The Prudence MacLeod Prize
A six-month studio residency program in London for a recent National Art School graduate.Â
Application deadline: Sunday 1 February 2026, 11.59pm
Residency dates: Monday 6 July – Friday 18 December 2026
Residency
With support from the Lansdowne Foundation, the Prudence MacLeod Prize supports an emerging Australian artist to undertake a six-month residency at Acme Studios, London. Acme Studios will provide work/live studio accommodation and a program of support and professional development for a NAS alumni artist. Resident artists are expected to contribute to the program and the artist community, and to deliver a small-scale public outcome at the end of the residency, with the support of Acme and within the budget allocated.
This opportunity is designed to support an emerging artist at a vital time in their career, providing a step forward into an expanded, international context. The artist will live and work in London, one of the world’s great art cities, in a supportive artist community. This important opportunity will enable the artist to forge professional international contacts, explore London’s art world and rich cultural resources, and produce a new body of work.
The recipient of this Prize will receive:
- Return travel to London. To be arranged for the artist by NAS.
- Studio accommodation and workspace at Acme Studios for 6 months.
- Living stipend of $AUD3,500 per month for 6 months. Total $AUD21,000.
Acme Studios
Acme was founded by artists, for artists, in 1972. Acme hosts up to 12 artists from around the world and 30 visiting artists every year. Each artist is met by an Artist Support Officer and given an induction tour of their residence and surrounding area. A video call will be arranged in advance of the artist’s arrival so a support program can be tailored to the individual’s needs.
Eligibility
- NAS alumni: Graduate of either Bachelor of Fine Art, Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours), Master of Fine Art, or Doctor of Fine Art. Applicants must have graduated within the past 5 years.
- Applicant must be an Australian citizen or Australian resident and able to comply with any visa requirements.
- Applicant warrants that they are available to undertake the residency for six months from July to December 2026 and will be prepared to present a small-scale public outcome at the end of the residency, with the support of ACME and within the budget allocated. Please note that the dates of the six-month residency are not negotiable.
Selection Criteria
The Residency will be awarded to an applicant who:
- Has displayed a high level of achievement and dedication in their practice since graduation.
- Demonstrates clarity of purpose and a compelling rationale for their proposed residency and time in London.
- In the opinion of the judges would benefit artistically and professionally from the award at this stage of their career.
Applications
- To be considered for selection, applicants must submit all parts of the online application form, together with required application materials, by the deadline.
- Eligible applications will be considered by a selection panel comprising suitable representatives of the National Art School.
- Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview at the National Art School.
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Application Requirements
Proposal
- Artist Statement summarising current practice (no more than 300 words)
- Rationale for undertaking the London-based residency at Acme, including the potential impacts on practice and career (no more than 500 words)
- Identify any specific requirements (e.g. access, workshops, WH&S, etc.)
CV and Images
- A summary CV (of not more than two pages) in PDF format.
- A maximum of 10 images, presented in PDF format, with only one image per slide. Each slide should include the name of artist, title, date, medium, and dimensions: For moving image-based artists only, a high-quality video of up to two minutes presented as a single-track show reel. The panel reserves the right to not assess applications that do not include specified supporting material correctly formatted as outlined above.
Referees
- All applicants are required to state the names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of two professional or academic referees.
Conditions of Entry
- Applicants must abide by all the regulations of the award.
- The selectors’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- The successful applicant must strictly agree to abide by the conditions of residence at Acme.
- The selectors reserve the right to withhold the award if in their opinion the standard of applications is insufficient to warrant awarding.
- The selected applicant will be required to maintain communication with the NAS Academic Administrator during the residency, and provide a 3-month report.
Acquittal of residency
Post-residency, the selected applicants will be required to:
- Make a public presentation to the NAS community about their residency experience (dates TBA).
- Provide high-resolution photographs and a 200-word statement that can be used by NAS and the Lansdowne Foundation for promotional purposes and in publications including the Annual Report and Yearbook.
- Submit an approximately 1000-word report no later than eight weeks post-residency regarding their residency, experience and project.
