Brighton names painter Alice Campbell as 2026 Freelands Studio Fellow

Artist Alice Campbell has been awarded the prestigious Freelands Studio Fellowship, securing a 12-month residency at the University of Brighton. Delivered in partnership with the Freelands Foundation, the fellowship creates a year-long residency within the School of Art and Media, providing an emerging artist with the time, resources and institutional support to deepen their practice while contributing to the life of the art school.

During her residency, Alice will receive a £33,000 bursary and a dedicated studio at the University of Brighton. Alongside developing new work, she will collaborate with students through critiques, workshops, artist talks and a exhibition at Phoenix Art Space. The programme also provides sustained mentorship and fosters a culture of shared learning between artist, students and staff within the School of Art and Media.

Based in Scotland and now newly relocated to Brighton, Alice is known for her large-scale oil paintings inspired by magical realism and historical influences from the Proto-Renaissance era – the transitional period in Italian art and culture that bridged the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Alice’s practice centres on themes of human connection, identity and narrative, often depicting groups of figures at ease in each other’s company. Drawing on “old-fashioned storytelling” within today’s landscape of mass communication and information overload, her work invites viewers to become active participants in constructing meaning.

Alice said: “I’m so delighted to have been selected for the Freelands Fellowship at the Brighton School of Art and Media. It really feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity to have the time and space to experiment in order to develop my practice in a nurturing art school environment. Having just moved down to Brighton from Scotland, I’m excited to see how the change in location as well as the wealth of new influences affects my work. Additionally, I’m looking forward to working with the painting students and enjoying being in such a vibrant, creative atmosphere.”

The fellowship is designed to create a dynamic environment where artists and students benefit from mutual learning, mentorship and creative exchange.

Professor Tamar Jeffers McDonald, Dean of the School of Art and Media at the University of Brighton, said: “The Freelands Fellowship brings enormous value to our painting community. It gives students direct insight into sustaining a contemporary artistic practice while contributing to a rich exchange of ideas across the School. Alice’s imaginative, narrative-driven work and her engagement with historical influences in a contemporary context will offer a compelling perspective for our students. We are thrilled to welcome her to Brighton.”

The work developed during the fellowship will culminate in a solo exhibition at Phoenix Art Space in Brighton. Lucy Day, Executive Director at Phoenix Art Space, said: “In recent years, Phoenix Art Space has welcomed Freelands Fellows whose exhibitions have been enjoyed by our artistic community and attracted strong public engagement. We are delighted to be working with this year’s Fellow, Alice Campbell, through our partnership with the University of Brighton and Freelands Foundation. We look forward to hosting the exhibition and sharing her work with audiences.” A spokesperson of the Freelands Foundation, said: “We believe in the symbiotic benefits of teaching and making, and that placing an artist in residence in the art school studios is an invaluable resource for students and staff alike. We are delighted to welcome Alice Campbell as Brighton’s next Studio Fellow and look forward to seeing how her practice evolves over the coming year.”

Through the fellowship, Alice hopes to further explore narrative painting and the evolving relationship between artwork and audience, contributing to an ongoing dialogue about how historically influenced practices can speak meaningfully to contemporary life.

Visit Alice’s website for more information on her work.