Art Reach

11/06/2026

Arts and Culture Opportunities: Programme Director

Coalville C.A.N are looking for a Programme Director to lead Changing Places, a new Creative People and Places programme for North West Leicestershire.

Delivered by a consortium of local partners, including The National Forest, this exciting programme will champion community-led creativity and cultural participation across the region.

This is a fantastic leadership opportunity for someone with experience in community-led creative programming and a passion for working with people to shape cultural activity.

📅 Application deadline: Friday 3 July 2026

To find out more and apply visit:
https://coalvillecan.coop/pages/changing-places

Image details: ‘Curbarium’ by INSTAR, photo by Rod Kirkpatrick Photography.

10/06/2026

Behind the scenes with 🫟

Today, Beth, our Marketing and Communications Manager, popped into to catch up with artist Mandeep Dhadialla in her studio.

You might remember Mandeep from Journeys Festival International 2024, where she created the incredible Plants and Play installation, transforming with a playful garden swing.🌼

Mandeep is currently working on two custom pieces, which Beth is very excited to incorporate into this year’s festival marketing materials.

Seeing the thought, care and creativity that goes into creating these pieces makes them feel even more special!🥰

09/06/2026

✨ New Heritage Project Announcement ✨

We're excited to share that we'll be working on Leicester's Inclusive Heritage project alongside our Community Heritage Champion, Christopher Samuel and project partners Allinleicester.

Leicester's Inclusive Heritage project connects communities across the city through a network of Community Heritage Champions, exploring and sharing local heritage and community stories, supporting neighbourhood organisations to help residents discover more about Leicester's history, people and places.

We're especially looking forward to working with Christopher, a multidisciplinary artist whose practice is rooted in identity and disability politics.

Last week, Jo joined some of the Community Heritage Champions for their first group session to kick off the project, where they met with representatives from Arts Council England, Attenborough Arts Centre and University of Leicester.

We're still in the early stages of this project, but we're looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together and sharing more with you soon.



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Leicester’s Inclusive Heritage project, delivered by Leicester City Council in partnership with The Audience Agency and made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Heritage Places Strategic Initiative.

07/06/2026

📍 Are you ready for another JFI 2026 venue reveal?

We're excited to announce that LCB Depot () will be one of this year's festival venues, hosting Pigeon Tower by Peyvand Sadeghian ()— a new interactive audio installation inspired by the centuries-old kabootar-khaneh of Isfahan, Iran.

Located in the heart of Leicester's Cultural Quarter, LCB Depot is a hub for creativity and collaboration, making it the perfect setting for this unique installation.

We can't wait to see audiences experience Pigeon Tower in this fantastic space as part of Journeys Festival International 2026!

📆Festival dates: 17 - 25 October 2026

04/06/2026

Things to See and Do: Leicester Riverside Festival 🛶

Looking for something to do this weekend?

Leicester Riverside Festival returns to Leicester on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June, bringing a free weekend of music, food, art and waterside activities to the city.

There’s plenty to explore across the festival, including the chance to meet the LEAF team and partner organisations. Find out more about the inspiring work taking place through the LEAF project, have a go at sustainable games and crafts, and discover how local organisations are leading climate action across Leicester.



If you’re heading along, be sure to stop by and say hello!

03/06/2026

We love getting the chance to work with new consultancy clients!🤩

Earlier this week, Jo visited our newest consultancy clients,Rugby Art Gallery and Museum ().

While there, she was lucky enough to catch the final days of Unveiled, an exhibition showcasing the gallery’s entire art collection. Alongside stunning works by significant British artists, the visit offered a chance to explore the museum’s social history collections and the fascinating Tripontium archaeology displays.

One of the highlights of the day was learning more about the gallery's history. Founded after WWII with the belief that art should be collected for the people of Rugby, that ethos continues to shape the organisation today through its commitment to "programming for the people".

We're looking forward to working with the team and seeing what we can achieve together.

29/05/2026

✨ JFI 2026: Meet the Artists ✨

We’re excited to start sharing the incredibly talented artists helping bring this year’s Journeys Festival International to life.

Meet Peyvand Sadeghian (), a writer, performer and increasingly multidisciplinary artist born of East London’s melting pot. Their work has been described as “kaleidoscopic”, holding the personal and political together through a DIY ethos and an instinct for play.

Recent work includes the award-winning Dual دوگانه and the performance-installation Apolune: Systems Normal. Peyvand is also an Artist Ambassador for Amnesty UK.

For JFI 2026, Peyvand will be creating Pigeon Tower, a new interactive audio installation inspired by the centuries-old kabootar-khaneh (pigeon towers) of Isfahan, Iran, built to house thousands of messenger birds.

We can’t wait to share more about Pigeon Tower, including which festival venue will be hosting this inspiring installation.

27/05/2026

Read our new article: Working Towards a More Accessible Festival💜

As we continue planning for Journeys Festival International 2026, we wanted to share some of the first steps we’re taking to make the festival more welcoming, accessible, and easier to navigate for everyone.

The article includes reflections from our recent access consultation with members with lived experience of disability, neurodivergence, and access barriers, helping shape our thinking in the early stages of festival planning.

Follow the link to read the full article on our website,
https://artreach.org.uk/latest/a-more-accessible-festival/

21/05/2026

Artist Opportunities: Become a Creative Mentor 🎨

The Mighty Creatives are looking for freelance artists and creatives to join their pool of Creative Mentors.

They’re seeking mentors with a range of arts or media skills, experience in creative learning, and a positive, child-centred approach to working one-to-one with children and young people aged 5–25.

The role focuses on building trusted relationships and using creative activities to support personal, social and emotional development, as well as educational achievement.

Interested in applying? Join one of their online applicant briefing sessions to find out more:

Tuesday 26 May | 5–7 PM
Thursday 11 June | 5–7 PM

Visit The Mighty Creatives website for more information about the briefing sessions and details on how to apply.

https://themightycreatives.com/join-our-pool-of-creative-mentors/

Application deadline: Friday 19 June, 9:00 AM

If you are interested in becoming a TMC Creative Mentor, please submit a completed application form outlining your experience against the provider specification. Apply today!

20/05/2026

✨ Introducing… Shape Shifters ✨

We’re so excited to finally share the first installation commission for Journeys Festival International 2026!

Created in response to our 2026 festival theme, Community, this new installation by Megan Metcalf and Lisa Edkins will transform Leicester Cathedral this October, reimagining the kaleidoscope as a tool for social reassembly.

Visitors will be invited to write messages onto recycled translucent “shards”, representing individual journeys that, when gathered together, cease to be broken fragments and instead form a vibrant, collective pattern.

At its heart, Shape Shifters explores the idea that community is made up of many different individual parts. Through collective storytelling and participation, the work will build a portrait of Leicester’s shared experience, showing that while our journeys are all different, we are all essential pieces of the same luminous whole.

We can’t wait to share more updates with you as Megan and Lisa begin bringing this inspiring installation to life 👀