Resources
YVAN Opportunities
Documents, toolkits, resources and guides for artists and the visual arts sector.
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Some general summaries and average reading time estimates were produced with AI assistance.
All Accessibility Artist Development Care Climate Justice Data & Evaluation EDI Financial F&E Toolkits Sector Yorkshire & Humber YVAN
The Big Picture: Behind the Social Model
The resource is a comic that explains the social model of disability, showing how disability is created by barriers in society rather than by individuals, and encouraging reflection through lived experience and accessible storytelling formats.
Approx. reading time: 6–10 mins.
Safer Spaces Agreement
Our YVAN Safer Spaces agreement in a google document form.
Approx. reading time: 4–6 mins.
DACS report into artists’ earnings (Nov 2024)
Practising the Planetary: Arts Catalyst Publication
A collection of essays and reflections that explores “planetary” thinking in contemporary art, focusing on ecological interdependence, situated practice, and how artists can rethink relationships between humans, non-humans, and environmental systems beyond extractive or colonial frameworks.
Approx. reading time: 10–15 mins.
Culture, Climate and Environmental Responsibility Report 2023/24
The report presents Arts Council England’s annual environmental data and case studies from National Portfolio Organisations, showing how the cultural sector is reducing carbon emissions while embedding environmental responsibility into creative practice and operations.
Approx. reading time: 12–18 mins.
Beyond the Obvious 2 Publication
YVAN is delighted to present Beyond the Obvious 2: a ‘Sector Snapshot’ that highlights the lived experience of artists from the Global Majority in the Yorkshire and Humber region.
Approx. reading time: 10–20 mins.
Shape Arts Podcast
The Shape Arts Podcast page lists and hosts podcast episodes that explore disability, access, and contemporary arts practice through conversations with artists, activists, and cultural workers.
Approx. reading time: 2–4 mins.
Ways of Seeing Art Booklet- Shape Arts
A booklet that explores audio description, disability access, and how blind and visually impaired audiences experience and interpret visual art through inclusive practice and discussion.
Approx. reading time: 5–10 mins.
Access as a Creative Tool - Shape Arts
The FAQ page explores how access can be used as part of the creative process, encouraging artists and organisations to embed accessibility into artistic practice rather than treating it as an add-on, and to consider how it can shape audience experience and meaning.
Approx. reading time: 6–12 mins.
Accessible Marketing Guide - UNLIMITED
A practical toolkit that helps arts and cultural organisations improve the accessibility of their communications across digital, print, and social media, ensuring they reach and include disabled audiences more effectively.
Approx. reading time: 8–12 mins.
Influencing policy - Fabian Arts For Us All (Sept 2024)
The report sets out a progressive policy agenda for expanding public access to arts and culture, arguing that culture should be treated as essential infrastructure for education, wellbeing, and economic renewal across the UK.
Approx. reading time: 3-6 hours
WWF Footprint Calculator
The WWF Footprint Questionnaire estimates your environmental impact based on lifestyle choices like food, travel, and energy use, and compares it to UK and global averages.
Approx. reading time: 2–5 mins.
Arts Council Diversity Data Report 2023-2026
Artists’ Union England- Rates of Pay
The Artists’ Union England rates of pay page provides recommended minimum fees for visual and applied artists across freelance work, workshops, residencies, and short contracts, intended as a guide for fair negotiation rather than fixed wages.
Approx. reading time: 2–3 mins.
UNLIMITED: Managing unpaid request for your time
Practical advice on how artists and cultural workers can respond to frequent unpaid requests for their time, using boundaries, scheduling, and clear communication to reduce exploitation and protect working capacity.
Approx. reading time: 6–8 mins.
Artist Exploitation: Barriers and Ethnic Representation by Sofia Barton
The article discusses structural barriers facing ethnic minority artists, including underrepresentation, unpaid labour, and exclusion from arts institutions.
Approx. reading time: 6–8 mins.
Extraordinary Creatives Podcast with CVAN director
Podcast hosted by creative coach and curator Ceri Hand and features long-form conversations with artists, cultural leaders, and creatives about building sustainable, meaningful creative careers.
Approx. reading time: 2–4 mins (overview page).
How to write ACE funding bids (July 2023)
The article explains how Arts Council England funding works, including the main grant types (Project Grants and DYCP), how applications are assessed, and why the process is competitive and often difficult to navigate.
Approx. reading time: 6–10 mins.
Outdoor Arts Guide - Bradford Producing Hub
A practical introduction to making work for outdoor spaces, covering creative approaches, production considerations, fundraising, touring, audiences, and essential legal and safety requirements for outdoor performance.
Approx. reading time: 10–15 mins.
A Publication from the Aberdeen Summit: Artists' Exploitation 2023
The PDF is a publication from an Aberdeen-based summit exploring contemporary art practice and cultural production in relation to place, collaboration, and wider social and environmental contexts.
Approx. reading time: 10–15 mins.