A landmark achievement for Wandsworth and ActionSpace as Linda Bell wins major national award

Linda Bell has received an Award for Artists from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, a £75,000 grant to support the development of her artistic practice.

Linda Bell is one of several Wandsworth-based artists with complex needs who have been supported through the council's long-standing Arts & Culture Service Level Agreement with ActionSpace, helping learning-disabled artists to develop sustainable professional careers in the arts. An ActionSpace member since 1999, Linda Bell creates large-scale, interactive, and performative sculptural works. Through an experimental approach to materials including foil, paper, and fabric, she explores their sensory and tactile qualities, reshaping and assembling them into expansive sculptural forms. Movement and performance are central to her practice, with Linda often transforming her artworks through performances that explore the relationship between herself, the work, and the audience.

This significant award comes at a timely point in Linda's artistic career, as she has recently received increasing national and international recognition for her work. Recent achievements include a monumental solo installation in Tate Modern's Tanks, a residency with One Trust that culminated in a major presentation at the Royal College of Art, and participation in a three-person exhibition in Geneva.

Linda's success follows another landmark achievement for ActionSpace artists. In 2025, Wandsworth resident and ActionSpace artist Nnena Kalu became the first learning-disabled artist to win the Turner Prize. Together, these achievements highlight the growing national and international recognition of learning-disabled artists and the impact of long-term investment in supporting their creative development.

This award recognises Linda's exceptional contribution to contemporary art and marks another major milestone in a career that continues to attract attention from leading cultural institutions and audiences in the UK and beyond.

Councillor Ethan Brooks, Cabinet Member for Environment, said:

Linda's success is a remarkable achievement and richly deserved recognition of her creativity, talent and dedication. We are incredibly proud to see a Wandsworth artist receive such prestigious recognition, and to see the impact of our long-term partnership with ActionSpace in supporting disabled artists to develop thriving professional careers."

The Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Awards for Artists, established in 1994, provides recipients with unrestricted funding to support the continued development of their practice.