Announcing new Lisson Gallery Scholarships at Goldsmiths, University of London

26 January 2022

Lisson Gallery and Goldsmiths are delighted to announce the first recipients of a new bursary for MFA postgraduates of Black, Asian or other minority ethnic descent, with £10,000 going each to artists Femi Dawkins and Tiffany Wellington, both in their second year studying Fine Art. The inaugural year for this new scholarship has been delayed due to the pandemic and so the award has extraordinarily been backdated for both students to cover their first year of study as well, but new entrants wishing to join for the 2022-23 academic year are invited to apply below.

As part of its commitment to drive change for equality and challenge the lack of diversity in the art community, Lisson Gallery today announces twinned educational bursaries to support Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority (BAME) students at Goldsmiths who are currently enrolled on, or who wish to take, either the MFA Curating or the MFA Fine Art courses from 2022 onwards. Individual amounts of £10,000 will be given to two MFA scholars at a time (either or both in either Fine Art or Curating) and will be awarded in equal tranches over the two years of full-time study. The offer for fine artists includes a period of mentorship with one or more senior artists and, for curating students, a paid internship with Lisson Gallery and another London-based institution, usually upon graduation.

Application CVs and letters for the Lisson Gallery Scholarships should be addressed to Simon Sheikh or David Mabb, respectively Programme Leaders of the MFA Curating and the MFA Fine Art. More information on the bursaries and requirements for applicants, can be found on the Goldsmiths website here.

Statement from Lisson Gallery: “This initiative with the Art Department at Goldsmiths follows a successful pilot year of a similar scheme at Columbia University in New York, in partnership with the artist Hugh Hayden. The hope is that these scholarships increase access to study art and to allow entry into the wider art world, bringing these opportunities closer to the gallery’s original London home. The gallery believes that the drive for equality is a responsibility of individual companies and organisations like our own, within collective efforts of the art and cultural community, and that education is a primary domain for short-term action with long-term effect.”