D&AD doesn’t just say that it believes the creative industries should be accessible to everyone, no matter where they come from. For the last four years, it has been doing something tangible – and very successful – about accessibility. New Blood Shift is the free night school for aspiring creatives who didn’t take the road most travelled. 2019 is its fourth year of nurturing young talent, working towards a fairer, more diverse industry…and changing the lives of a lot of young people.
Applicants who make it onto the programme 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.
This year, 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 as well as support for travel costs for all of those on the programme.
In 2018, 78% of the Shifters secured placements after graduating the programme in January, in companies such as AKQA, Iris, and Design Bridge. This compares to 41% of design graduates and just 24% of media graduates employed in their sectors after 6 months of graduating from traditional colleges. (Source: Telegraph)
Applications are now open for the Shift London 2018 programme. Details and entry requirements are available here. Applications close on July 29 2019.
Hilary Chittenden, senior foundation manager at D&AD, noted, “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 D&AD Shift 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, commented, “New Blood Shift gave me the opportunity to have the job I’ve always dreamed of as 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 with Chloe Templeman and Fahud Ahmed, who I’m thankful for helping me to create the artwork for this year’s campaign. I hope that the finished piece resonates and inspires people to apply for Shift.”
Tim Lindsay, chief executive officer of D&AD, stated, “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.”
Here are three examples of what Shift has achieved:
Everything needed to apply for D&AD New Blood Shift is here. Applications close on July 29 2019.
