ACS is proud of its status as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company. As we operate solely for the benefit of our member artists, any surplus income is locked into the company and is used for the benefit of our members and the wider artistic community. Since ACS was established in 2006, this commitment to the arts has assisted in supporting a great variety of community projects and charities.

Over the course of 2017 we are delighted to have been able to provide £28,000 in educational bursaries and prizes to students and graduates from UK arts universities. A small selection of these opportunities are detailed below. Stay tuned for the second instalment announcing more of our prize winners soon!

The ACS Materials Prize at Falmouth University was awarded to Emily Tapp who is currently in her second year of study. Emily produces topographic, environmental work inspired by the landscape and uses her own dyes and inks created from natural minerals, plants and other organic materials. The prize will award a £1,000 bursary to contribute to the cost of materials during the final year of her undergraduate degree. On receiving the award, Emily said:

“What this means for my third year practice and the scope for my potential degree show works is immense. It also confirms funding for a self-initiated residency of sorts, later this year, for me to completely immerse myself in a foreign landscape and make work within it. I am slightly overwhelmed and incredibly excited to use this award to make my most ambitious work yet. “

To accompany our popular Artist Spotlight series, ACS have introduced the Student Spotlight to highlight the work of our educational prize winners. Emily spoke of her artwork inspired by the natural world in the first edition of our Student Spotlight feature which can be read here.

This year ACS has awarded two Materials Prizes to second year students at Kingston University London.  One prize has been awarded to Louise Kimber who creates playful, colourful paintings which explore sub-conscious anxieties and surreal situations.

A further combined prize has been awarded to collaborative duo Jess Tollet & Jessica Wilkinson who produce sensory public installations that aim to benefit their community. Each prize awards a £500 bursary to aid with the cost of creating and delivering the student’s graduate shows in 2018.

 
“I am honoured to be winning the prize and so excited about how the funds will shape my final year at university and help me on my way to doing the absolute best I can do with my time at Kingston!” Louise Kimber

 
Read more about Louise Kimber’s artwork in our Student Spotlight interview here.

From the Slade, Masters of Fine Art student Henry Tyrrell who explores a range of techniques in his paintings and works on paper has been awarded the ACS/Slade MFA Award of £3,000 which benefits a student during their postgraduate studies.

“…the prize will have a big impact on the development of my work over the next year. I will use the money mainly to invest in good quality materials and tools which will benefit my practice long after I have finished at the Slade.” Henry Tyrrell

Two Materials Prizes have this year been awarded to Jordan Page and Samson Tudor. Jordan explores highly charged, political themes in his installation and performance based work while Samson uses narrative, figurative painting to comment on socio-political issues.

Both currently in the second year of their undergraduate degrees, each student will receive a £500 prize to assist in preparations for their upcoming graduate shows.

“It is a great honour to be chosen and I can promise I will use the funding well. Gaining the funding means that I can now bring into full realisation my ideas for my final year’s work which means the world to me!” Jordan Page