Our Priorities

  • Sector development EDI

    To lead by example and ensure all working practices are scrutinized and challenged for their accessibility and inherent bias.

  • CVAN representation

    To act as the regional representative of the national CVAN England network.

  • Research programme

    To actively promote and commission sector specific research based on a circular model with the practitioners.

  • Anti racism

    To lead by example in working towards becoming an anti racist organization.

  • Artist profiles

    To promote and advocate for artists and organizations operating in the region that demonstrate excellence with our core principles.

  • Artist status

    To capture the impact of economic, environmental and political events on the sector generating empirical data.

  • Climate Crisis

    To acknowledge that art and culture can help in the response to the Climate Crisis, and this is intrinsically linked to equity of opportunity.

  • Innovative Placemaking

    To support and celebrate the Artist led networks in our region.

    To work with local areas to embed art making in the public realm.

  • Knowledge Share events

    Knowledge Share events

    Provide opportunities for the sector to meet and learn from peer to peer models and targeted specialists based on demand/need.

  • Organisational stability

    To ensure the governance of the organisation operates within the Articles of Association which are relevant to its operation, which will be legal and viable.

    To pursue relationships with organizations with appropriate principles to further our objectives.

    Develop diverse income streams.

  • Regions network ecology

    Identify opportunities for collaborative working with the priority Places and Levelling up areas in the Y&H region.

  • Publications

    To ensure the findings from the regions artist based research is made accessible by generating publications for dissemination both online and in print, recognising digital poverty.

Anti-Racism statement in support of Black Lives Matter

This is a message of solidarity with Black Lives Matters to condemn racism, and a commitment to improve YVAN’s practices for anyone who is currently discriminated against by the arts because of their race or ethnicity.

We are concerned about making value statements as an ally of Black Lives Matter without showing a related programme of activity that is authentic. We commit to do this in ways that foster wider dialogue and debate and in our Anti-racist framework. 

YVAN works towards being an anti-racist organisation for the visual arts in the Yorkshire and Humber region. YVAN continues to demonstrate its commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility through its governance and programme structures.

We are guided by CVAN Fair + Equitable in our work. Fair + Equitable is a five year programme and commitment to instituting equity within the visual arts sector in England.

We acknowledge that YVAN has a journey to make to become an organisation where Global Majority artists and arts workers see and feel their culture and presence is truly represented in its programme and governance.   policy and programme to make visible the changes required.

 YVAN is committed to taking this forward to ensure the visual arts in Yorkshire and the Humber is contemporary, inclusive and diverse; that it opens up opportunities in fair and transparent ways; and challenges itself and network of partners to examine the unconscious bias and prejudice against Global Majority artists and arts workers that permeate the arts and its institutions.

We ask all of those working in leadership roles to now break this status quo through education, policy and programme to make visible the changes required. We ask our colleagues and Global Majority artists and arts workers to watch this space whilst we continue  reassessing our practices and actioning our commitment to lever institutional change in the arts sector.

We need to hear your thoughts – please contact ceo@yvan.org.uk

Revised - August 2024


Statement from the Chair and Directors of Yorkshire and Humber Visual Arts Network: Sue Ball, Michael Barnes-Wynters, Lucy Dunhill, Zanib Rasool, Helen Nakhwal, Laura Biddle