Short Description
The Don Bachardy Fellowship at the Royal Drawing School enables a gifted and dedicated post-graduate artist from outside the United Kingdom to attend the Royal Drawing School during the Summer Term each year.
The successful Don Bachardy fellow will have the opportunity to absorb London’s vibrant art scene by attending the school’s Shoreditch campus and occupy one of the school’s studios reserved for postgraduate students. The Royal Drawing School and studios are located in the heart of East London’s art, design, and fashion scene.
The fellowship is named after Californian portrait painter, Don Bachardy who studied at the Slade in 1961. Bachardy had his first show at the Redfern Gallery in Mayfair that year and has since gone on to draw and paint over 10,000 portraits from life.
The purpose of the fellowship is to help support an emerging artist and to nurture drawing as their foundation skill. Artists applying for the fellowship should show evidence of observational drawing in their practice.
Eligibility
The Don Bachardy Fellowship is open to international artists who have studied at MA level only, please note artists who are from the UK or have studied and lived in the UK are not eligible to apply. Artist who have studied at the Royal Drawing School before are not eligible to apply.
How to Apply
Online Application
Program Benefits & Awards
Residency studios are housed in a traditional stone building that was once a laundry, situated in a secluded area surrounded by farmland and established trees, close to the main house.
Thanks to a generous donation from Dimplex in 2012, the laundry was renovated to construct four spacious studios, filled with natural light. A river, walled garden, woods, main house and café are all within short walking distance. Each studio is equipped with professional daylight lights, ground source heating, and a kitchen unit. Shared toilets are on each floor.
Each studio measures 5 by 5 metres and are suitable for most types of work. Wall space is limited; therefore may not be suitable for working with very large pieces. Two of the studios are situated on the ground floor and two on the first floor; the ground floor studios have doors leading directly outside so for this reason may be more suitable for sculptors. There is 24-hour access to the studios.
Accommodation provides a private bedroom and a shared kitchen and bathroom.
Entry Fee
None
Location
London, United Kingdom
Timeline
- Application Deadline: 20 November 2025
- The fellowship takes place from 27 April to 4 July 2026.
Website Link: https://royaldrawingschool.org/alumni-opportunities/residencies#don-bachardy
