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Reflections from Painting Prize 2026 jurist Matthew de Kersaint Giraudeau on the shortlisted artists works, and what they tell us about the current landscape of painting in UK art schools.
10-min read
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Freelands Awards – Celebrating Art Education
Reflecting on the role of the Freelands Awards in championing the importance of art education within the UK’s cultural life.
4-min read
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Spotlight: SIGNAL
This Freelands Awards 2026 winner was selected for its Artist Development Lab – a programme developing artists through workshops, expert mentoring and exhibition making.
2-min read
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Spotlight: Wolverhampton Art Gallery
This Freelands Awards 2026 winner was selected for its Arts and Culture Youth Programme – inspired by the collection and temporary exhibitions in which participants work with the gallery team to help build skills and careers in the creative industries.
2-min read
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Spotlight: The Burton at Bideford
This Freelands Awards 2026 winner was selected for Burton Futures – an outreach programme for schools, featuring a horse box converted into a camera obscura and darkroom that travels to rural schools.
2-min read
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The Vocabulary of Painting with Wallace Seymour
Reflections from a visit to Wallace Seymour, makers of fine art materials, on the philosophy and process of making artists' materials from the ground up.
4-min read
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The case for artist fellowships in art schools
A reflection on the role of the artist in UK art schoolsas teacher, learner, maker.
10-min read
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Why Make?
Reflections on the value of material exploration in art education projects.
5-min read
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Championing making practices in UK art schools
A reflection on five years of thinking, teaching and practicing painting in UK higher education by Freelands Foundation.
8-min read
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Repeat to Make: Repetition as Artistic Strategy
A short-read exploring how artists and artist educators balance their practice with the responsibilities of daily life, through the generative potential of repetition.
5-min read
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Toby Rainbird: One Thing May Hide Another
A response to the material practice of artist Toby Rainbirdduring their 2025 fellowship at University of Brighton.
6-min read
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The Studio as a Site for Artist Learning
Mapping the different ways learning takes place in artist studios, through the lens of artist anecdotes and archival research.
8-min read
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Debris, dead horses and devotion: the art of Matthew Wilson
A response to the material practice of artist Matthew Wilson during their 2025 fellowship at Falmouth University.
5-min read
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Reflecting on the Freelands Artist Programme
Insights intoan action-research partnershipprogramme supporting artists across the UK.
9-min read
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Kirsty Bell: Faces
A response to the material practice of artist Kirsty Bell during their 2025 fellowship at Ulster University, Belfast.
5-min read
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Jennie Bates: Back to School
A response to the material practice of artist Jennie Batesduring their 2025 fellowship at Birmingham City University.
5-min read
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Teaching Sculpture in Schools
Reflections from the partnership between Yorkshire Sculpture International and Freelands Foundation.
7-min read
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Kelsey Cruz-Martin: Vocal Disarmour
A response to the material practice of artist Kelsey Cruz-Martinduring their 2025 fellowship at Cardiff Metropolitan University.
5-min read
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AJ Stockwell: Quarrying
A response to the material practice of artist AJ Stockwellduring their 2025 fellowship at University of Dundee.
5-min read
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Désirée Coral: Brine, Bodies and Movement
A response to the material practice of artist Désirée Coralduring their 2025 fellowship at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.
6-min read
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Marly Merle: Touching, over and over
A response to the material practice of artist Marly Merle during their 2025 fellowship at Bath Spa University.
6-min read
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Artists typically need four things to make work: space, time, money and dialogue.
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On Doughnuts and the 10%
A short essay by writer and curator George Vasey on how artists build resilience, connection and interdependency.
3-min read
download available (pdf)
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Painting Education in UK Higher Education: 1950s until today
An essay tracing the impact of UK higher education policy and socio-economic contexts' on teaching painting, from the 1950s onwards.
24-min read
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Art teachers should have the space to be rebellious
Artists Joanna Brinton and Freya Kehoe discuss reclaiming space, navigating school structures, embracing restriction and allowing for testing and failure during their durational collaboration.