Contemporary Visual Arts Network North West (CVAN NW) is a network creating opportunities for artists, organisations and professionals to develop their practice, share ideas, knowledge and resources, and cultivate relationships. We provide platforms to promote and support the work of the region’s visual arts ecology.

We are part of the national Contemporary Visual Arts Network (CVAN), which is dedicated to working together to realise a stronger visual arts sector for the benefit of artists, arts organisations and audiences, present and future.

CVAN NW has recently undertaken a Strategic Development Review to ensure that we are better placed to anticipate and represent the needs of visual artists and the wider North West visual arts ecology in the future. We are acutely aware of the very significant challenges that the Covid -19 pandemic brought to our sector and its negative impact on freelancers and visual arts organisations across the region. As a result, we are adapting our actions to respond to these new demands and ways of working. We want to utilise our resources well so we have been working closely with colleagues from the visual arts sector and Arts Council NW Officers to ensure that our new long-term plan for CVAN NW will enable a more resilient, inclusive and connected visual arts ecology.

Image credits

1. Art Assembly Manchester 2022 Manchester College students with placards designed by Sam Owen Hull and students from Abraham Moss High School.

2. Art Assembly Manchester 2022 Robert Parkinson poster sites with Manchester College students photo: Chris Payne

3. Kerry Morrison Sowing in Time performance Photo. in situ

4. Ingrid Pollard 2014 Photo in situ

5. Kristoff 2017 Photo. in situ

6. Gavin Renshaw Splendour Commission as part of Padiham Townscape Heritage Initiative Photo. Nick Hunt

7. Halima Cassell  Sun Catcher sited at Jeffrey Hill (near Blackburn) Part of Landmarks, a series of installations to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Forest of Bowland AONB Photo. John Thornton

8. Patricia Mckinnon Day – Traders Group, Chester Market (film still) 2023

9. Slap-Bang! Commissioned and produced by Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival Curated by Short Supply Supported by Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces Warrington Photographs by Molly Mansley

10. Simeon Barclay Precariously Perched on the Edifice of Ruins British Art Show 9 2022 in Manchester Photo Michael Pollard

11. Carried (2022) by Krissi Musiol. Photo by Fiona Finchett. Commissioned by In Certain Places. Feedproject.art