Accelerator Bursary Call Out for Creative Discipline Graduates

The Accelerator Bursary is a scheme funded by Leeds Art Fund and delivered by Leeds Art Gallery in partnership with Assembly House. It is designed to support highly motivated students who have a clear intention to develop their practice, build towards a sustainable career in the arts, and who are interested in collaboration.

The three students will share the studio to experiment, explore and develop their practices at a critical juncture in their career development, just after leaving formal education. 

The scheme runs from January to December each year, for Fine Art, Design or photography BA or MA graduates of Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Arts University, and the University of Leeds who graduated the previous year.

Accelerator Bursary 2026

Sculptors Elrick Boldy, Ewan Summerton and Iona Ogilvy-Stuart are recipients of the 2026 Accelerator Bursary.

The work of Elrick Boldy (Leeds Arts University) explores the limits of communication through asemic writing – drawings symbolic of writing are rendered using plasma-cut steel, which is formed into curves and waves, then treated with rust-adjacent patina.

Through a combination of large-scale sculptures and video-based works Ewan Summerton (Leeds Beckett) uses unwanted materials salvaged from skips, surveillance footage, and other varied media, to explore hidden infrastructures that govern our daily lives.

Iona Ogilvy-Stuart (University of Leeds) uses varied materials including bronze, waxes, clay, synthetic fibres and found organic matter to reflect the urgency of social and ecological change while exploring the enduring presence of geological processes.

Accelerator Bursary 2025

Hannah Guy, Reece Kelly and Alegria Repila Smith participated in the bursary scheme in 2025.

Together they delivered a joint exhibition at Assembly House, titled Catching Forty Winks. They also benefited from presentations of their work at Leeds Art Gallery, with a review of one of the presentation available here: ‘Surface Tension’ Leeds Art Gallery – Review - The State Of The Arts. One of the artists has stayed on as a studio holder at Assembly House, one currently has a studio at Patrick Studios, Leeds, and another participated in Ones to Watch at Sunnybank Mills.

What does Leeds Art Gallery provide as part of the scheme?

As part of the scheme, Leeds Art Gallery provides Accelerator Bursary artists with monthly mentoring sessions with its team of curators and any other relevant team members. It also connects artists with relevant practice-specific mentors to help contextualise their work and support its development, drawing on its extensive network of contacts. Participants will also have the opportunity to present work at the Gallery, as part of a sharing event in the Central Court, Leeds Art Gallery. 

What comes with the studio at Assembly House?

The three participants in the 2026 Accelerator will become members of Assembly House and receive a dedicated shared large studio, that comes with a range of desks and storage and access to a paint sink in the adjoining space. The space can be configured in different ways, and also has its own private, heated room in the building’s turret. The building has Wi-Fi, access to a kitchen and on site parking. We pride ourselves on being a welcoming and community-focussed organisation. This type of studio would suit an artist who wants to learn about collaboration and is keen to be part of a supportive peer group, rather than working completely alone.

The three participants will have a group exhibition at Assembly House towards the end of 2026. This exhibition will be supported by Assembly House’s in-house technician, curatorial and producing staff and will form part of the core programme in the project space. The Accelerator participants will also receive continued support from the Assembly House staff team, for example having check-in / mentoring sessions, practice specific support and more.

All of Assembly House’s members receive the same support and benefits, which includes:

• Funding bid and application writing support
• Joinery and technical support, with access to our tools and other equipment
• Free hire of our large project space
• Opportunity to apply to our core yearly programme
• Paid opportunities to work on our projects, such as our weekly life drawing class, Armley Festival, event shifts and community projects
• Inclusion in our annual group exhibition
• Access to our regular crit programme
• Invitations to our regular social events and trips
• Invitations to our quarterly members meetings, to be involved in decision making for the organisation

The Accelerator Bursary is a scheme funded by Leeds Art Fund and delivered by Leeds Art Gallery in partnership with Assembly House.