CVAN EM | Announcing Ode to the Midlands

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We’re thrilled to announce Ode to the Midlands (OttM), an ambitious new cross-regional commissioning programme from CVAN East Midlands and CVAN West Midlands, made possible with £98,930 of support from Arts Council England.

Rooted in equity, collaboration, and digital innovation, OttM will invest in Global Majority, Disabled, d/Deaf, and Neurodivergent mid-career artists, supporting them to create new digital artworks that explore and celebrate the rich cultural and geographical spirit of the Midlands.

By pairing artists and organisations from neighbouring regions, OttM will foster cross-regional exchange and strengthen connections between artists, organisations, and audiences. Together, we aim to enrich cultural life and ensure Midlands voices are celebrated across the UK.

Grounded in the work of our hosts, New Art Exchange (CVAN EM) and DASH (CVAN WM), OttM champions inclusive digital practice and sustainable artist development through paid commissions, mentoring, and professional support, while also building organisational capacity for equitable digital commissioning. Artworks will be presented online, in galleries, and in public spaces, expanding access and connectivity across the Midlands’ creative communities.

To kick off OttM we are launching the Open Call for Organisations. We’re seeking up to 10 visual arts organisations located in or programming across the East Midlands and West Midlands to join us as commissioning partners. Selected partners will receive:

£8,000 commissioning fee support
Mentoring, consultation, and technical support
Artist access, travel, and accommodation budgets
Organisational development sessions
Documentation of commissioned artworks
Editorial coverage via Corridor8

For queries or access support, please contact Colette Griffin at colette@cvaneastmidlands.co.uk.

Applications close Monday 5 January 2026, 11.59pm.

We can’t wait to share more about OttM soon. This is just the beginning!

OPEN CALL INFORMATION

Check out some of this month’s opportunities, the latest jobs and open calls in the East Midlands, or accessible to artists in the region:

MK Gallery: Exhibitions Coordinator
Deadline Friday 14 November

FABRIC: Short Film Commission
Deadline Monday 17 November
We’re offering a £5000 commission for a short film between 60 seconds and 2 minutes made for social media. Open to Midlands-based artists, creatives, and filmmakers, whether established or early to mid-career, this is an opportunity to collaborate and create something bold and original.

Jerwood Arvon Writers Residency (2026-27)
Deadline Monday 17 November

Rugby Open 2025
Deadline Monday 17 November

Artist call for International Slavery Museum’s new public entrance
Deadline Monday 17 November
We are seeking a UK based artist (or collective) to co-design the cast iron panels of International Slavery Museum’s monumental new Entrance Pavilion.
Artist fee: £30,000 (plus additional expenses)

Portland Inn Project: Programme Manager
Deadline Tuesday 18 November

FORMAT Portfolio Review Bursaries
Deadline Tuesday 18 November

NONSUCH STUDIOS: Marketing, Audience & Communications Manager
Deadline Thursday 20 November

Ort Gallery: Deliberation – Artist Residency Programme 2026
Deadline Thursday 20 November

– Artistic / research fee of £2000 for work over a 10-month time frame (max 10 days on top of Mentoring & Development sessions).
– Materials fee of £1500 for the project.
– Travel and Accommodation budget for development sessions available.

Derbyshire Makes History: Film Commissions
Deadline Monday 24 November
We plan to commission three filmmakers to produce two films each.
The fee available to each filmmaker is £16,000 (i.e. £8,000 for each of two films), to include to cover all production costs (including sound/music), fees, clearances, all travel, insurance, and any VAT applicable.

Nottingham Light Night 2026 – Call for Proposals
Deadline Monday 24 November
– Subject to a successful Arts Council England bid, four commissions each worth up to a total value of £6,500 will be funded.
– Should we be unsuccessful with our application (decision due end of November), one commission up to a total value of £6,500 will be funded.

Junction Arts: Project Coordinator
Deadline Monday 1 December

New Art Exchange Open 2026
Deadline Wednesday 3 December

The Hepworth Wakefield Ceramics Fair 2026
Deadline Wednesday 3 December

New Contemporaries Studio Residency and Bursary with Hospitalfield
Deadline Monday 8 December

Sidney Nolan Art Prize
Deadline Wednesday 10 December
In its inaugural year, a number of artists will receive prizes, including residencies and a solo exhibition.

National Forest: Creative Commission Combining Cycling & Culture
Deadline Thursday 11 December
Up to £5000 is available for the commission, to include all fees, materials, production costs and travel. The commissioned project should be delivered between Jan – Oct 2026.

Art Fund: Freelands Art Fund Acquisition
Deadline Friday 19 December

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Lincoln Arts Centre: Open to Ideas (Queer Stories)
Deadline rolling

Babe Station: Send us your work!
Ongoing online platforming opportunity for artist mothers

No Jobs in the Arts: Open Call for Submissions: Reflective Creative Journal (RCJ)
Deadline rolling

ARTCRY Funding
Deadline rolling

Creative Debuts: Black Artist Grants
Deadline rolling

Pangaea Sculptors’ Centre: Sculpture Workshop Leaders – Coventry & Warwickshire
Deadline rolling

Studios available in Leamington Spa
via Coventry Biennial

White Pube Creatives Grant
Ongoing opportunity for working class creatives