School of DC is out for 2026

We've just wrapped our ninth (yes, ninth) run of School of DC and we’re celebrating what was yet another jam-packed two weeks for our students.

If you don’t know, School of DC is our annual work experience programme for people from all ages and backgrounds looking to get a kick-start in the creative industry. Unlike your typical run-of-the-mill work experience that mostly consists of shadowing and remembering coffee orders, School of DC offers a real taste of what working in an ad agency is all about. Our class is set to work on a real brief, for a real client and paid for their time and effort.

We started it way back when because the creative job market has never been an easy one to break into, and for younger people trying to find their way in right now, it's tougher than ever. We don't think we can fix that on our own, but we can do our bit, and School of DC is our way of doing exactly that.

This year's cohort, Shriya, Poppy, Jack, Thomas and Cameron, spent two weeks getting stuck into agency life. Alongside their brief, they sat in on creative reviews, had 121s across departments, and got hands-on time in copywriting, strategy, motion graphics and art direction.

New for this year, we're extending things past the two weeks. Students completing the programme are encouraged to stay in touch with contacts across Creative, Account Handling, Planning and Studio in the months that follow.

Dan Appleby, our Managing Director, put it best:
"The job market is tougher than ever for anyone trying to break into this industry, especially in the North East. We can't fix that on our own, but we can do our bit. That's exactly why we started School of DC nine years ago, and why we keep doing it. It's something we genuinely care about getting right every single year. This year we're also extending that support past the two weeks, so the class can stay in touch and keep building on what they've learned. We'd love to see more agencies, wherever they are, offering the same kind of chance."

And here’s a few words our students had to say:
"I loved that it was a real brief with a real challenge to solve. My favourite part was seeing our idea grow from the first insight to the final pitch. The feedback was honest, supportive and made it feel like a genuine agency experience."

"What stood out most to me was how genuinely dedicated and enthusiastic the staff were the whole way through. Visiting different departments and asking questions never felt like a burden, it was really nicely encouraged, which made it so much easier to just get stuck in and learn."

"This has been such an invaluable experience. I've learned more in these two weeks than in anything else I've done, and it's helped me become so much more confident in my own work."

A huge well done to this year’s students, and if you’re interested in taking part in School of DC, keep an eye out on our channels for next year’s opening.