Ode to the Midlands | Call for Artists
Ode to the Midlands is commissioning six mid-career artists to develop and deliver new digital artworks between April 2026 – March 2027.
09 Feb 2026
Contemporary Visual Arts Network East Midlands
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.
Latest Activity
Updates, features, and insights from the visual arts community.
CVAN EM's AGM 2026
This year’s CVAN EM AGM takes place at a pivotal moment for the visual arts, both regionally and nationally. The event will serve as both a moment of reflection and a platform for dialogue, raising CVAN EM’s profile and helping ensure our work remains inclusive, relevant, and creative-centred.
30 Dec 2025
Better Together #15: Rethinking Value Beyond Metrics with Eleonora Belfiore
How can organisations use storytelling, qualitative impact, and advocacy to articulate value when funders prioritise measurement.
16 Dec 2025
Events & Exhibitions
Discover exhibitions, workshops, talks, performances events and creative activity across the region.
9-5pm Monday to Friday
LEVEL Spotlight Award 2026: Souvenirs – Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive
Souvenirs Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive is an exhibition by LEVEL Spotlight Award 2026 artist Helen Grundy. Presented in LEVEL Centre s Gallery Corridor, this provocative and humorous exhibition showcases a series of surreal digital and paper collages - each one a souvenir from the artist's life.
20 Jan 2026 - 10 Apr 2026
LEVEL Centre, Old Station Close, Rowsley, Matlock, DE4 2EL
10-5pm Monday to Friday
Happy Trails: Welcome to Lalaland
Your adventure starts here! ‘Happy Trails: Welcome to Lalaland’ invites you into artist Carla Dee’s vibrant, joy-filled universe. Doodle-tastic and inspired by local life, this colourful, interactive exhibition sparks smiles, creativity and loads of fun. Bring the walls of the exhibition to life, revealing colourful characters along the way. Which local landmarks can you recognise? Escape into a world where anything is possible! Happy Trails: Welcome to Lalaland is suitable for all including day centres, school/community groups and families.
20 Jan 2026 - 10 Apr 2026
LEVEL Centre, Old Station Close, Rowsley, Matlock, DE4 2EL
10am - 3pm, Wednesday - Sunday
Doddington Then & Now
Discover the changing story of Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire, through a fascinating display of archive photographs and carefully chosen objects. Spanning more than a century, this exhibition traces how the Doddington Estate and the wider village have evolved — from the development of buildings to the lives of the people who worked here. With a rich visual narrative that links past and present, Doddington Then & Now offers a thoughtful look at heritage, community and how the estate continues to develop.
04 Feb 2026 - 27 Mar 2026
Doddington Hall & Gardens, Doddington, Lincoln, LN6 4RU
Jobs & Opportunities
Funding opportunties, residencies, creative roles, commissions, open calls, and professional or creative development.
At cost of the artist. cover the full six-night, seven-day programme.Urgent
Process & Presence Artist Residency Programme
A week of embodied, reflective making at Malvern House, Nottingham (3-9 June 2026), offering artists and creatives time, space, and community to explore presence, awareness, and creative process within a supportive, dialogic environment.
Deadline: 01 Mar 2026
£12,500 total (inclusive of VAT and all associated costs)
Research Lead (Freelance, Remote) Creative Workspaces: A Research Project & Action-led Report for Birmingham
We re excited to be launching Creative Workspaces: A Research Project Action-led Report for Birmingham and are recruiting an experienced Research Lead to shape and deliver this ambitious city-wide project. This 18-month research initiative will explore the availability, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability of creative workspaces for visual artists across Birmingham, producing actionable insights to support the city s arts sector and inform future planning, advocacy, and investment. This role is ideal for an independent researcher, freelance consultant, or university research department with experience in participatory research, surveys, and sector engagement within arts and cultural contexts. Key Dates Application Deadline: Wednesday 11 March 2026, 11:00pm Shortlisting Response: Friday 20 March 2026, 5:00pm Interviews (online): Monday 30 or Tuesday 31 March 2026 About the Role Fee: 12,500 total (inclusive of VAT and all associated costs) Contract Period: 13 April 2026 12 June 2027 (14 months) Hours: Research activity covering approximately 35 days total, spread across the contract period Location: Remote, with some in-person activity in Birmingham for engagement and meetings Applicant Questions Applicants are invited to contact Colette Griffin, CVAN WM Director, at colette@cvanwestmidlands.co.uk to book a 15-minute Zoom or phone conversation to discuss the role. Project Aims The project will: Map availability, affordability, accessibility, and sustainability of workspaces for visual artists Engage with artists, workspace providers, local authorities, and sector stakeholders Generate short-, mid-, and long-term recommendations to inform planning, policy, and investment The project aligns with Birmingham s Strategic Framework for Culture, the Digbeth Companion Culture Strategy, and complementary research across the UK, and is funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England (ACE), with support from Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority. Role OverviewThe Research Lead will: Design and deliver a robust, inclusive research programme Lead on data collection, analysis, and interpretation Engage artists, workspace providers, local authorities, and sector stakeholders through surveys, interviews, and facilitated forums Collaborate with consultants, the Project Manager, CVAN WM, and the Steering Group Produce a final written report and film-based report translating findings into actionable recommendations This role may be undertaken by an individual researcher, freelance consultant, or university research department with the necessary expertise.
Deadline: 11 Mar 2026
N/A
Critical Mass / / PHOTO
Mark Devereux Projects are pleased to invite applications for Critical Mass / / PHOTO, a new intensive course for visual artists who use photography as a prominent medium within their practice. Critical Mass / / PHOTO is aimed towards practitioners who are seeking rigorous critical dialogue, professional development, mentoring and a supportive peer cohort. Designed for artists at a pivotal stage in their practice, the course focusses on refining conceptual and visual language, developing longer-term projects and strengthening participants’ ability to articulate their work within a contemporary art and photographic discourse. Critical Mass / / PHOTO will include: * 6 x fortnightly half-day online workshops * 1 x away-day (in-person / full day) at Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool * 1 x 1-hour online one-to-one mentoring session per artist Course dates: 14 April - 14 July 2026 Course times: 9:30am-12:30pm Full course cost: £600 *
Deadline: 13 Mar 2026
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