Colette Griffin

Colette Griffin is a curator, artist developer, artist mentor, arts writer and access support worker based in Nottingham and working across the Midlands.

She is Director of both CVAN West Midlands (CVAN WM) and CVAN East Midlands (CVAN EM), part of the national CVAN network working collectively toward a more sustainable and inclusive visual arts sector. CVAN WM is hosted by DASH and CVAN EM by New Art Exchange (NAE).

“I’m thrilled to be working with DASH to lead CVAN WM into an exciting new period guided by the region’s artists, arts workers and organisations! I’ve had the privilege of working as Regional Director of CVAN EM since 2021 and will call on experiences and learning from this role to help maintain and build sustainable infrastructures in the West Midlands.
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Working across the East and West Midlands I can identity, support and create opportunities for vital cross-regional programming, connectivity and resource sharing, whilst ensuring both networks maintain their distinct identities, responding to the ambitions and challenges that are unique to each region.” ​​​​​​​

In these roles, Colette advocates for contemporary visual arts across the Midlands by supporting artists, arts workers, and organisations through paid opportunities, critical programming, and partnership working. She fosters regional and cross-regional collaboration, focusing on participation, artist development, and long-term infrastructure building.

Previously, Colette was Artist Development Curator at Primary (2020–2024) and a director of New Midland Group, delivering an Arts Council England-funded development programme. From 2018–2020, she was Curator at Mansions of the Future in Lincoln. She has also worked with Nottingham City Museums and Galleries and Ikon Gallery.

Colette became a Trustee of NN Contemporary Art in 2024.

Colette was born in Northamptonshire, studied Fine Art at Loughborough University and was part of Nottingham Contemporary’s CAMPUS independent curatorial programme in 2019.