It Takes a Village to Raise an Artist: Local, Trans-local, Global

This conference is free to attend for NAFAE members - find out how to sign up as a members on the NAFAE website.

For our 2026 conference NAFAE will be continuing and developing the theme of co-operation and mutuality in support of fine and visual arts education. To this end we seek to focus on the relevance of place and, in response to the UK government white paper on post-16 education, those initiatives that offer opportunity and mitigate barriers to advanced and higher learning in areas of creative and cultural practice and skills acquisition. What are the realistic prospects for: regional federations of higher or advanced learning; specialist centres for fine and visual arts learning that can support good growth for regional geographies; affordable and flexible access to lifelong creative and cultural learning; value and equity for international visitors or migrant communities; agility and resilience in the face of uncertainty and rapid industrial change.

Our 2026 conference goals are to:

• better understand and promote the dimensions for success in growing locally relevant post-statutory educational resources for creative and cultural lifelong learning.
• enhance awareness of the evolving partnerships and co-operative practices that bridge formal, non-formal and informal learning in visual arts and culture practices.
• consider models and opportunities for fine art learning and the promotion of creative and cultural skills that mitigates border and geo-political territories.

The conference is free to attend for NAFAE members - find out how to sign up as a members on the NAFAE website.

Speakers for the event will be confirmed in March.