National Art School (NAS) has announced rising multidisciplinary artist Anna Mould as the first ever winner of its international artist residency program, the Prudence MacLeod Prize, in partnership with Acme Studios, London.
NAS has a studio-based teaching model that has provided grounding for many of the country’s most renowned artists. Currently, it offers recent alumni and academic staff residencies at the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris and the British School in Rome.
The Prudence MacLeod Prize is one of the most significant international residency programs in Australia. Supported by the Lansdowne Foundation, it provides an opportunity for a recently graduated emerging artist from NAS to immerse themselves in London and one of the world’s most vibrant and diverse artistic communities.
The residency spans six months, providing a dedicated studio space and accommodation in the heart of London, as well as international flights and a stipend to cover living expenses during the residency period. A new Residency Program Coordinator based at the National Art School will support the artist in the lead-up to their residency and work in liaison with Acme’s Artist support officers during their time in London, focusing specifically on pastoral care.
Read: Opportunities and awards
As the first Prudence MacLeod Prize winner, Anna Mould will join an artist community, with space and support to develop her artistic practice and expand her professional international networks. She will also have the opportunity to showcase her work in a public outcome at the end of the program.
Since graduating with a Masters of Fine Art from NAS last year, Mould has been a 2024 Archibald Prize finalist, held her first solo exhibition at Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney, and exhibited at Sydney Contemporary with Praxis Artspace, Adelaide.
Mould engages with a range of media, including embroidery, painting, weaving and photography – her practices exploring complex social, cultural and political themes. Using a technique akin to collage, she creates visual and conceptual juxtapositions between historical and contemporary references, which aim to conjure an acknowledgement of one’s location in time and space as a part of greater global human history. Recurring themes in her work include: hierarchies of fine art and decorative art, the gendered associations of textile art and the ways in which certain art forms have been used to express specific political ideas.
Mould says: “It is an immense honour to be awarded the inaugural Prudence MacLeod Prize. The chance to live and work as a full-time artist in London will enable me to expand my career upwards and outwards in ways I’ve long aspired [to do]. It’s an enormous (and often insurmountable) step for emerging Australian artists to propel their practice into the international arena, so I am profoundly grateful to Prudence MacLeod and the Lansdowne Foundation – this opportunity literally means the world.”
The Lansdowne Foundation, established by Prue and Alasdair MacLeod in 2007, is committed to increasing access to the creative arts, meeting students’ educational needs and supporting social prescribing initiatives that improve the quality of life for communities in NSW and the ACT.
Prudence MacLeod, Director of the Lansdowne Foundation says: “My hope is that an international residency of this kind will enable a talented visual artist to connect with fellow artists, curators and art professionals to advance their artistic practice and their career. Having supported a number of visual arts fellowships and scholarships in the UK, I’ve seen how transformational these opportunities can be, and I am delighted to extend my support to an Australian artist to come to the UK.”
Residency dates: February – July 2025. The residency is open to NAS alumni who have graduated in the past five years. For more information on the Inaugural Prudence MacLeod Prize.
