Freelands Studio Fellowships 2027: £28,000 for eligible UK art-school graduates — apply by 15 October
The Freelands Studio Fellowships 2027 are open for applications until 12 noon on Thursday 15 October 2026, UK local time. This is a paid, full-time, one-year studio fellowship for early-career artists with a studio-based practice. Each Fellow receives a £28,000 bursary, a dedicated workspace, access to the research and technical resources of a partner art school, mentorship and opportunities to develop teaching experience. The application window is nearly closed, so eligible artists should consult the official guidance straight away.
The opportunity is particularly valuable because it supports sustained artistic development rather than a single finished work. Artists practising in any medium may be eligible if they can demonstrate that a year of full-time studio access would benefit their work. A visual, digital, moving-image or interdisciplinary artist may therefore wish to explore the programme, provided they meet its strict art-school qualification requirements.
Eligibility: graduates of seven named UK art schools
The fellowship is not open to all UK residents or to every international artist. You must have received an undergraduate or Master's degree from one of the seven partner art schools named by the Freelands Foundation. People who already hold a PhD or doctorate are not eligible.
Bath School of Art, Film and Media, Bath Spa University
Birmingham School of Art, Birmingham City University
Cardiff School of Art and Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University
Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, University of Dundee
Falmouth School of Art, Falmouth University
Gray’s School of Art, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Belfast School of Art, Ulster University
If you studied elsewhere, do not assume you qualify simply because your practice is based in Britain. The official website provides a dedicated eligibility checker and a detailed application guidance document. Graduates of the listed institutions should still use those resources to verify every condition.
A £28,000 bursary plus studio and professional development
Each Fellow receives a £28,000 bursary for a year-long, full-time placement. The package includes use of a studio, research, technical and workshop facilities, individual mentorship and further professional-development support. Selected artists can also work alongside the academic community, support workshops, critiques and tutorials, and develop an approach to teaching.
The Foundation describes an opportunity for a solo presentation, such as an exhibition, either at the university or at another nearby venue arranged by the institution. The fellowship can also involve a visit to another participating university as a visiting lecturer. For practitioners working across contemporary visual practice, video, installation, computational or digital media, sustained engagement with making and learning can be more useful than a short production commission. Specific equipment access, however, must be checked with the host university.
Timetable for the 2027 fellowships
The 2027 application period opened on 3 September 2026 and closes at 12 noon on Thursday 15 October 2026. Interviews and shortlisting are expected to take place in November and December 2026. Depending on the placement, the fellowship will begin between January and March 2027 and end between December 2027 and March 2028.
This is a full-time commitment. Before applying, consider whether your current employment, commissions, caregiving duties and other plans are compatible with sustained work as part of an art-school community. The Foundation's detailed guidance is the authority for participation requirements.
How to submit a strong application
Freelands Foundation asks applicants to email their completed 2027 Studio Fellowships Application Form to the application address given on the official fellowship page before the deadline. The page also provides the required application guidance, the online eligibility checker and a separate access-support form. Follow those documents precisely rather than assuming a general application platform will accept submissions.
In describing your artistic practice, it may help to identify a specific research or making challenge that a full year could address, how the studio's facilities and artistic community would contribute to your development, and what exchanges you could offer students through workshops or critique. These are editorial suggestions for preparation, not additional requirements imposed by the Foundation.
Access support
The Foundation states that access assistance is available and provides an Access Form and contact information on the official website. If you need adjustments to the application process or participation, consult those resources before submitting. Do not assume access arrangements are identical at every university.
Deadline and verified official source
The deadline is Thursday 15 October 2026 at 12:00 noon, UK local time. Funding is £28,000, with studio space and professional support. Because the deadline is imminent, check that the email recipient, form, attachments and your eligibility are correct, and submit well before the closing time.