For Kirsty Bell, the Fellowship at Belfast School of Art has placed her in a productive in-between position – not quite a student, not quite a tutor, but learning through constant exchange. Being embedded within the art school has brought a renewed energy to her painting practice, shaped by the everyday interactions with students, shared spaces, and works in progress. Working in a studio designed specifically for painting, she’s found intention to leave things unresolved, allowing her work to develop more openly. Informal conversations about colour, light, or how work shifts across different spaces have fed directly back into her studio practice..
Alongside this, the Fellowship has offered ample teaching responsibility and freedom to shape how learning happens. Translating studio thinking, and a more fluid materiality into teaching and leading workshops has become a key part of her process, supported by close mentorship and access to the university’s extensive on-hand library and archives. Outside the institution, engagement with Belfast’s regular artist-run scene has helped her tap into the city’s creative ecology and build new connections. For Kirsty, the Fellowship is both demanding and generative: a chance to contribute meaningfully to students’ development, while brining that learning back to her ever evolving practice.