D&AD Launches Free Night School Course: New Blood Shift London 2019

D&AD New Blood Shift, a free night school for aspiring creatives, returns for its fourth year. The life-changing and career-making programme aims to stimulate creative excellence by nurturing young talent and working towards a fairer, more diverse industry.

Applicants that make it onto the programme will get the chance to develop and refine their creative skills through a range of workshops, talks from leading industry figures and working on real client briefs. These learnings then provide the foundation they need to find paid placements and kickstart a career.

In the belief that creative industries should be accessible to everyone, no matter where they come from, D&AD has introduced a new £10,000 travel and accommodation fund for New Blood Shift London. This will include a relocation bursary for two applicants alongside support on travel costs for all of those on the programme.

In 2018, 78% of the ‘Shifters’ secured placements following graduating the programme in January, including in companies such AKQA, Iris, and Design Bridge. This compares to 41% of design graduates and just 24% of media graduates employed in their sectors after six months of graduating.

Hilary Chittenden, senior foundation manager at D&AD, says: “The progression of Shift alumni is testament to the value and transformative impact that the programme can have, with many having secured internships, paid-placements and full time roles at some of the world leading creative companies.Over the years, our programme has seen applicants moving to London from Hull and Ireland to take part in the course and unfortunately that cost of doing can be a barrier. We are proud to now introduce our relocation bursary to make the programme more accessible for those outside of the capital. We encourage anyone with aspirations of entering the creative industry to apply as Shift is designed to recognise potential regardless of experience, and is a proven, powerful way for brands and agencies, as well as D&AD itself, to discover new talent.”

This year’s creative campaign has been designed by Christian Johnstone, a graduate of the Shift 2018 programme. To represent Shift’s mission, the campaign uses the visual motifs of walls and fences, with animations of breaking through them. Artwork of the 2018 Shift London class features throughout, partially obscured by the barriers that once prevented them from their future careers.

Christian Johnstone says: “New Blood Shift gave me the opportunity to have the job I’ve always dreamed of - a Graphic Designer. I had such a positive experience working on real briefs, having access to companies in the industry, having an industry mentor but also to be surrounded by others like me – talented people stuck without degrees.

I’m now on a placement at Design Bridge, working alongside Chloe Templeman and Fahud Ahmed, who I’m thankful for helping me create the artwork for this year’s campaign. I hope that the finished piece resonates and inspires people to apply for Shift”

Tim Lindsay, CEO of D&AD, says: “As an education not-for-profit, providing guidance, mentorship and support for those looking to enter the industry is at the core of D&AD. Since launching New Blood Shift in 2016, we have put 87 emerging creatives, where higher education was not right or available to them, through Shift. Initiatives like Shift are crucial for recognising and nurturing young creative minds, as well as ensuring a fairer, more sustainable and more diverse industry.”

Applications are now open for the Shift London 2018 programme. Details and entry requirements are available here. Applications close on July 29th 2019.