Studio Program
ACE is home to five fully-supported, rent-free CBD-based studios for South Australian artists.
ACE is home to five fully-supported, rent-free CBD-based studios for South Australian artists.
The ACE Studio Program provides professional development opportunities, including studio visits with Australian and international curators; participation in public programs; mentorship by ACE staff; and prominent profiling and promotional opportunities.
It is the only program of its kind in the state and is an invaluable pathway for artists to gain national recognition. Working as part of a cohort of fellow artists, the Studio Program gives residents the space to experiment with their practice and grow their professional careers.
The ACE Studio Program offers
12-month rent–free studio space, from January 2023 – January 2024
Studios are approximately 20m2 and feature 24/7 access, plus shared kitchen and breakout facilities
Utilities (electricity, internet, water) included
Adelaide CBD location, above the Adelaide Contemporary Experimental gallery at Lion Arts Centre
Participation and commission fee to produce new work for ACE’s annual studio artist exhibition, Studios: 2023
Professional development opportunities including, but not limited to: studio visits with Australian and international curators, introductions to visiting artists, participation in public programs, and support from ACE staff
Profiling and promotion opportunities through ACE
The opportunity to be selected for a solo exhibition at Firstdraft in Sydney, supported by ACE and Firstdraft
Applications for the 2024 Studio Program are currently closed.
Sign up to our e-newsletter to stay up to date with the ACE Studio Program.
Eligibility
Artists who work across all contemporary art forms
Artists at any stage of practice (i.e. from early career to established)
South Australian residents who have been living in the state for the last 12 months as a minimum
People who are 18+
Those who have not previously participated in ACE’s Studio Program
Artists who will be studying full-time in 2023 are ineligible to apply.
ACE strongly encourages artists who are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD), living with a disability, or part of the LGBTQI+ community to apply for this opportunity.
We look for artists who will benefit from the opportunity at this moment in the development of their career, and artists whose practices align with our vision and mission. To identify how your work might fit into our program, we encourage you to have a look at previous Studio Program artists and at ACE’s previous exhibitions.
ACE identifies that this opportunity is beneficial no matter what your age, or how long you have been a practising artist. However, to be eligible, you must be 18 years old or over.
Artists who work across all contemporary art forms are eligible to apply. While you do not need to possess formal qualifications, those that can demonstrate a developed visual arts practice will make strong candidates.
If you face barriers in completing application forms, we welcome you to reach out to find a suitable way to apply, and to discuss what capacities ACE has to support you should you be selected. Please be aware that the application form provides you with the option to submit your application by answering questions in video or audio format. You can also view more information about ACE’s accessibility
Regionally-based artists should consider if they can meet the following requirements:
Minimum allocation of 20 hours per week (on average) to work in their studio.
Attendance at key after-hours events that support the delivery of the Studio Program.
ACE supports participating artists to travel for short-term residencies, work opportunities and personal reasons. However, if you are planning on travelling for a continuous period longer than 4 weeks, you must provide ACE with details at the time of applying as this may limit your ability to meet the requirements of the Program.
Guildhouse and NAVA provide relevant information and tips for preparing and writing proposals that we encourage you to access.
Applications are considered by an advisory committee composed of ACE staff, a current ACE studio artist and 2 external industry professionals. Applications are assessed against the quality of the artist’s work, the artist’s commitment to their practice, and demonstration of the Program’s benefit to artist’s professional development. In selecting the overall makeup of the cohort, ACE also considers the representation of a diverse range of artistic mediums, as well as diversity of voices.
2023,
2022,
2021,
2019
Supported by
The 2023 Studio Program is supported by partnerships with Creative Partnerships Australia Plus 1 Program, Helpmann Academy, Adelaide Central School of Art, and Firstdraft. It is also supported by the generous contributions of private donors through the Studio Program Donors.
2023 Studio Program Donors
Anonymous x 2, Anton Andreacchio, Susan Armitage, Jane Ayers, Sally Ball, Candy Bennett, Angela Carey, James Darling AM, Sue Dillon, Lesley Forwood, Dr Alex Grant, Dr Robyn Grant, Amanda Harkness & Karen Barrett, Andrew Henderson, Kate Irving, Robyn & Geoff Kempe, Hon. Diana Laidlaw AM, James Lake, Thomas Lambert, Brigitte Lane, Stephen Lane, Edwina Lehmann, David McKee AO, Pam McKee, Jane Michell, Ministry of Clouds, Christopher Penny, John Phillips, Michael Pocock, Aidan Rigoni, Louise Rigoni, Venetia Rigoni, Jill Russell, Thelma Taliangis, Tracey Whiting AM
Become a Donor
