D&AD’s life-changing and career-making night school, New Blood Shift, is back for the third year. D&AD believes that talent comes from anywhere, and wants to afford young people opportunities they may not have without formal further education or existing networks.

D&AD New Blood Shift is an intensive night school programme that places an emphasis on raw, untrained talent. Shift compels its students to make the best creative work of their life. This is accomplished through workshops, talks by those at the top of their game and real client briefs that show young minds how to apply their abilities and craft, and find paid opportunities and a route into a new career.

Shift runs from September to January. They meet two evenings a week and occasional Saturdays in agencies around London.

The programme has been hugely successful and seen wide support from the industry, with last year’s applicants going on to placements and employment with companies including Nike, BBC Creative, Iris and AKQA. From the Shift 2017 programme, 84% of ’Shifters’ have entered into paid creative employment (compared to 41% of design graduates and just 24% of media graduates employed in their sectors after 6 months of graduation).

There is no entry fee.

Eligibility

Open to any UK resident over 18, who don’t hold a degree level qualification and aren’t currently enrolled in one.

Prize

A free 12-week night school in London, UK. The school provides young people without qualifications with a leg up into the creative industries.