9 free and affordable art schools and courses outside uni
by Nicole Fan
Resources
Published 1st July 2025
With university fees often topping £10,000 a year, many emerging creatives are rethinking the traditional path into the arts. The good news is that a formal degree is no longer the only option. Across the UK, individuals and organisations are creating spaces where you can grow your practice, meet like-minded people and explore new ideas — all without burning a hole in your pocket. We’ve rounded up some of the programmes, courses and collectives helping to make art education more accessible, so you can find the support and inspiration you need, wherever you’re at in your creative journey.
Open School East Associates Programme
Cost: Free
Location: Margate
Enrollment: Summer bi-annually
For over a decade, Open School East has been running an artist development programme that helps practitioners refine their craft and expand their networks – at no cost. Founded in 2013, the Associates Programme offers practical workshops, theoretical modules, live projects, exhibition opportunities and more. The both flexible and collaborative environment allows participants to engage in self-directed learning while connecting to their mentors and peers through weekly in-person classes. As the programme focuses on multidisciplinary learning, it welcomes creatives from a range of disciplines.
D&AD Online Learning
Cost: Free and paid
Location: Online
Enrollment: Anytime
You might have heard of D&AD’s prestigious awards – but did you know that they also offer online programmes for emerging creatives? Incorporating case studies, tutorials and instructional videos, these creative courses are conveniently available on demand, allowing you to fit your learning around your schedule. They also feature practical tips from leading names from across the industry and issue certificates at the end of some courses to set participants up for success. While a few of these courses do cost up to £200 each, most are completely free to access.
Make Your Own Masters
Cost: Free
Location: London
Enrollment: Biennially
When Stacie Woolsey found out how expensive a master’s programme was, she decided to start her own. Thus began Make Your Own Masters, a creative learning collective that brings practitioners together to design their own education. The 18-month programme includes mentorship, access to workspaces, industry briefs and specialised training. It also gives participants a £400 programme fee and £600 event budget. The ambitious programme has helped many “graduates” to go on to higher-paid work, full-time positions and collaborations with leading brands.
Coursera
Cost: Free
Location: Online
Enrollment: Anytime
If you want to learn from top institutions without the hefty price tag often attached, look no further than Coursera. The popular e-learning platform features an array of art and design courses from the likes of The Museum of Modern Art, California Institute of the Arts, Adobe and various notable universities. Most of these courses are aimed at beginners and provide you with fundamental skills – but they also include interactive activities, shareable certificates and even capstone projects that you can add to your professional portfolio.
The Other MA
Cost: Paid, starting from £1,512 for 18 months
Location: Southend-on-Sea
Enrollment: Biennially
The Other MA is an 18-month learning programme based in Southend-on-Sea. Offering artist visits, group crits, practical workshops and more, it aims to provide a vibrant and supportive space for active learners who want to be part of a community that works together. To that end, there are in-person sessions at least three times a month and monthly online check-ins. Although the programme is not free, it is committed to keeping the fees as low as possible and prioritises giving places to those who do not already hold a postgraduate art qualification.
Wysing Arts Centre Syllabus
Cost: Free
Location: UK
Enrollment: Annually
Now in its eighth year, Wysing Arts Centre’s Syllabus is a collaborative learning programme that supports 10 artists across 10 months. The programme strives to create an environment of mutual exchange between its participants and involves in-person gatherings, online programmes, mentoring and connecting with arts communities across the UK. Funded by a landmark grant from Freelands Foundation, it provides bursaries and access budgets for those who need them.
The Collective Studio
Cost: Paid, starting from £5 per month
Location: Remote and Newcastle
Enrollment: Spring or summer annually
A joint initiative by The NewBridge Project and Newcastle University, The Collective Studio caters to early-career practitioners and creative graduates. It’s open to all creative disciplines and encourages artists to experiment with ideas within a supportive, critically engaged community. It’s not just subsidised studio space either: with a mix of field trips, events, mentoring and exhibition opportunities, the 11-month programme is packed with structured guidance too. The course operates through a tiered membership model that ranges from £5–£40 a month – but it also offers bursaries for people who would otherwise be unable to participate.
Tracey Emin Artist Residency
Cost: Free
Location: Margate
Enrollment: Summer 2026
Tracey Emin – yes, that Tracey Emin – has developed a free art school programme that’s supposed to be similar in level to a Master’s degree. During the 15-month long course, participants will be given projects to help them explore, interrogate and deepen their artistic practices. They’ll also get to network with key industry figures – including gallerists, curators and collectors – as well as showcase their work at exhibitions. The upcoming cohort will be focused on painters who work directly with physical materials, and no prior qualifications are necessary.
