CVAN is an organisation where the visual arts meet policy change. We work in partnership with our regional networks to campaign and advocate for the visual arts sector at a national level. We create programmes of support for artists and art workers, and develop organisational support that promotes learning and knowledge. We campaign for the sector to be heard, valued and recognised so that the visual arts can thrive now and in the future.

CVAN represents and supports a diverse and vibrant visual arts ecology across nine regions in England – from Cornwall to Cumbria. Partnerships and deep roots within these regions are crucial to the success of our national impact and the authoritative position of our network within the sector. 

CVAN’s representation of the visual arts as a whole means that we’re able to consider and articulate the needs of individual regions whilst providing a national perspective.

We are a free-to-access network and as such provide a space for the voices of those who work, or aspire to work, in the visual arts to be heard in order that the sector can thrive. We mobilise, energise and support all regions and art workers to build momentum and advocate for the value of the visual arts. 

We collaborate to deliver clear roadmaps that can support the work of our communities and we use the insights gained to influence policy change. 

Through our support and advocacy work, we bring together artists, independent creative and technical professionals, higher education institutions, academics, students, National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs) and organisations (including studio providers) with investment models that sit outside of Arts Council England’s NPO funding stream. 

Our Co-Chair’s are Saad-Edine Said, Director of New Art Exchange, Nottingham and Sarah Munro, Director of Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art based in Gateshead. Each of the nine regions has a Chair affiliated with a National Portfolio Organisation. 

We are a part of the Visual Arts Alliance, a group of arts organisations brought together by CVAN, that advocates collectively for artists and arts workers. 

CVAN is where arts workers come together to drive change in our sector

We are a visual arts network with nine interconnected regions. CVAN England, the national hub, leads the collective agenda. We use our deeply rooted regionality to advocate and campaign nationally to build recognition for the value of visual arts.

We strive to close the gap between the realities that our sector faces and the rationale of decision-makers, so that no changes are made in isolation. We bring together visual artists and arts workers to ensure a combined, evidenced voice is heard, valued and recognised in order that our sector can thrive.

We are proud of our regionality. We all have a part to play. Find out what’s going on in your regional network.