The National Art & Design Education Conference 2026
Leading better practice for art, craft and design educators across the UK.
Our annual conference brings together art educators from across the UK, from all phases and sectors engaged in art, craft and design education. A key event in your calendar, the conference is your opportunity to keep up to date with the latest developments for our subject, connect with others and exchange ideas.
Creative Curriculums: Care, risk and courage
Creative bravery is central to art, craft and design education. As teachers of art, craft and design we navigate risky territories of practice. We encourage our learners to take creative risks, experiment, think critically, face challenging issues and be comfortable with uncertainty. How do we ensure that we are able to nurture creative courage, whilst maintaining our classrooms and studios as safe spaces for us and our learners? And we ask, how might our subject help us preserve our health and well-being in the face of societal and global challenges.
This conference invites us to consider creative, personal and professional risks that we encounter in our practice as educators, and the ways that we can navigate them with care and confidence.
The programme combines inspiring presentations with the latest research and information to help you and your learners. Workshop sessions will provide an active space for you to develop your own professional practice, with learning that you will take directly back to the classroom and studio.
Double the celebration: The conference will be followed by the NSEAD Summer Gathering & Awards 2026 ceremony on Saturday 20 June, at The National Gallery’s new Roden Centre for Creative Learning in London. Delegates have the option to join us for one, or both days.
Early bird registration (until 20 April 2026)
The conference is open to both members and non-members of NSEAD.
NSEAD Members: £10.00 - £20.00
The annual conference is a key NSEAD member benefit, included in your subscription: members are only required to pay a nominal registration fee of £10 for the conference, and receive discounted rates for the summer gathering.
Non-members: £18.00 - £143.00
Leading Secondary Art & Design (Session 2)
The course focuses on developing leadership and management skills to effectively lead a department; address Ofsted requirements; and build strong, successful teaching teams. Participants will explore how to develop teaching and learning, inspire and support colleagues and improve pupil outcomes.
Enrol here (please note that enrolment is for all three twilight sessions)
Session 1 details (now available as a recording for late registrations) | Session 3 details (to be announced)
Meeting the needs of your learners – SEND in the Art & Design classroom (Session 1)
This course will provide participants with practical tools and insights to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students, particularly those with SEND, enhancing their professional practice and contributing to successful outcomes for students with SEND in Art & Design.
Enrol here (please note that enrolment is for all three twilight sessions)
Session 2 details (to be announced) | Session 3 details (to be announced)
Leading Post-16 Art & Design (Session 3)
Each session of this course will focus on each identity of the Educator-Artist-Researcher, drawing on the network of enterprises. Participants will explore visual ways of working, provocations, theory, and reflection.
Enrol here (please note that enrolment is for all three twilight sessions)
Leading Post-16 Art & Design (Session 2)
Each session of this course will focus on each identity of the Educator-Artist-Researcher, drawing on the network of enterprises. Participants will explore visual ways of working, provocations, theory, and reflection.
Enrol here (please note that enrolment is for all three twilight sessions)
Leading Post-16 Art & Design (Session 1)
Leading Secondary Art & Design (Session 1)
The course focuses on developing leadership and management skills to effectively lead a department; address Ofsted requirements; and build strong, successful teaching teams. Participants will explore how to develop teaching and learning, inspire and support colleagues and improve pupil outcomes.
Enrol here (please note that enrolment is for all three twilight sessions)
Session 2 details | Session 3 details (to be announced)
Leading Primary Art & Design (Session 3)
Session 3 - Developing the whole school art experience
This word ‘experience’ is chosen over ‘curriculum’ in this session title to place emphasis on the fact that pupil engagement with the visual arts does not only start and finish in lesson time. Delegates will explore the curriculum, looking at core and hinterland aspects of its content and will look at other ways to celebrate and raise the profile of Art & Design in the school community.
This session is one of three twilight sessions in the Leading Primary Art & Design course. This course will offer strategies for building the foundations for developing confidence, enthusiasm, and key knowledge in this subject, as well as an understanding of how to plan for progression across the primary years. Participants will learn how to support colleagues, manage resources effectively and prepare for inspection.
Enrol here (please note that enrolment is for all three twilight sessions)
Leading Primary Art & Design (Session 2)
Session 2 - What essential subject knowledge do I and my colleagues need and where can I find it?
This session looks at the Art & Design curriculum and the knowledge required to teach it confidently and effectively. It covers ways to find out the knowledge gaps of school colleagues and how to meet them with high quality guidance and expertise. This session also looks at subject specific pedagogy and language acquisition.
This session is one of three twilight sessions in the Leading Primary Art & Design course. This course will offer strategies for building the foundations for developing confidence, enthusiasm, and key knowledge in this subject, as well as an understanding of how to plan for progression across the primary years. Participants will learn how to support colleagues, manage resources effectively and prepare for inspection.
Enrol here (please note that enrolment is for all three twilight sessions)
Leading Primary Art & Design (Session 1)
Session 1: Acing your Art & Design subject leader role – where to start?
This session looks at the role of the effective subject leader in the primary school through the lens of Art & Design. What unique considerations does the subject require? This session looks at what a subject leader needs to know about the subject provision in their school, how they can find out and plan for high quality teaching and learning in their setting.
This session is one of three twilight sessions in the Leading Primary Art & Design course. This course will offer strategies for building the foundations for developing confidence, enthusiasm, and key knowledge in this subject, as well as an understanding of how to plan for progression across the primary years. Participants will learn how to support colleagues, manage resources effectively and prepare for inspection.
Enrol here (please note that enrolment is for all three twilight sessions)