Portfolio Support Scheme

Portfolio Support Scheme

The Portfolio Support Scheme is designed to provide Drawing Year applicants from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to discuss their work with a Royal Drawing School tutor prior to submitting their final application. 

Eligible applicants who are offered a place on the Portfolio Support Scheme will benefit from a one-to-one Portfolio Review Session. This session will give applicants the chance to talk through their portfolio and receive guidance and support on how best to prepare their work, ahead of submitting an application. Should an applicant then be invited to interview for The Drawing Year, a further support session can be arranged in advance of the interview.

*Please note that applicants who are accepted on to the Portfolio Support Scheme will not necessarily be offered a place on The Drawing Year.

Eligibility criteria

To be considered for the programme, applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:  

• Be from a minority ethnic background
• Are neurodivergent or have a diagnosed learning disorder 
• Be the first in their family to attend higher education
• Are in receipt of disability support or other benefits
• Have been a recipient of free school meals
• Have not previously attended an undergraduate degree in a visual arts subject such as Fine Art, Painting, Illustration, Graphic Design, Animation etc.
• Hold an undergraduate degree in a visual arts subject, but from more than 15 years ago.
  

Applying

To apply to the Portfolio Support Scheme please fill out the online application form here. 

For applicants in receipt of payments for PIP, Disability Support or other benefits, further evidence will need to be submitted in addition to the online application form. 

Please check that your evidence:

• Is dated within the last 6 months
• Shows your name as a claimant
• Is presented to us in one of the following formats: PDF, JPG, .DOC or .DOCX

The final deadline for applying is 5pm on TBC

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applicants should expect to hear whether they have been accepted onto the programme or not within 14 days of applying.

Successful applicants will be notified and contacted to arrange a date for their Portfolio Review Session.

Timeline

• Apply to the Portfolio Support Scheme by 5pm on TBC
• You will hear back from the School within 14 days of submitting your application
• If successful you will be invited to an online Portfolio Review Session 
• Take part in online Portfolio Review Session on Zoom with Royal Drawing School tutor
• Submit Drawing Year application by midday on 2 April 2025
• If selected for interview, applicants will be invited for a second session in advance of the in-person interview 

Portfolio Review Sessions

Portfolio Review Sessions are held with a member of Royal Drawing School faculty and will take place primarily online over Zoom. The applicant will be encouraged to upload images of their work for review and to discuss their aims for applying with a tutor. Sessions will last approximately 40 minutes.

The sessions are designed to give general guidance on The Drawing Year programme, building a portfolio and completing the online Drawing Year application form.

Sessions will take place before the end of March 2025. 

To apply to the Portfolio Support Scheme please fill out the online application form here. 

*Please note: Tutors offering portfolio reviews do not sit on the admissions panel and are not involved in the wider application process. Applicants who are offered a Portfolio Review Session, will not necessarily be offered a place on The Drawing Year.