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Event History
The fellowship is named after Californian portrait painter, Don Bachardy who studied at the Slade in 1961. Bachardy had his first show at the Redfern Gallery in Mayfair that year and has since gone on to draw and paint over 10,000 portraits from life. The purpose of the fellowship is to help support an emerging artist and to nurture drawing as their foundation skill. Artists applying for the fellowship should show evidence of observational drawing in their practice. Past recipients have come from the US, Syria, Chile and Brazil. The Don Bachardy Fellowship is sponsored by The Christopher Isherwood Foundation, www.IsherwoodFoundation.org
What Makes this event different?
The successful Don Bachardy fellow will have the opportunity to absorb London’s vibrant art scene by attending the school’s Shoreditch campus and occupy one of the school’s studios reserved for postgraduate students. The Royal Drawing School and studios are located in the heart of East London’s art, design, and fashion scene.
The Don Bachardy Fellowship at the Royal Drawing School enables a gifted and dedicated post-graduate artist from outside the United Kingdom to attend the Royal Drawing School during the Summer Term each year.
The successful Don Bachardy fellow will have the opportunity to absorb London’s vibrant art scene by attending the school’s Shoreditch campus and occupy one of the school’s studios reserved for postgraduate students. The Royal Drawing School and studios are located in the heart of East London’s art, design, and fashion scene.
The fellowship is named after Californian portrait painter, Don Bachardy who studied at the Slade in 1961. Bachardy had his first show at the Redfern Gallery in Mayfair that year and has since gone on to draw and paint over 10,000 portraits from life.
The purpose of the fellowship is to help support an emerging artist and to nurture drawing as their foundation skill. Artists applying for the fellowship should show evidence of observational drawing in their practice.
Past recipients have come from the US, Syria, Chile and Brazil.
The Don Bachardy Fellowship is sponsored by The Christopher Isherwood Foundation, www.IsherwoodFoundation.org
What to expect
The 2026 Don Bachardy Fellowship will take place from 27 April - 4 July 2026 at the Royal Drawing School in London.
To assist with travel and accommodation costs, the Don Bachardy Fellow will be awarded a $5,000 stipend, half of which will be granted on receipt of the Fellowship and the remainder on arrival in London.
The Don Bachardy Fellow will spend 3 full days per week for ten weeks, drawing alongside students studying on the school’s postgraduate-level programme, The Drawing Year, as well as students on Public Programme courses.
Courses are taught by a distinguished faculty of over 75 practising artists. The Fellow will be invited to curate their own programme, choosing from 60+ drawing courses: from drawing out of house on London’s streets and green spaces, to life drawing, and drawing from art in major museums and galleries, as well as intaglio printmaking courses.
The Fellow will have the opportunity to attend the school’s lecture series, which includes conversations with leading contemporary artists and art history lectures. Past speakers have included Cornelia Parker RA, Denzil Forrester, Maggi Hambling CBE, Helen Cammock, Walid Siti, and Michael Landy RA.
Who can apply?
The Don Bachardy Fellowship is open to international artists who have studied at MA level only, please note artists who are from the UK or have studied and lived in the UK are not eligible to apply. Artist who have studied at the Royal Drawing School before are not eligible to apply.
Application dates
Applications for the Don Bachardy Fellowship 2026 are now open. The fellowship takes place from 27 April - 4 July 2026. Application deadline is 5pm GMT Thursday 20 November 2025. Applications will be reviewed in late November and shortlisted applicants will be invited for interview via Zoom on Friday 5 December.
