Sustaining Practice Programme
2026/27
The Sustaining Practice Programme is a 10-month online artist development programme (September 2026 – June 2027) for early-career and emerging artists working with photography.
The programme supports artists in establishing a sustainable, self-directed practice, developing their photographic voice, and preparing for life in the arts.
Led by TPS Director Gideon Vass, the programme combines ongoing mentorship with an extensive programme of guest sessions, tutorials, group critiques and practical briefs. Throughout the year, participants spend a full day with each of the 13 guest practitioners – among the UK's leading photographic artists and industry professionals – with sessions including artist talks, workshops, discussions and practical exercises.
Whether a graduate or self-taught photographer, the Sustaining Practice Programme supports artists in building the foundations for a long-term photographic practice.
Programme Leader
Guest Practitioners
Chloe Dewe Mathews - @chloedewemathews
Sayuri Ichida - @the_final_view
Tom Lovelace - @tomlovelacestudio
Mohamed Hassan - @mohamedhassanphoto_
Maisie Cousins - @maisiecousins
Jackson Whitefield - @jackwhitefield
Lauren Maccabee - @laurenmaccabee
Kelly Lloyd - @_thisthingwecallart
Robert Parkinson - @robert___parkinson
Francesca Hummler - @fransangle
Each guest practitioner leads a dedicated full-day session, providing participants with extended contact time, critical engagement and industry insight.
Who is the programme for?
Photographers and photographic artists committed to developing their creative practice. No formal qualifications are required.
Programme Delivery
Online
Programme Fee
£2,000
What does the programme include?
10 months of 1:1 mentorship with TPS Director Gideon Vass
13 full-day sessions with leading photographic artists and industry professionals
Workshops, lectures, discussions and practical exercises
Group critiques and peer learning
Practical briefs and project development
Programme Start Date
22 September 2026
Programme Structure
The programme runs over three terms, with full-day sessions held weekly on Tuesdays, alongside dedicated tutorial weeks every 3–4 weeks.
Group sessions: Full-day (10am - 4pm), once a week on Tuesdays
1:1 tutorials: Every 3–4 weeks, scheduled at a mutually convenient time between Monday and Wednesday
Programme Overview & Outcomes
Across the 10-months, you will:
Develop a sustainable, self-directed photographic practice
Establish working methods and approaches that are aligned with your life and artistic intentions
Build the structure, confidence, and supportive community needed to sustain an art practice long term.
Explore and define your visual language, voice, and conceptual approach
Develop a body of work
Clarify your artistic direction
Learn from the experience, knowledge, and guidance of leading photographic practitioners
Gain insight into a range of professional practices
Deepen your understanding of contemporary photography
Engage in critical dialogue, peer exchange, and feedback
Present work publicly and professionally
Better understand how to position yourself within the art world
Navigate the practical and psychological challenges of being an artist
Term 1: Process & Development (September 2026 – December 2026)
The first term focuses on building the foundations of a sustainable practice. You will examine your working methods, habits, and approaches, alongside the conditions that shape your ability to produce work — including limited time, energy, and resources. Through practical briefs, discussion, and research, you will establish ways of working that are aligned with your life and artistic intentions, while beginning to develop independent projects.
Term 2: Applied Practice (January 2027 – March 2027)
The second term provides an opportunity to apply the learning from Term 1. Production will become increasingly independent and midway through the term you will undertake a six-week Independent Practice Period (with a tutorial check-in at the midpoint). This will allow you the time to implement the strategies and structures you have developed, and test the sustainability of your practice in real time. You will then reflect on the experience through both group discussions and individual feedback.
Term 3: Professional Practice (April 2027 – June 2027)
While continuing practical development and project work, the final term focuses on positioning practices within a professional and public context. Sessions explore exhibiting and publishing, writing and talking about your work, websites and portfolios, and developing a professional presence. The emphasis is on supporting you to articulate, present, and situate your practice with clarity and confidence, preparing you to navigate the professional art world and share your work with wider audiences.
Online Showcase: Term 3
During Term 3, the cohort's new work will be presented in an online showcase, displaying the projects developed throughout the programme. Each participating artist will also be featured on the TPS Instagram account.
Guest Sessions
Each term has a core focus and reflects a shared journey across the programme as a cohort; however, guest practitioners are not confined to these themes, allowing the cohort to benefit fully from their specialist experience and practices.
Mentorship & Support
Throughout the programme, the regular 1:1 tutorials with Gideon provide you with ongoing feedback, support, and accountability. This structure ensures continuity across the programme and helps you develop a coherent and sustained body of work, supporting both your artistic and professional growth.
The Emotional & Psychological
Throughout the programme there will be an ongoing exploration of the emotional and psychological experience of being an artist. Through both formal sessions and informal discussions, you will engage with topics such as rejection and criticism, confidence and self-belief, motivation, fulfilment and burnout, and questions of success, failure, and sustainability. This forms a core part of the programme, recognising that developing as an artist is not only a practical process but also a deeply personal one.
