About
About Contemporary Visual Arts Network West Midlands (CVAN WM)
Established in 2010, CVAN WM (formerly New Art West Midlands or NAWM) is the Contemporary Visual Arts Network for the region, encompassing the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire. CVAN WM is hosted by DASH and part of a vibrant, national network (CVAN) leading a collective agenda for policy change across the visual arts.
Our purpose is to advocate for the contemporary visual arts in the West Midlands. We work regionally and cross-regionally to safeguard the future of artists, arts workers and our sector. With Network partners we deliver defining opportunities for artists and arts workers to develop sustainable, ambitious practices through a distinctive, critically engaged programming, whilst championing the vibrancy of the region’s arts and cultural offer.
Until 2020 CVAN WM operated as NAWM and was hosted by a consortium of six Higher Education Institutions in the West Midlands. Central to NAWM’s work during this period was the NAWM graduate exhibition programme which benefited 200+ artists and reached an audience of 500,000+ who engaged with work by local graduates across regional venues. Other activity included curator in residence, bursary, and research opportunities.
About DASH
DASH is a Disabled-led, visual arts charity with a vision for a world where Disability Art is equally valued. The organisation’s mission is to affect sector change, to remove barriers to access, establishing Disability Arts practice as part of the mainstream. Across core activities, DASH tackles systemic inequalities to create space for extraordinary artists to make work and be heard. Talent development is at the core of what DASH does, supporting Disabled, D/deaf and Neurodivergent creatives.
CVAN WM receives £35,000 per annum via DASH’s Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation settlement (2023 - 2028).
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