Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) has announced the launch of its 2026 Yorkshire Graduate Award, reaffirming its long-standing commitment to supporting the next generation of artists from across the region.

The annual award offers an exciting residency opportunity for recent graduates from Yorkshire-based universities, providing dedicated time, space and professional support to develop their practice work within the inspiring surroundings of YSP. The residency culminates in an opportunity for artists to share their work with the public.

For almost five decades, artist residencies have played an integral role in YSP’s programme, giving artists at key stages of their careers the chance to experiment, create and grow. Since its introduction in 2018, the Yorkshire Graduate Award has established itself as an important platform for emerging talent in contemporary art, welcoming artists working across a wide range of mediums including sculpture, performance, film, photography and sound.

The successful recipient of the 2026 Yorkshire Graduate Award will receive:

  • A residency of up to two weeks at YSP

    • A fee of £750, plus up to £250 towards materials

    • On-site accommodation at YSP

    • Return UK travel expenses of up to £150

    • Food and hospitality

    • Support from YSP’s Curatorial team and a half-day of technical support from YSP’s Technical team

    • The opportunity to present their work to the public

Jim Ever, the most recent recipient of the Yorkshire Graduate Award, shared his experience: 

“Receiving the Yorkshire Graduate Award from YSP has been a formative experience in the early stages of my career. The combined experience of an on-site residency and the opportunity to exhibit has allowed me to work site-specifically across image, sound, sculpture and light, exploring the complex boundaries of the human and non-human world and acoustic ecology.

I’m thankful for the generous and ongoing support from the team, and I’m looking forward to showcasing the work that’s been developing over recent months.”

Installed in The Boathouse over the August Bank Holiday weekend (28-31 August 2026), the exhibition will reflect on the interconnected relationship between people and place, and the layered histories of the YSP landscape.

He added: “The work I’ve produced for YSP, which will culminate in an audiovisual installation/exhibition, is site-responsive, shaped by these ideas, questions and entanglement, drawing entirely from my experience during my 2026 residency. I’ve been working on a floor-based sculpture, a sound piece, and projected moving image, as well as image-based pieces… aiming to keep the presentation as subtle and nuanced as possible.”

How to Apply: 

Applications are open to recent BA or MA graduates from any Yorkshire-based university. Applicants should submit a PDF of up to 5 pages, including a short statement on their current practice, information about their final degree work, images of wider work, and a simple outline of their plans for the residency (which can evolve during the process). Written elements may also be submitted as audio or video recordings up to 5 minutes in length. YSP welcomes applications from all artistic disciplines and is committed to supporting access needs. 

The deadline for applications is23 August, 2026. Submissions should be sent to curators@ysp.org.uk. 

For more information visit www.ysp.org.uk/jobs-and-opportunities

Press enquiries 
Deborah Hastie, PR Consultant / +44 (0)7799 575 558 / deborah.hastie@ysp.org.uk
YSP / +44 (0)1924 832631 / comms@ysp.org.uk 
Download images atysp.org.uk/press

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