Sustaining Practice Programme
The Sustaining Practice Programme is a 10-month online programme (September 2025 – June 2026) for early-career photographic artists seeking to establish a sustainable and self-directed art practice, and develop their photographic voice and approach.
The programme - led by TPS director Gideon Vass and a diverse group of experienced guest practitioners - includes group sessions, workshops, discussions, artist talks, 1:1 tutorials, and practical briefs.
Throughout the programme the cohort will:
Identify, unpack, and explore the challenges of sustaining an art practice
Develop resourceful and realistic art-making habits and methods
Acknowledge and navigate (where possible) the wide-ranging barriers that artists face today
Build the resilience and self-belief needed for life in the arts
Develop their photographic voice, approach and language
Deepen their understanding and awareness of contemporary photographic practice
Expand their industry knowledge and skills
Collaborate and connect with a community of photographic artists
Learn from the insights of experienced practitioners
Guest Practitioners:
Mishka Henner, Kelly Lloyd, Mark Power, Diana Matar, Hisham Matar, Tom Lovelace, Liz Wewiora & Anna Wijnhoven (Open Eye Gallery), Sula Douglas-Folkes, Robert Parkinson, Natasha Cox (Fieldnotes), Ceremony Press, CBS Gallery, Chan-yang Kim
The programme runs over three terms, with full-day sessions held once a week, following a four-week cycle:
Week 1 - 3: Group Sessions (one full day) - held on Tuesdays
Week 4: 1:1 Tutorials
Term 1: Process & Development - (September 2025 - December 2025)
The first term focuses on the fundamentals of daily practice, process and production: working methods, habits, patterns, approaches and mindset. Artists will reflect on the personal barriers that impact their ability to make work - including limited time, energy, and resources - and begin to build realistic, adaptable, and sustainable working methods that align with their lives and artistic goals. A series of briefs will guide experimentation and reflection, and contextual research will support development.
Term 2: Applied Practice - (January 2026 - March 2026)
Term 2 provides an opportunity to apply the learning from Term 1. Production will become increasingly independent, and midway through the term, artists will undertake a six-week Independent Practice Period (with a tutorial check-in at the midpoint) to implement the strategies and structures they have developed. The aim is to test the sustainability of their practice in real time. Artists will then reflect on the experience through both group discussion and individual feedback.
Term 3: Presentation & Public Engagement - (April 2026 - June 2026)
The final term shifts focus toward output, presentation and public engagement, with sessions covering topics such as publishing, exhibiting, social engagement, artist statements, websites, social media and self-promotion. This term equips artists with the skills and knowledge to present themselves and their work publicly and professionally.
Term 1 - 3: The Emotional & Psychological
Throughout the three terms, the programme will include sessions that work through the emotional and psychological experience of being an artist. Covering topics such as: rejection, criticism, self-doubt, comparison, vulnerability, self-compassion, confidence, fulfilment, nourishment, success and failure.
Programme Fee: £895 (Equivalent to just £27 per full-day session)