ACS Studio Prize 2026

ACS Studio Prize 2026

Artists' Collecting Society Closing date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026

Artform: Visual arts
Role: Creative
Contract: Temporary
UK-wide

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 "> published -

Job Summary

Opportunity for BA and MA Fine Art Students - Win £6,000 to fund a studio with ACS Studio Prize 2026

Job Description

The Prize

ACS is offering a recent graduate the chance to win £6,000 to contribute to the cost of an artist's studio in a UK city of their choice.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Studio Prize. We are delighted to announce that this year's Studio Prize will be judged by art dealer and historian Philip Mould OBE, artist and Director of the Lucian Freud Archive David Dawson, Director of the National Gallery Sir Gabriele Finaldi and the Chairman of ACS, Viscountess Bridgeman CBE.

The Studio Prize was established after a number of our members' spoke of the economic challenges they faced when starting their artistic careers. ACS realises how difficult it is for recent graduates to focus on their art, especially after leaving university. The ACS Studio Prize was founded to help.

If you are a national of the UK, EEA, Australia or New Zealand and are an undergraduate or postgraduate university student on an accredited art course who is about to graduate, or if you have graduated from a university accredited art course within the last four years, and you work in pictures, collage, painting, sculpture, tapestry, ceramics, glassware or photography, then you are also eligible to apply for the prize.

Chairman of ACS Harriet Bridgeman: "The Studio Prize was set up in response to feedback from our member artists. Many told us of their difficulty in transitioning from a student to a professional artist, exacerbated by the struggle to find affordable studio space. This problem remains a serious issue in our current economic climate as rents rise at an alarming rate."

For more information on ACS and the Prize, visit the dedicated page https://artistscollectingsociety.org/acs-studio-prize/about-acs-studio-prize/ - here. You can also find a full list of the Prize's past winners https://artistscollectingsociety.org/acs-studio-prize/past-winners/ - here.

Useful Links

Job Overview

  • Job Title: ACS Studio Prize 2026
  • Salary: Under £10K
  • Hours: Full time
  • Artform: Visual arts
  • Role: Creative
  • Contract: Temporary
  • Closing date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026
  • Location: UK-wide

How to Apply

https://artistscollectingsociety.org/acs-studio-prize/enter-here/ - You can enter the ACS Studio Prize 2026 https://artistscollectingsociety.org/acs-studio-prize/enter-here/ - here. To ensure that you are considered for the prize, please complete your submission by midnight (24:00) 30 June 2026. The Prize is free to enter.

Simply upload a 1,000-2,000 word statement on why you are applying for the ACS Studio Prize, and a PDF portfolio, which features 15-20 images of your work and a single-page Artist CV. There is even an https://artistscollectingsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GUIDE_TO_APPLYING_WITH_PORTFOLIO.pdf - application guide on our website.