CVAN EM celebrates and supports visual arts and culture in the region, fostering an inclusive long-term future for the sector, emphasising equity and access for all arts workers.
Updates, features, and insights from the visual arts community.
The session will include practical advice, common misconceptions and space for questions about the upcoming Arts Council England's National Portfolio application process.
The photographic studio is often understood as a neutral space, stripped of the cultural and social elements that shape identity. In this workshop, Marley Starskey Butler and Euripides Altintzoglou propose alternative approaches to portraiture, foregrounding conversation and collaboration as creative tools.
This free, hands-on workshop introduces artists to the creative potential of Augmented Reality (AR).
Discover exhibitions, workshops, talks, performances events and creative activity across the region.
An exhibition of artworks by Christy Burdock, an RCA artist, created in response to Bassetlaw Museum's collection and the communities it serves. Burdock draws on the stories held within collections and the ways ideas move across time and place. Her deeply researched, immersive process was enriched by local voices and memories. Displayed throughout the museum near the objects that inspired them, the beechwood-panel works respond to history, offering new perspectives rather than direct illustration. https://www.christyburdock.com/
Leicester Print Workshop are delighted to offer a real exploration of type in all its formats across a huge range of projects that come together to create a comprehensive toolkit for any artist interested in beginning or developing their Letterpress practice. The course is designed to build understanding of the detailed nature of Letterpress through monthly sessions which will work best if extended by using the free membership that goes with this course.
The NAE Open returns for its sixth iteration in 2026, with a presentation of works that includes paintings, print, video, installation, photography, textiles and sculpture. This exhibition was created through a competitive open application for Nottinghamshire based artists and Global Ethnic majority* artists living anywhere in the UK. A panel of advocates including neighbours, artists and curators chose from a substantive number of submissions. The result is an eclectic and compelling selection of artists at different stages of their careers.
Funding opportunties, residencies, creative roles, commissions, open calls, and professional or creative development.
Jitty is a Midlands based magazine dedicated to celebrating the artists, creatives, and hidden gems found across the region's twelve counties. Jitty has been created to showcase the wealth of creativity in the Midlands, challenging the notion that you must be in London to strive as a creative. The magazine will oppose this belief, showing the region's vibrant creative community and dedicated practitioners. This magazine is open to anyone who lives, has lived (having spent a significant part of their life in the region) or works in the Midlands as well as any art form e.g. fine art, photography, music, writing, performance, fashion, etc. This issues theme: The Everyday How does the everyday alter your practice, what does the everyday mean to you? We look forward to seeing your work! We will notify you by the 7th September whether you were successful good luck!
VAA OpenSpaces 2026: Applications Now Open Applications are now open for VAA OpenSpaces 2026, the Visual Artists Association's global, artist-led exhibition programme taking place throughout November 2026. Artists are invited to showcase work in cafés, hotels, libraries, studios, shops, community spaces, and other everyday venues across the UK and internationally. Last year's edition featured more than 75 artists exhibiting across multiple countries, bringing contemporary art into unexpected places. Whether you already have a venue or would like support finding one through our growing partner network, OpenSpaces offers an exciting opportunity to reach new audiences while retaining full creative control. Apply now to become part of the 2026 trail.
AA2A (Artists Access to Art Colleges) is a national residency programme that gives practising artists free access to specialist facilities, workshops, equipment and expertise within universities and colleges across England. Residencies run throughout the academic year and support artists working across a wide range of disciplines, including fine art, sculpture, printmaking, photography, film and video, ceramics, textiles, jewellery, digital art, animation, graphic design and games art. Participating artists receive at least 100 hours of access to their host institution's facilities and become part of a national network of artists and higher education partners. We have three hosts in the East Midlands: Loughborough University, Nottingham Trent University & De Montfort University
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