Freshers @ Fé Collective: equipping the next generation of female artists.

What is Freshers?

Freshers is a one year programme that provides time, space, and opportunity for artists to move from education to the art world. While 73% of creative postgraduates are women, 68% of artists represented by major London commercial galleries are men. Freshers exists to bridge this gap and support female artists as they transition from education into the art world.

The year will include a series of mentoring, events, and opportunities that will act as a tool kit for artists to take into their career and continue to grow and develop as they learn from practical experience.

Highlights

  • Monthly organised group crits in studio

  • Bi-monthly life drawing sessions

  • Group sessions: 

    • Contracts & pricing

    • Navigating the art world

    • Building an online presence, websites, social media, copywriting

  • 1:1 Mentoring x 3 across the year (flexible timings and topics)

  • Two Exhibitions

  • Be a part of Fé community

  • "The educational side of Freshers goes far beyond institutional education, the program fills in all the blanks and question marks that you leave university with."

    —Annabel Cator

  • "Freshers has helped shape my route into the art world and given me support to grow in the direction I’ve chosen.”

    —Caro Lestón

  • "The Freshers programme created a strong sense of peer connection and mutual care.”

    —Jingyi Li

More information

  • We strongly believe in accessibility - Freshers is a free initiative for female identifying artists, you do not need to pay to apply or take part, and formal training is not required.

    Artists do need to be based in London and have their own studio space. (Hopefully one day we will be able to offer studio spaces and will be across the country - we are working on it!)

  • Please fill out the application form, and send over with your CV & Portfolio.

    Second round will be a studio visit and then the co-founders and the board will decide on the next cohort.

    Applications are now closed for the Fresher 2026/27 cohort. The next open call will be April 2027.

  • Application for 2026/2027 are now closed

    The next open call will be April 2027.

  • The program starts on August 15, 2026, where in person attendance is required. Please email us for the full program dates.

    The program is one year and will finish at the end of July 2027.

  • Successful applicants will be chosen by the founders and Fé Collective’s advisory board on the strength and potential of their current practice.

    We contact all applicants by June 30.

  • If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email Lydia at info@fe-collective.net.