Contemporary Visual Arts Network East Midlands

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Contemporary Visual Arts Network East Midlands

Contemporary Visual Arts Network for the East Midlands. We work alongside CVAN National 8 other regi

We celebrate and support arts and culture in the region, working to champion artists and foster an inclusive long-term future for the sector. CVAN EM is a catalyst for conversation and collaborative action, emphasising equity and access for all arts workers. CVAN EM nurtures regional and cross-regional connectivity and engagement through participation, working in partnership with organisations and

creatives across the East Midlands to build sustainable infrastructures, present opportunities and deliver artist development activity.

12/08/2026

Looking for arts workers in the East Midlands?

Our Arts Worker Directory now features 100+ freelance arts workers across the East Midlands, offering a wide range of skills, experience and services.

🔎 Organisations, employers, projects and collaborators: use the Directory to find and connect with local freelance talent.

✍️ Arts workers: add your details to the Directory so organisations can discover your skills and services.

Whether you’re looking for a photographer, technician, producer, designer, writer, curator or something else entirely, the Directory is a free resource for connecting with arts workers across the region.

Search the Directory or add your details via the link in our bio.

To update your details or remove your listing, email [email protected] and we’ll make every effort to update your entry as quickly as possible.

Design by Victor Simao
 Developed with Art Fund support through their Reimagine grants programme.

06/08/2026

Are you considering applying for Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Investment (NPO) 2028–33? Join arts fundraising consultant Hannah Keville for a practical session exploring what we know so far about the next NPO funding round, what’s likely to come next, and what you can do now to prepare.

💻 Preparing for Arts Council England’s NPO 2028–33
📅 Monday 28 Sept, 1–2PM, Online
🔗 Free, book via the link in our bio

Drawing on 13 years’ experience in arts fundraising and two previous NPO application rounds, Hannah will unpack the information published so far and explore:
→ What we know about the timeline & application process → How to prepare before you start writing → What makes a strong application → Common misconceptions and pitfalls to avoid → How to decide whether NPO funding is right for your organisation → Practical advice, with space for questions

The session is for directors, trustees, freelancers and anyone considering applying for NPO funding across the East and West Midlands.
 Hannah Keville is an arts fundraising specialist and freelance consultant. Since going freelance in 2021, she has supported 40+ artists and arts organisations across every artform to secure funding from Arts Council England, the National Lottery, trusts and foundations, companies and individual donors.

She is passionate about making the NPO process clearer, more accessible and much less stressful — without organisations having to compromise what they do, where they work or who they support.

Hosted by CVAN EM & CVAN WM as part of our bi-monthly Better Together sessions, which focus on urgent topics relevant to the East and West Midlands and the wider arts and culture sector.

29/07/2026

A monthly round up of opportunities, jobs & funding for artists, arts workers & organisations in the East Midlands.

For further details and links to application information join our mailing list via the CVAN EM website or the link in our bio!   Nottingham City Council: Cultural Investment Fund Deadline is when all funds are allocated  Storytellers: Calling all heritage organisations in South Holland, Boston and East Lindsey Deadline Monday 3 August   Surface Gallery: SurfRes 2026 Call for Submissions Deadline Monday 10 August
 Kakilang: Open Call: zero material Deadline Monday 10 August  LU Arts: Pottery Evening Class Tutor Deadline Wednesday 19 August   Eastside Projects: Artist Curator Traineeship Deadline Friday 21 August
 St Hugh’s Foundation Funding Deadline Sunday 23 August   Ingram Art Prize Deadline Tuesday 25 August  CVAN England: Producer – Transform National & Fair + Equitable Programme Deadline Thursday 27 August   AA2A Residency: Loughborough University Deadline Monday 31 August   Curators Opportunity: Attend Frieze London 2026 with CVAN & London Gallery Weekend Deadline Monday 31 August  Format27 Open Call Deadline Thursday 6 September   Freelands Foundation: Learning Through Making Fund Deadline Friday 11 September   AA2A Residency: Nottingham Trent University  Deadline Wednesday 16 September

22/07/2026

We are delighted to announce new CVAN EM Steering Group Members Meghan Goodeve, Alexzandra Jackson, Nicola Middler, Priya Mistry, Jazz Singh Swali, Ella van Der Straaten, & Oliver Ventress.

Our new Steering Group members bring a wealth of experience across creative practice and development, curatorial, technical & production roles, engagement, advocacy and organisational leadership, alongside a breadth of lived experience and vital regional knowledge and understanding.

The Steering Group plays a vital role in guiding the strategic direction of CVAN EM, advising and supporting the Director, advocating for the visual arts sector regionally and nationally, and contributing valuable insight, challenge and expertise to strengthen the network.

Visit CVAN EM’s ‘About’ page to learn more about our new members.

20/07/2026

We’re delighted to announce that Rita Pena (Rita Pena) has been selected as the recipient of CVAN EM’s Bigger Bursary, delivered in partnership with QUAD.

Supporting emerging lens-based artists living in the East Midlands, the bursary provides dedicated funding, curatorial support and the opportunity to develop work towards a solo exhibition at QUAD’s Montage Gallery. This partnership between CVAN EM and QUAD reflects a shared commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for emerging artists to develop their practice, gain exhibition-making experience and connect with new audiences.

Over the coming months, Rita will develop work as part of the bursary, culminating in a solo exhibition opening at QUAD in November 2026.

Rita Pena is a Portuguese photographer and visual artist based in Nottingham, whose practice explores relationships between place, identity, memory and socio-political narratives through lens-based storytelling. Her work frequently engages with community contexts and examines how environments and cultural histories shape collective and personal identities. She develops projects through collaborative research, often combining documentary, conceptual and participatory photographic approaches. Rita’s work has a strong focus on analogue processes and the materiality of the work, which includes darkroom printing, book and frame making by hand. Rita’s artistic work looks to intersect photobook making and socially engaged photography practices, reinforcing the accessibility and circulation of community-generated narratives.

Image credits: Rita Pena

15/07/2026

Join us for Weaving Light and Sound: A Music, Film & AI Hackjam, a day of experimentation exploring music, visuals, and artificial intelligence through the lens of Nottingham’s rich industrial and technological history, from lace-making and Jacquard looms to Ada Lovelace and the origins of computation.

📍 VIP Studio, King’s Meadows Campus, Uni of Nottingham
📅Artist Workshop: Thurs 23 July, 10AM–4PM
📧 To participate email [email protected]
📅 Public Performance: Thurs 23 July, 4.30–6.30PM
🔗To book: https://bit.ly/4ppaw47

Watch brand-new work come to life as participants share live performances created during the day. Stay for a conversation about creativity, AI, and opportunities to collaborate with researchers and artists.

Weaving Light and Sound: A Music, Film & AI Hackjam is delivered by University of Nottingham. It is supported by CVAN EM & CVAN WM as part of Ode to the Midlands. The programme invests in artists, organisations, and audiences across the Midlands, strengthening regional connections and expanding access to digital visual arts.

This event forms part of a wider series of Ode to the Midlands workshops, generously supported by universities and partners across the East and West Midlands. All workshops are free and open to the public, offering opportunities to develop digital skills, encourage experimentation, and build confidence across the sector.

Ode to the Midlands is funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England (Arts Council England).

29/06/2026

Join Katy Morrison for a session on writing stronger funding applications while thinking more strategically about income diversification and organisational sustainability.

Better Together #17: From Survival to Strategy
Building Stronger, More Sustainable Arts Organisations
📅 Tuesday 30 June, 1PM–2PM 📍 Online, booking essential (🔗 in bio)

Topics include: • Stronger funding applications • Income diversification & sustainability • Public benefit & organisational fit • Partnerships, impact & delivery capacity • Trusts & foundations • Local authority & Arts Council England funding • Earned income, consultancy & international opportunities

Drawing on her experience as Director of PINK (PINK), an artist-led gallery, studio and event space in Stockport, Katy ((Katy Morrison) will explore how arts organisations can build clearer funding narratives while developing mixed-income models for long-term resilience.

This session is aimed at arts workers, directors, producers, trustees, programme leads and freelancers working with organisations.
Expect practical advice, common pitfalls and space for live questions around funding, income and sustainability.

Hosted by CVAN EM & CVAN WM as part of the Better Together series, bi-monthly sessions exploring urgent topics relevant to the arts and culture sector.

Access: Closed captions will be available during the session. Please note the session will not be recorded.

📸: PINK at Hilton House. Photo Cinthia Baseler

15/06/2026

OPEN CALL for emerging lens-based artists in the East Midlands

CVAN EM’s Bigger Bursary x QUAD 
- £2,500 CVAN EM bursary
- £2,000 support from QUAD (travel, accommodation & curatorial support)
- A solo exhibition as part of QUAD’s Montage Gallery programme 
This opportunity is for artists working in everything from traditional photography and archives to mobile phone imagery, film, AI-generated images, and immersive installations.

📅 Deadline: Monday 29 June 2026, 10am 📩 Responses: Friday 10 July 2026, 5pm
🔗 Link in bio for application info & pack

CVAN EM’s Bigger Bursary, delivered in partnership with QUAD, builds on the success of last year’s round and responds directly to feedback gathered from our 2024/25 & 2025/26 bursary recipients. This next iteration reflects a commitment to strengthening support for artists and arts workers in the region.

About QUAD: QUAD (QUAD Gallery) is Derby’s cultural hub and home to FORMAT International Photography Festival and Derby Film Festival. Montage Gallery supports emerging artists through exhibitions, collaborations, and community engagement.

About CVAN EM: CVAN EM (cvaneastmidlands) is the free-to-access Contemporary Visual Arts Networks for the East Midlands, supporting artists, arts workers, and organisations through paid opportunities, critical programming, and partnership working, while driving policy change to ensure a sustainable and vibrant sector.

10/06/2026

Better Together #17: From Survival to Strategy | Building Stronger, More Sustainable Arts Organisations

Join Katy Morrison for a practical session on writing stronger funding applications while thinking more strategically about income diversification and organisational sustainability.

📅 Tuesday 30 June, 1PM–2PM
📍 Online, booking essential: https://bit.ly/4g5L6G8

Topics include:
• Stronger funding applications
• Income diversification & sustainability
• Public benefit & organisational fit
• Partnerships, impact & delivery capacity
• Trusts & foundations
• Local authority & Arts Council England funding
• Earned income, consultancy & international opportunities

Drawing on her experience as Director of PINK, an artist-led gallery, studio and event space in Stockport, Katy will explore how arts organisations can build clearer funding narratives while developing mixed-income models for long-term resilience.

This session is aimed at arts workers, directors, producers, trustees, programme leads and freelancers working with organisations.

Expect practical advice, common pitfalls and space for live questions around funding, income and sustainability.

Hosted by CVAN EM & CVAN WM as part of the Better Together series, bi-monthly sessions exploring urgent topics relevant to the arts and culture sector.

Access: Closed captions will be available during the session. Please note the session will not be recorded.

08/06/2026

Join us for Making Things Move, a free hands-on robotics workshop for artists, makers and the curious. Learn how to bring movement to your artwork using motors, servos and microcontrollers. No coding experience needed.

📅 Friday 7 August, 10AM–4PM�
📍 Coventry University, Delia Derbyshire Building�
🎟 Free workshop. Booking essential: https://bit.ly/4oektkp

In this practical workshop, you’ll explore how movement can create emotion, humour and intention in objects through subtle gestures like twitching, tilting, spinning or breathing.

Together we will:
* Learn how servos, sensors and microcontrollers work
* Experiment with materials to explore movement
* Create a kinetic prototype to take home
* Explore inspiring examples of contemporary robotic and kinetic art

Who’s it for?�→ Artists and makers interested in sculpture, installation or moving objects�→ Educators and community artists exploring approachable STEAM activities�→ Curious learners and hobbyists who love making, tinkering and experimenting

Making Things Move is delivered by . It is supported by Contemporary Visual Arts Network East Midlands and Contemporary Visual Arts Network West Midlands as part of Ode to the Midlands. The programme invests in artists, organisations, and audiences across the Midlands, strengthening regional connections and expanding access to digital visual arts.

This event forms part of a wider series of Ode to the Midlands workshops, generously supported by universities and partners across the East and West Midlands. All workshops are free and open to the public, offering opportunities to develop digital skills, encourage experimentation, and build confidence across the sector.

Ode to the Midlands is funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England ().

Address

Leicester
LE11QG

Website

http://www.cvaneastmidlands.co.uk/

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