Arts Thread Launch The Pentland Winston Churchill Champagne Pol Roger Conscious Case Competition
Image By Courtesy of Arts Thread
Arts Thread has partnered with Pentland Group plc and The Churchill Centre as the platform for this competition.
Sir Winston Churchill was Pol Roger’s most illustrious devotee and customer. Churchill’s relationship with Pol Roger dates back to 1944, although he had been a loyal customer as far back as 1908.
At a luncheon given by the British ambassador to France after the liberation of Paris, Churchill met the charming and captivating Odette Pol-Roger and so began a friendship which lasted until Sir Winston’s death in 1965.
Pol Roger was not just any champagne to Churchill, it was a drink that embodied the style and spirit with which he lived by: robust, mature and long-lived.
2024 marks 150 years since Churchill’s birth and 175 Years of Champagne Pol Roger. To celebrate this historic year, we would like you to design a sustainable solution for the Pol Roger Brut Vintage gift packaging that embodies this remarkable friendship.
Our special Competition partner for the third time is Champagne Pol Roger .
THE BRIEF
2024 marks 150 years since Churchill’s birth and 175 Years of Champagne Pol Roger. To celebrate this historic year, we would like you to design a sustainable solution for the Pol Roger Brut Vintage gift packaging that embodies this remarkable friendship.
Prize: First prize £1000, Second Prize £750, Third Prize £500. The First Prize winner will receive their design made up on a Pol Roger Magnum & will enjoy an exclusive tour of the Pol Roger vineyard in Epernay, France.
All three winners will be considered for work experience at Pentland headquarters in London. Pentland are Speedo, Berghaus, Canterbury of New Zealand, Endura, Mitre, Ellesse, Boxfresh, SeaVees, KangaROOS and Red or Dead +++
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Who can Enter
Location: International - from any country.
Experience/age : Open to anyone over 18 who is studying or graduated from an Arts & Design course within the last three years - any course from fine art and illustration, to fashion and textiles, graphic design etc.
How to Enter
Already got an ARTS THREAD portfolio? To enter, simply log into your account , upload your design as a new project, return to this page and select your project into the Competition box above.
New to ARTS THREAD? To enter, register to create an ARTS THREAD account and go to your email and click on the activation link sent to your email Inbox. Then log into your account, upload your project, then return to this page and select your project into the Competition box above.
Please ensure you have read the Terms & Conditions for the The Pentland Churchill Champagne Pol Roger Conscious Case Competition
ENTRY: free to apply
DEADLINE TO APPLY: February 29 2024 Midnight GMT
THE PRIZES
First prize £1000, Second Prize £750, Third Prize £500. The First Prize winner will receive their design made up on a Pol Roger Magnum + a number of the winning design will be made up and available for sale as a Pol Roger limited edition in selected venues + the design will be displayed as commemorative pieces at selected venues + an expenses-paid exclusive tour of the Pol Roger vineyard in Epernay, France. All three winners will be considered for work experience at Pentland headquarters in London.
Download the Measurements of the Champagne Bottle *
*Measurements of the Champagne Bottle are: 8.5cm width x 32cm height, Circumference 28.5cm @ widest part
You can create the work in any media as long as it can be submitted to and viewed on the Arts Thread site.
BACKGROUND
On 8 May 1945 Winston Churchill stood on a Whitehall balcony and addressed the excited crowd below.
“In all our long history,” he said, “we have never seen a greater day than this.” Churchill had fought extreme fascism and won – the day was his.
70 years later, he is still widely regarded as one of the greatest Britons of all time.
His prowess is not just cemented in his political achievements but also in his truly inspirational character, eloquence, wit and style.
His force of will, unwavering self belief and creative thinking secured his name in history and his influence still reverberates across many industries today.
JUDGING CRITERIA - WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
INSIGHT: Churchill’s brilliance was in his ability to approach a multitude of tasks with interest and enthusiasm. From journalism to bricklaying, art to orating. Does your design embody the rich breadth of interest and excitement that surrounded Churchill’s life and endeavours? Does it breathe new sustainable life into the commemoration of such a vibrant character in a way that is modern and insightful with a nod to the past and a look to the present?
COMMUNICATION : ‘If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.’ Churchill commanded attention, spoke with authority, was always forward thinking and left his audiences in no doubt of his point. Is your design clear and easy to understand? Is it able to communicate its sustainable message directly and with force? Think about the compatibility — materiality, potential environmental and/or ecological impact.
COMMERCIAL APPEAL: As well as paying tribute to one of the great leaders of our time, your design must also hold commercial value. Pol Roger’s strong brand heritage can be utilised to increase interest. Does it appeal to a wider audience? How can your design cater to the current Pol Roger customer as well as generate new interest?
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER SUBMISSION?
The judging panel will create a shortlist of entries and contact the finalists to arrange personal presentations of their original designs.
Short-listed entrants will have their work judged by Pol Roger and a panel of designated patrons and members of Pentland and the International Churchill Society.
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A Century of Textiles, and an Ever-changing World
Few companies can trace their roots back more than a century and still count themselves among their industry's innovators. Texia, headquartered in Monistrol de Montserrat, Spain, is one of them.
But the story of Texia is not simply one of longevity.
It is a story of continual reinvention. As the textile industry has grown more global and competitive, Texia has repeatedly reshaped its business, investing in technology, developing its own brands, and placing sustainability at the centre of its mission. In doing so, it offers a compelling example of how a heritage manufacturer can lead rather than follow through a period of profound industry change. Image Credit: Texia
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For the design and manufacturing sectors, this means rethinking both product and process.
The Structual Shift is Real and its Already Here
Volumes are moving east, where digital production is accelerating rapidly. Consumer behaviour has shifted.
Demand is now driven by personalisation, shorter buying cycles, and an expectation of near-instant responsiveness. Regulatory pressure is intensifying, with supply chain transparency now a legal and commercial fact in many markets. And margins? They are under sustained, structural pressure.
This is not a temporary disruption. It is a fundamental reordering of how textile manufacturing must operate.
The Challenge: Standing Firm as the Industry Shifts
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The Market Gap that Changed Everything
Future Fashion was founded in 2019, timed deliberately to coincide with a pivotal moment in global textile technology: the commercial launch of the EFI Reggiani BOLT Single-Pass digital printing system.
The founders recognised that single-pass architecture had fundamentally changed what was industrially possible - and that Pakistan's domestic market had yet to catch up.
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Crewe – Cheshire - UK – 18 September 2026 – Hybrid Services Ltd, the official Mimaki distributor for the UK and Ireland, today highlighted how Mimaki's advanced white ink technology is setting a new standard for Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing, addressing a critical challenge facing garment decorators across the industry.
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Anglesey – September 2026 – Nova Chrome UK has today announced the launch of the Filmjet Mini, a new series of all-in-one direct-to-film (DTF) printers designed to eliminate the complexity of running separate printing, powder application, and curing units.
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Tokyo, Japan – September 2026 – Seiko Epson Corporation today announced the launch of CONTOURJET, a new brand for its Direct-to-Shape Printing System, combining Epson's proprietary inkjet and robotics technologies to meet the growing global demand for decorating complex three-dimensional objects.
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Birmingham, UK – September 2026 – Perfect Colours has announced its participation in The Print Show 2026, taking place at the NEC Birmingham from 29th September to 1st October.
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Leicester – UK = September 2026– Vivid Laminating Technologies Ltd, a leading innovator in finishing technology, has announced that its award-winning Veloblade Nexus has been selected by 5 Studio UK, a specialist in large-format print and exhibition stand production, to support the creation of high-quality exhibition stands.
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Telford, UK – September 2026 – China Print Supplies UK Ltd will unveil the Gongzheng ThunderJet AQ1602S at The Sign Show, offering visitors a hands-on demonstration of its latest entry-level eco-solvent printer at stand S220 + S240.
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Reading, UK – 15 September 2026 – HP has announced it will showcase four machines from its HP Latex portfolio, alongside the HP DesignJet Z9+ and HP PrintOS Production Hub, at The Print Show and The Sign Show 2026.
Taking place from 29 September to 1 October in Hall 1 of the NEC Birmingham, the event will feature live demonstrations and application examples highlighting opportunities across sign-making and wide-format print.
Paris - France – September 15th 2026 – Optitex, a global leader in fashion technology, has today announced the release of O/26.1, the latest evolution of its industry-leading software suite.
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Hamamatsu, Japan – September, 2026 – Roland DG, a leading manufacturer of wide-format digital printing solutions, has announced the launch of the TrueVis MG2 Series, a next-generation UV printer/cutter range comprising the MG2-640 and MG2-300.
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Altrincham – Cheshire – Funki Fabrics has today released its Autumn/Winter 2026 fabric trend report, identifying four key directions set to define the season: warm neutrals, deep jewel tones, vampy cherry reds and dark, moody botanicals.
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Colombo, Sri Lanka – September 2026 – Winterquilts (Pvt) Ltd., one of Sri Lanka's leading garment manufacturers and exporters, has invested in Coats Digital's award-winning GSDCost solution together with its newly launched AI-powered GSDQuest platform.
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Bressanone – September 2026 – Durst Graphics today features its P5 350 CORE, a new 3.5-metre hybrid printing platform designed to serve as an accessible entry point into the wider Durst Ecosystem.
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Peterborough -September 2026 – Snuggle, a leading trade fulfilment provider, has today announced it is the first company in Europe to install three Epson G9000 DTF systems, marking a significant expansion of its production capacity to meet surging demand from trade customers across the UK and Europe.
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