D&AD is expanding its free creative night school Shift

Apply before 26 April for the chance to refine your creative talents and upskill at this free industry-led night school.

Getting into the advertising and creative industries is notoriously competitive, especially for those who haven’t got the connections or didn’t go to university. For those wanting to make a living through a creative talent, work for an advertising agency or a studio, or even set up as a freelancer creating content for brands, you can now take your creativity to the next level with D&AD.

D&AD is a giant of the creative and advertising industries that awards and teaches creative excellence, from the biggest advertising agencies in the world to the emerging creatives to watch. Its Shift programme is a free night school for self-taught, non-university-educated creative thinkers. D&AD Shift with Google aims to nurture aspiring talent and offer a non-traditional path to success within the creative fields. 

The night school consists of a four-month, part-time programme through which successful applicants are connected with global brands and given the chance to respond to a selection of creative briefs, in turn expanding their networks and honing their skills. 

For the past five years, D&AD Shift has operated in New York and London. Through a new partnership with Google, D&AD Shift will expand into new territories – Sydney, for example, with two other cities yet to be announced – and introduce skills such as digital training into the existing programme. Plus, there’ll be specialist course modules like advertising, digital design and graphic design. The new partnership kicks off with the launch of this year’s D&AD Shift with Google in London.

Elsewhere, 2021 will see the introduction of Shift Studio: an ongoing mentorship programme for Shift graduates, who’ll have the opportunity to work with Penguin, Disney, giffgaff and Here Design.

Foundation director Paul Drake said: “Agencies and brands want their creative teams to be more representative of the people they are creating for – but that diversity can be impossible to find if the only place you look for it is art and design schools.”

By getting behind D&AD Shift with Google,” he adds, “they can support and employ incredible individuals who challenge the assumption that talent only resides in a few universities.”

The programme is suitable for all creatives, and a full portfolio is not needed to apply. D&AD want to see three examples of creative work from applicants. This may range from design to a campaign concept, a piece of artwork, a video, photography, lyrics or a story. Applicants are encouraged to express their creativity, and the focus of the application process is on personality, creative thinking and ideas.

D&AD Shift with Google London will run from June to September 2021. Places are in-demand, and applications are now open with a deadline of 26 April. You can apply here