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.
N/AUrgent
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
Please see tender documentsUrgent
Street Art - Erewash Borough
Erewash Borough Council is seeking an artist to deliver a Street Art project in locations across the Borough of Erewash. The aim of the project is to create artwork that enhances the area, feels positive, and fits well with its surroundings to enhance the street and place pride in Erewash. Sites have been identified across Ilkeston, Long Eaton and rural areas. Of these, three sites have completed feasibility assessments and are approved for artwork. Full details, including the other sites being assessed, can be found within the invitation to tender document.
Deadline: 17 Mar 2026
Bursary for participants to cover any associated costs for travel, accommodation and expenses.Urgent
Curate
We are inviting applications from emerging Global Ethnic Majority curators based in the Midlands who want to participate in a co-curated development and upskilling programme tailored to the needs of participants. This programme will launch in early Spring 2026, and will consist of a three-day in-person residency in Nottingham from 29 April 1 May 2026, facilitated by curator Mark Devereux, as well as 2 online feedback sessions with Mark, a 2-day curatorial placement at New Art Exchange and a final pitching day where you will present an exhibition proposal. 8 places will be available for the programme, with a bursary for participants to cover any associated costs for travel, accommodation and expenses.
Deadline: 19 Mar 2026
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