hub’s innovative spaces are tailor-made for discussions, brainstorming, pitching and networking.

As Abu Dhabi’s thriving epicentre for creativity and innovation, the Community Hub invites freelancers to experiment, connect and discover their true potential

For instance, the Creative Community Support Hub encourages members to absorb themselves in creative projects from their own individual workstation.

Easy and convenient to use, the space includes 10 individual work stations, printers and lockers that are all set within a bright, airy and welcoming environment.

Meanwhile, the Co-Create hub offers 70 fully connected, comfortable work stations that are ideal for those who work better when they’re able to talk and bounce ideas off others.

The Co-Create space also includes access to:

• Printers
• Meeting rooms
• Brainstorming spaces
• A co-working lounge
• Vending machines
• Phone booths

Other shared spaces and facilities found within the Community Hub include the:

• Demo Hall
• Media Break Area
• Screening Room
• Town Hall
• Meeting and board rooms
• Breakout Lounge
• Majlis

AD Gaming Hub

In addition, those looking to collaborate on gaming projects will find all they need to succeed within Yas Creative Hub’s dedicated AD Gaming hub.

Powered by Unity Technologies, AD Gaming Hub empowers freelancers by giving them direct access to a whole array of promising potential future partners, including publishers, developers and artists.

Unity is the world’s leading platform for creating and operating real-time 3D (RT3D) content. At Yas Creative Hub, game developers, artists, architects, automotive designers, filmmakers, and others are encouraged to come together and use Unity to make their imaginations come to life.

As you can see, freelancers can reap countless benefits from creative collaborations.

Yas Creative Hub is the perfect place to form such partnerships, and you can get in touch to find out more about how to join its growing and thriving community.