✨ AA2A is expanding – new host opportunities for 2026/27 ✨
AA2A places professional artists in universities and colleges across England through sustained residencies in visual arts departments.
Students don’t just hear about professional practice. They experience it over time through direct engagement with enthusiastic practising artists, gaining insight into creative development in real contexts.
We also provide structured resources to support student progression into creative careers.
Trusted by 70+ institutions and 2000+ artists since launch.
📩 Link in bio to request more details/arrange to speak to us
Picture credit: @christinegallagherartist - AA2A resident at the University of Chester 2024-26
Such a great day experimenting-carving and planning @art_gloscol on my residency @aa2aproject 🙏 #coriniummuseum #archaeology #tetrapak #lino #experimenting
If you’re in or around the Loughborough area over the next couple of weeks, do visit the 'Catalogue' exhibition, opening Monday 18th May.
The exhibition brings together AA2A artists Chiara Dellerba, Freddy Waterfield, Jenny Marshall and Sue Clegg, alongside Loughborough University Fine Art graduates: Charlotte Shearman Smith, Emily Hought, Mya Kelley and Olivia Davis.
There will be an opportunity to meet the artists in the gallery on Monday 8th June (5.30-7.30pm).
What happens when students work alongside practising artists for a whole academic year - not just a one-off workshop?
AA2A residencies place professional artists in universities and colleges across England, bringing real-world creative practice directly into visual arts departments.
If you’re looking to strengthen employability, enrich your learning environment and connect students with real-world creative practice, we’d love to work with you.
Get in touch to discuss hosting an AA2A artist residency at your institution /why-host/
Read more in our latest Substack post, link in bio
#arteducation #artistresidency #creativepractice #aa2a
Fantastic Opening of our Exhibtion “True To Form” this Evening. Thankyou to everyone who attended this evening! If you couldn’t make it, don’t worry! This exhibition is still up, take a trip to Chester to see it in person! #fyp #artexhibition #art #exhibtion #chester
ITS HERE!!! The moment you’ve all been waiting for, a display of craftsmanship so exquisite you simply cannot pass this up.
Our AA2A residents have been hard at work for their final exhibition!
#chesterartist #art #artresidency #artwork #exhibition
🔥 We’re excited to announce the winner of our annual AA2A photo/video competition! @laurengodfreystudio AA2A artist in residence @angliaruskin won first prize, with her short video showing a day in the life as an artist in residence developing her own practice and working alongside students.
🔥 @sidwhitejones , winner of last year’s competition, said: “Lauren showcased an exciting range of experiments using a variety of the tools on offer in a very short period of time, including laser cutting and vacuum forming. The breadth of this experimentation really speaks to what the AA2A programme offers in terms of equipment and demonstrates how these processes can feed back into the work of the students around the artists, particularly through the workshops, which Lauren also shows in her video diary.”
🔥 Thank you to Lauren for taking the time to document her residency, and to Sid for helping us with the selection process. Anglia are now back-to-back winners, as Sid was one of Anglia’s artists in residence last year.
🔥 More winning entries to follow
#aa2a #creativeindustries #professionaldevelopment
Eddie & Artful- Memory piece
Screen printed and hand painted plate, second firing complete ready for group exhibition in mid May @lborouniversity@aa2aproject
#aa2aresidency #aa2aproject #memorypiece #royalhorseartillery #ww1
It’s been brilliant to have 4 AA2A Student Ambassadors at @lborouniversity this year. Students at Loughborough have also been well represented at our online employability seminar series during 2025-26 and left some great feedback including:
"I found it really insightful…I appreciated how transparent and honest the artists were about the different aspects of their careers…these seminars are a really valuable resource for students looking to apply their degree in real world contexts."
As well as working alongside resident artists, students at our host universities and colleges can access our Creative Futures programme, supporting their journeys towards successful creative careers /creative-futures/
Find out more about hosting artists at your institution in 2026-27. We’d love to hear from you /why-host/
#aa2a #creativeindustries #professionaldevelopment #employability
It’s been great to have three AA2A Student Ambassadors with us this year at @sunderlanduni 🎓
AA2A is a bridge between academic institutions and professional artists, with artists in residence at 12 host institutions across England this year. The AA2A Student Ambassador scheme is part of the our Creative Futures programme, which provides resources designed to support the employability and professional development of students.
More details about our partnership with the University of Sunderland here /hosts/university-of-sunderland/
Our Creative Futures programme is here /creative-futures/
If you’re looking to help your students better understand what working life in the creative industries is really like, get in touch
@sunderlandfineart
#aa2a #creativeindustries #professionaldevelopment #employability
