Mead Fellowships

Scott Mead and The Mead Family Foundation have generously supported the Mead Fellowship Awards since 2013. Scott is a fine art photographer, philanthropist and investor, based in London for over 20 years.

Careers and Employability manage the awards, as part of its work supporting UAL students and graduates to make a living doing what they love.

If you'd like to find out more about previous awardees, we have stories on the past cohorts:

• 2020 Mead Fellowship awardees
• 2021 Mead Fellowship awardees
• 2023 Mead Fellowship awardees

The Mead Fellowships are committed to reflecting student diversity at all stages of its decision-making processes. As well as being experienced creatives, the panellists and judges we invite to participate are diverse in terms of age, caring responsibilities, disability, race and ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. We're committed to helping to create a diverse cultural sector.

If there are any barriers to your participation, or you have access requirements you wish to discuss, please contact mead@arts.ac.uk in advance, and we'll be happy to talk with you.

Mead Fellowships shortlisting and judging panels (PDF 137KB)

The Mead Fellowships are not scholarships; we do not provide funding for study or course fees, and are not seed funds for setting up a business. For information on these areas see:

• Freelance and Business Support
• Student Fees and Funding.

Apply

Application for the 2024 Mead Fellowships has now closed.

If you wish to apply for the next round, please check back in December 2024 when the links will be published.

Mead Fellowships 2025:

Mead Fellowships are designed to help UAL alumni develop and launch their creative practice. You can apply with a proposal for any arts project which adds something new to your industry or discipline, and has a positive impact on your own practice.

You can apply for funding of up to £10,000.

Your proposal must be for a single arts project (or piece of research), which will be undertaken independently, after your course has finished. It must be completed within the period from September 2025 to July 2026.

This must be a new project. It cannot be a continuation of a project you started as part of your course. The project cannot be completed as part of any postgraduate or other courses.

You may apply in your final year of study at UAL, on any of these courses: BA, BSc, MA, MSc, MRes, PgDip or PhD. You may also apply if you completed any of these UAL courses in the previous year.

The awards aren't open to students on UAL Foundation, Short Courses, Diplomas or PG Certs, or anyone currently employed by UAL (with the exception of ArtsTemps).

Your arts project can be in any creative discipline studied at UAL. Projects are selected across these 11 subject areas, and across all UAL Colleges:

• AI, digital and interactive design
• Architecture/interiors, spaces, conservation
• Fashion, design, tailoring, production
• Fine Art, 2D, 3D, photography
• Visual comms, graphics, illustration media, journalism
• Film, TV, animation, sound
• Product, industrial, 3D, jewellery, textiles, materials
• Theatre, design, performance, acting, directing, writing
• Research (MRes/PhD)
• Business/management/enterprise, MBA
• Culture, Criticism, Curation.

Before you apply

Watch our webinars:

• Webinar 1 - Introduction to the Mead Fellowships
• Webinar 2 - Completing Your Application
• Webinar 3 - General Guidelines

Download all the webinar slides as a pdf: 2024 Mead Fellowships Guide for Applicants (PDF 3MB)

Look at our online module Planning Your Creative project (sign into Moodle using your student log in, to access the course)

Online Q&A drop-ins

Got a question? When you have looked at all the guides, feel free to  sign up for  any of our online Q&A drop-ins, to ask your questions:

(links to sign up for Q&As in 2024/5 will be here in December 2024)

Application process

Stage 1

Deadline is in February 2025 - exact date TBC

1. Download the 2024 Mead Fellowships application (Word 162KB)

2. Upload your completed Project Proposal form here

(links will be published here in Dec 2024)

20-30 applications will be shortlisted to go through to Stage 2.

Stage 2

20-30 shortlisted applicants are invited to complete a fuller proposal.

Stage 3

The Mead Fellowships Judging.

The Mead Fellowships Judging is in June/July each year. Finalists give a short presentation about their project. This is followed by a brief Q&A session with the Mead Awards judges.

What can Mead Fellowships be used for?

All costs must be related specifically to the project.

For example, your project may require purchases such as:

• Art materials and making costs (including fees for engaging extra artists/makers)
• Professional development and training
• Specialist expertise and advice
• Software, web hosting, web design costs
• Licences and permissions
• Small items of equipment (up to £500 per item, and totalling no more than 30% of the total request)
• Promotional and marketing costs, printing
• Exhibition space, venue hire
• Language-related costs (for example translation services)
• Travel and related costs up to 30% of the total request (note: overnight accommodation is only permitted where absolutely necessary)
• Essential books and publications.

Fellowships might be used for:

• Workspace/studio rental
• Subsistence allowances (you will have to prove that this is absolutely essential to the completion of the project).

The awards cannot be used to pay for:

• Tuition fees*
• Living expenses*
• Capital purchases (for example major equipment, vehicles, property ownership)
• Elective study, residencies, work experience, degree placements and/or internships
• Travel and accommodation that exceeds 30% of the total request
• Items of equipment costing over £500

Applicants are required to provide a strong case for their whole budget.

Winners will have to provide evidence of where the award has been spent.

* For information about fees and grants see Student Fees and Funding.

General Fellowship guidelines

• Applications are open to individuals irrespective of their nationality or country of residence.
• The awards are not open to students on UAL Foundation, Short Courses, Diplomas or PG Certs.
• You cannot apply if you are currently employed by UAL (with the exception of Artstemps).
• Please note recipients of the AHRC Scholarships are not eligible to apply, due to the terms and conditions set out by AHRC.
• Only 1 application is permitted per named applicant. However, applicants can be named as part of a team in another submission.
• Fellowships cannot be used to complete a project which was started on a UAL course (but your proposal may be for a totally new project which is a development on previous projects).
• At each stage, the judges’ decision is final and correspondence will not be entered into.
• Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.