AA2A

AA2A (Artists Access to Art Colleges) is an Arts Council England-funded national residency programme supporting practising artists to access specialist facilities, workshops, equipment and professional environments at universities and colleges across England. Since 1996, AA2A has enabled thousands of artists to develop their practice through residencies hosted by higher and further education institutions. Artists from a broad range of disciplines can apply, including fine art, sculpture, printmaking, photography, film and video, ceramics, textiles, jewellery and metalwork, digital art, animation and related creative practices. Residencies typically provide at least 100 hours of access to institutional facilities during the academic year, alongside opportunities to engage with staff, students and other artists. The programme is designed to support artists at different stages of their professional practice, helping them develop new work, experiment with processes and access resources that may otherwise be unavailable to them. AA2A also provides professional development and employability resources for participating artists, as well as an Artist Support Fund to help eligible artists with costs associated with taking part. Our network brings together artists and host institutions across England, creating opportunities for artists to develop their practice while strengthening connections between the professional arts sector and further and higher education.