Swansea College of Art Illustration Student Wins Prestigious D&AD New Blood Pencil
Second year BA Illustration student Chloe Duggan from Swansea College of Art has achieved major international recognition after winning a coveted Pencil at the prestigious D&AD New Blood Awards.
The global awards programme, organised by D&AD, attracts more than 6,000 entries each year from leading art and design institutions worldwide. This marks the first time students from Swansea College of Art’s BA Illustration course have entered the competition, making Chloe’s success an exceptional milestone for both the student and the course.
As part of her Illustration for Advertising module, Chloe responded to a live creative brief celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the War Child x Secret 7” initiative. The charity project raises funds for War Child through the auction of bespoke record sleeve artwork created for contemporary music releases.
For her award-winning submission, titled “Paper World Celebration”, Chloe created a one-minute stop-motion animation using handmade paper cut-outs. The tactile, analogue quality of the animation reflected both the physical nature of vinyl records and the handcrafted spirit of the contributing artists’ work.
Using only hands within the animation to symbolise the anonymity of participating artists, Chloe also incorporated birds as a subtle metaphor for the children supported by War Child, representing hope, freedom and peace.
Chloe Duggan said: “I am over the moon to have won a D&AD Pencil; I couldn’t quite believe it when I saw I was on the winners page on their website! My project was something completely new to me and a little out of my comfort zone, but I had so much fun creating it and really loved the hands-on technique.
“Having the opportunity to study on the illustration course has given me the confidence to get my work out there and understand what it means to work in this industry. The amount of one-to-one time with my tutors is really reflected in my work. They are always there to help with projects, work through ideas together, and make sure I am always on the right path or help guide me to a completely new one.”
Programme Manager for BA Illustration, Martin Bush, praised Chloe’s achievement:
“I am immensely proud of Chloe’s success. This is a huge achievement for both herself and for the course. To win a coveted Pencil on entering D&AD New Blood for the first time is a remarkable testament to the professional skills our students develop on our course. Chloe’s creative and conceptual approach, coupled with her immense craft skills, has attracted the recognition it truly deserves.”
The D&AD New Blood Awards Ceremony will take place in London on Tuesday 30 June 2026, where Chloe will discover the level of Pencil awarded. As part of her success, she has also been invited to join the exclusive New Blood Academy Training Bootcamp, providing opportunities to develop her creative practice alongside leading industry mentors.
Chloe’s winning submission can be seen here
Further Information
Rebecca Davies
Executive Press and Media Relations Officer
Corporate Communications and PR
Email: rebecca.davies@uwtsd.ac.uk
Phone: 07384 467071