Brighton names emerging artist Toby Rainbird as 2025 Freelands Studio Fellow

Funded by the Freelands Foundation, the scheme is designed to support emerging artists in developing their practice within a university setting. It was launched in 2021 as a painting fellowship and expanded in 2023 to cover wider studio practice.

As part of the Freelands Studio Fellowship, Toby will receive a bursary of £33,000 in addition to a dedicated studio space while engaging students at the university’s School of Art and Media with his professional expertise and practice knowledge. He will also receive all year-round mentorship, and opportunities to participate in workshops, tutorials, and artist talks.

Toby has exhibited extensively across the UK and internationally in Japan, Germany, and Canada. He recently completed an MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art, where he was awarded the university’s prestigious Hine Painting Prize. In 2016, he graduated with First-Class Honours in Fine Art from the Bath School of Art & Design.

Toby Rainbird - 2025 Freelands Studio Fellow

Toby said: "I am incredibly honoured to have been offered the Freelands Fellowship at the University of Brighton’s School of Art and Media. The university has an outstanding reputation for nurturing versatile and engaging artists, and I’m thrilled to spend the next year developing my practice while working directly with students on the discourse and evolution of their creative practices.”

The fellowship is modelled to create a dynamic environment where artists and students benefit from mutual learning, mentorship, and creative exchange.

Professor Tamar Jeffers McDonald, Dean of the School of Art and Media at the University of Brighton said: "Having a Fellow in the painting department is immensely valuable to our students. It offers them first-hand insight into the realities of sustaining an artistic practice and a unique opportunity to learn from someone who is actively navigating the contemporary art world. The exchange of ideas, methods, and perspectives that occurs between Fellows and students enriches our creative community immeasurably. We are thrilled to welcome Toby Rainbird to our department and look forward to the contributions he will make to our students’ artistic journeys."

The work done during the fellowship will culminate into a solo exhibition at the Phoenix Art Space in Brighton.

Lucy Day, Executive Officer at Phoenix Art Space, said: " Over the past two years, we have hosted Freelands Fellows Michael Clarence (2023) and Louise Blakeway (2024), both of whom presented exceptional exhibitions to the delight of our artist studio members and wider audiences. Having experienced Tony’s work, I have no doubt that another strong exhibition will unfold over the course of his fellowship."

Henry Ward, Director of the Freelands Foundation said: “We believe in the symbiotic benefits of teaching and making, and that placing an artist in residence in the art school studios is an invaluable resource for both the students, and staff, of the university. We are delighted to welcome Toby Rainbird as the 2025 Studio Fellow for Brighton and look forward to getting to know him, and his work, over the coming year.”

Toby hopes to contribute to the ongoing dialogue around the possibilities of painting and collaborate with staff and students in what promises to be an exciting and enriching exchange.

Visit Toby's website for more information him and his work.