CVAN WM is seeking new members to join our Steering Group at an exciting moment of growth, investment and regional development.

Deadline: Monday 8 June 2026, 11pm

Responses: Wednesday 24 June, 5pm
Role: Voluntary, 4 meetings per year & 1 Development Day

Start: First Steering Group Meeting will be late July

We are recruiting 3-4 Organisational Representatives (arts workers e.g., curators & producers working in a visual arts context and supported by their employer to attend and contribute).

Why Join Now?
This is a pivotal moment for CVAN WM. Our 2026-27 action plan focus areas are:

1) Advocacy and Sector Visibility

• Strengthen representation of visual arts in regional and national policy.
• Increase sector visibility with funders, local authorities, and partners.
• Support both policy advocacy and artists’ professional recognition.

2) Networks, Partnerships and Sector Engagement

• Build stronger regional networks through events and shared dialogue.
• Ensure artists are represented in institutional decision-making spaces.
• Develop cross-sector partnerships and improve information sharing.

3) Equity, Inclusion and Intersectional Representation

• Embed inclusive and intersectional approaches across the sector.
• Address underrepresentation of marginalised artists and workers.
• Prioritise accessibility, transparency, and equitable opportunities.

4) Infrastructure and Artist Support

• Advocate for increased studio and workspace provision.
• Influence funding and local authority support for infrastructure.
• Develop accessible resources and information for the sector.

5) Expanding and Reframing Visual Arts Practice

• Broaden definitions of visual arts and modes of practice.
• Support non-traditional, home-based, and distributed practices.
• Engage with emerging areas like digital, ecology, and AI.

6) Professional Development and Career Progression

• Support artists across all career stages, especially mid-career.
• Provide mentoring, peer learning, and paid opportunities.
• Bridge gaps between early career support and long-term sustainability.

In 2026 – 2027 we are also co-delivering Ode to the Midlands, an 18-month Arts Council England funded programme supporting mid-career artists through commissions, partnerships, and digital innovation.

What Does the Steering Group Do?
Steering Group members:

• Advise and support CVAN WM’s Director on strategy and priorities
• Act as advocates for CVAN WM regionally and nationally
• Contribute to sector insight, debate and development drawing on their unique skills, knowledge, lived experience and geographical perspective and understanding.
• Attend 4 meetings per year (January, April, July, October)
• Take part in an annual development day

CVAN WM is neither a charity nor limited company, which means there are no personal liabilities associated with Steering Group.

All Steering Group members are reimbursed for travel expenses incurred when attending in-person meetings.

Who We’re Looking For
All applicants must be:

• Based in and passionate about the West Midlands encompassing the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire.
• Over the age of 18 and not currently studying at undergraduate level.
• An arts workers e.g., curators & producers working in a visual arts context and supported by their employer to attend and contribute.
• Artists, freelancers, or arts workers (including curatorial, production, technical, engagement or learning roles)
• Are committed to equity, access and inclusion
• Bring strategic thinking, lived experience and/or creative insight
• Are motivated to actively contribute and collaborate

We are particularly interested in hearing from arts workers who bring experience, insight or connections in one or more of the following areas:

• Rural contexts, including those working outside major urban centres
• Staffordshire and other underrepresented parts of the region
• Individuals from the Global Majority
• Those working within larger organisations and National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs)
• Practitioners connected to or leading artist-led spaces and grassroots initiatives
  We also welcome applicants who:
• Have a strong understanding of the national visual arts landscape
• Bring existing relationships with funders, including Arts Council England and trusts/foundations
• Have connections with local authorities, combined authorities, or MPs, or experience engaging with policy and advocacy

We are committed to building a Steering Group that reflects the breadth, diversity and complexity of the West Midlands’ visual arts ecology, and we encourage applications from those who may not see themselves traditionally represented in leadership or advisory roles.