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.
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
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
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.
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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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Figuring Out... National Lottery Projects Grants
Mark Devereux Projects are pleased to invite applications from visual artists to join our new course, Figuring Out… National Lottery Projects Grants. Designed for practitioners who are planning to apply to Arts Council England’s (ACE) National Lottery Project Grants programme (NLPG), you will be guided through a programme of group workshops, helping you build a robust application ready for submission. Led by experienced curator, mentor & fundraiser, Mark Devereux, you will receive tailored support and information to develop your project plans and application within a small group of artists. This programme does not guarantee a successful NLPG application, but we hope the skills, knowledge and support we offer will breakdown some of the barriers you may face in making a strong application. Course dates: 23 April - 18 June 2026 Course times: 6-8pm Course location: Online (Zoom) Full course cost: £450 *
Deadline: 13 Mar 2026
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Wirksworth Festival - Call out for Artists
Applications for the 2026 Wirksworth Art Trail are now open and we're looking for artists from all disciplines to show their work to over 4,000 visitors on Sat 12 & Sun 13 September 2026. There are categories for resident and visiting artists, designer makers for our makers markets, and for young local artists under 18 years old. The Art Trail is one of the Festival’s central programmes, bringing together a diverse mix of artists exhibiting throughout the town in an array of distinctive venues. It attracts a substantial and engaged audience, and offers artists the chance to present work within a lively, supportive, and professionally organised context. Application details can be found here: https://wirksworthfestival.co.uk/art-trail/art-trail-application-pack/ Closing date - 16th March at 5pm
Deadline: 16 Mar 2026
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