NSEAD East | Autumn Gathering 2026

A Community of Practice for Art Educators in the East.

 

Join us to help shape the region’s art and design education community.

Our first in-person meeting will take place on Saturday 21 November, 1:45pm – 4pm, at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich.

The day will include a creative workshop; a tour of the Living Area collection; a presentation and discussion about upcoming national curriculum changes, and most importantly – opportunity to meet and connect with teachers and educators from across the region.

We’ll enjoy tea and coffee together, and have the option of a tour of the How Do We Find Love? season of exhibitions from 4pm – 5pm.

 

Sign up to join us

 

Image: Sainsbury Centre. Photo by Andy Crouch.

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At NSEAD we believe our events should be an inclusive, and accessible experience for all. We expect anyone attending and working at our events to adhere to our code of conduct to ensure a safe and productive environment for everyone. See our full code of conduct.

NSEAD North West | Gelli Printing Workshop

Get creative this October! Join us for a FREE gelli printing workshop, expertly led by Lynne Calland and hosted by Abacus Creative Resources.

North West art and design educators are invited to join Lynne – artist educator and NSEAD Council member – for this creative workshop focusing on botanical gelli printing, image transfer, stencil and masking techniques. All materials are included, but participants may wish to bring an apron or old shirt to protect their clothes.

Tea and coffee will be provided; please bring a packed lunch.

 

Reserve your spot

 

A note on bookings:

There are 15 x spaces available on this workshop. If we reach capacity, a waitlist will be opened for an additional afternoon workshop between 1.30pm - 3.30pm. Please only sign up for the waitlist if you are available to attend an afternoon workshop.

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At NSEAD we believe our events should be an inclusive, and accessible experience for all. We expect anyone attending and working at our events to adhere to our code of conduct to ensure a safe and productive environment for everyone. See our full code of conduct.

NSEAD South West | Autumn Gathering 2026

A Community of Practice for Art Educators from Swindon to the Scilly Isles.

We are delighted to announce the launch of a regional NSEAD community for the South West; a forum to share best practice, skills, and ideas; a professional support network; and a shared space to celebrate the subject we love.

 

Be there at the beginning and help us shape the region’s art and design education community.

Our first in-person meeting will take place on Tuesday 27 October, 11am – 3pm, in the Light Gallery, Arnolfini, Bristol.

The day will include a creative workshop, an introduction to artist/teacher residency programmes, a first look at upcoming national curriculum changes, and most importantly - opportunity to have fun and build generative connections between teachers and educators in the region. We’ll enjoy tea and coffee in the Light Gallery, and Arnolfini will be hosting a major survey of work by the wonderful Joy Gregory too.

If travelling from beyond the city, it’s a short walk from Bristol Temple Meads. We’d love to see you there (please bring some lunch)!

 

Sign up to join us

 

Any questions or queries about the event, or future opportunities in the NSEAD South West region, please get in touch with Will Grant at will.grant@uwe.ac.uk

Best,

Laurence Rushby, Tina Scahill & Will Grant | Council Members for NSEAD South West

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At NSEAD we believe our events should be an inclusive, and accessible experience for all. We expect anyone attending and working at our events to adhere to our code of conduct to ensure a safe and productive environment for everyone. See our full code of conduct.

SEAD Autumn Gathering 2026

In partnership with Royal Ballet & Opera Schools

The Design Process Applied to the Arts - Practical Workshop

Members and friends of the NSEAD London & South-East Art and Design Network Group and NSEAD Regional Network Leaders are invited to register for this RBO Schools Design CPD taking place at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden this autumn.

This free CPD is part of the Royal Ballet & Opera’s award-winning Design programme, a curriculum-led teacher development programme designed for school teachers. The RBO team will take you through techniques for teaching stage design to build your students’ research, creative problem-solving sketching, model-making and prototyping skills.

During this CPD training, you will:

The day is suitable for teachers of all key ages and SEND, as well as those facilitating Design in education in any way. The training will be inclusive of KS1-3 and KS4, KS5/FE course leaders.

The day will be led by a team of Royal Ballet & Opera designers.

Design Programme Trailer: youtu.be/r-QB4kajZLQ?si=Rok8KUBzLdboHlfY

Please bring a lunch and drinks with you, along with a sketchbook, camera and your choice of drawing media. Workshops will provide all other materials.

To register, please visit: rbo.org.uk/schools/resource/cpd-design-autumn-london

*Attendees will need to register individually and create a free RBO account. Please note that we cannot make registrations on your behalf.

SEAD Summer Gathering

Members and friends of the NSEAD London & South-East Art & Design (SEAD) Network Group are invited to the network's summer gathering at the Victoria & Albert Museum, South Kensington on Saturday 18 July 2026.

There is no cost for attending. To register, please email Ged Gast at gedgast@nsead.org to secure a place.

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Programme: Working in a gallery in response to an exhibition

10.30am | Meet at V&A Courtyard

Enter the gallery via Exhibition Road / Learning Centre entrance.

10.45am | Welcome

From Andy Ash, Ged Gast and David Houston (Team Leader, Schools & Colleges at V&A).

11am - 2pm | Welcome to the National Art Library and introduction to the museum

Led by Jenny Dunkin and Sally Jones (Museum Educators). Followed by group visits to Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific and lunch.

2pm - 3.40pm | Afternoon sessions

Led by Andy and Ged. Discussions will focus on the process of visiting exhibitions, preparing students beforehand, making media choices to capture information, recording and documenting in a busy exhibition/display, making choices and selections with a view to what students might do with this information when back in school.

Discussion and sharing of best practice. What did we learn from the morning workshops and what can we share?

3.40pm – 4pm | Update on the Curriculum Review. What do we know - subject changes?

Plus, an update on the Autumn Gathering in October  2026 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

SEAD Spring Gathering

Members and friends of the NSEAD London & South-East Art & Design (SEAD) Network Group are invited to the network's spring gathering at the Clore Studio, South London Gallery on Saturday 23 May 2026.

There is no cost for attending. To register, please email Ged Gast at gedgast@nsead.org to secure a place.

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Programme: SEND in Art & Design - working with galleries

11am | Meet at South London Gallery (SLG)

Enter the gallery via South London Louie Café.

11am – 12.30pm | Session 1

Welcome from Andy Ash & Ged Gast, and set out the focus for the day.

12:30pm - 1.30pm | Break for lunch

1.30pm - 2.45pm | Session 2

A SEND Conversation: Sharing experiences and best practice building on the learning from Session 1.

2:45pm – 3pm | Concluding remarks

And information update from Andy Ash, NSEAD President, followed by an opportunity to view the main exhibitions at SLG:

PAULO NIMER PJOTA: ENCANTADOS | Main Gallery (Free)

RANTI BAM: SACRED GROVES | Fire Station Galleries (Free)

Visit the SLG website to find out What’s On.

Image: Participants using the sensory inclusion resource created for the Yto Barrada Thrill, Fill and Spill exhibition at South London Gallery. Credit: South London Gallery.

The Teachers Network: Making, doing, thinking together

An artistic provocation led by Dr Laurence Dube-Rushby.

Reserve a spot

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About The Teachers Network, Andover

Tina and Laurence say:

'We aim to provide a space for creative exchange, discussions and support for creative practitioners engaged in educational roles within and beyond institutional settings.

We welcome you to this creative conversational space, including an artistic provocation by Dr Laurence Dube-Rushby (17 January), to have the space and time to hear you, to network and map out what you need.

We are both on NSEAD's Council, a powerful advisory body to the parliamentary committees and DfE. This is your chance to have a say in the shaping of the art curriculum. We want to hear from you, and in turn we will enlighten you on the influence and role of NSEAD.

We strongly believe that our identities as Artist-Educator-Researchers are fundamental to the way we deliver pedagogical work. Have your voice heard and nurture your creative self by joining us (at one or both events).

This is the start of something new: building a supportive network is something we would like to do in the region and, as artists and educators, we want to find our people in the local area. We look forward to meeting you.'

The Teachers Network: An evening of cheese, wine & discussion

Join The Teachers Network, Andover for an evening of creative chats, cheese and wine, with fellow artist-educators!

NSEAD Council members, Dr Laurence Dube-Rushby and Tina Scahill FRSA, invite you to join them for a relaxed in-person meet-up where creative practitioners working in educational roles in and around Andover, Test Valley, and beyond can come together to discuss, share ideas and engage in creative exchange.

It’s the perfect opportunity to connect and engage in meaningful conversations with fellow art teachers and creatives.

Bring your passion for art and creativity!

Reserve a spot

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About The Teachers Network, Andover

Tina and Laurence say:

'We aim to provide a space for creative exchange, discussions and support for creative practitioners engaged in educational roles within and beyond institutional settings.

We welcome you to this creative conversational space, including an artistic provocation by Dr Laurence Dube-Rushby (17 January), to have the space and time to hear you, to network and map out what you need.

We are both on NSEAD's Council, a powerful advisory body to the parliamentary committees and DfE. This is your chance to have a say in the shaping of the art curriculum. We want to hear from you, and in turn we will enlighten you on the influence and role of NSEAD.

We strongly believe that our identities as Artist-Educator-Researchers are fundamental to the way we deliver pedagogical work. Have your voice heard and nurture your creative self by joining us (at one or both events).

This is the start of something new: building a supportive network is something we would like to do in the region and, as artists and educators, we want to find our people in the local area. We look forward to meeting you.'

SEAD Autumn Event

Join the NSEAD London & South-East Art & Design (SEAD) Network Group for their Autumn event, which will focus on the subject, 'Critique - the purpose & process of critical review'.

Using DON’T KILL THE ART SCHOOL (the documentary film about the Slade School of Fine Art) as context, participants will be encouraged to explore approaches to critique and critical review. This event aims to develop critical practice and the management of approaches and the pedagogy of critique.

There is no cost for attending. Please email Ged Gast gedgast@nsead.org to secure a place. There are limited spaces for this event - places will be allocated in order of receipt.

Please note this is a Sunday event, to give members who have been unable to attend on Saturdays an additional option. The SEAD organisers will take soundings about the alternative day: they aim to listen, and be flexible and responsive to your thoughts.

Autumn Gathering 2025 X Artist + Educator Conference

NSEAD are pleased to be working in collaboration with The Northern School of Art & The Northern Festival of Illustration to bring this year’s autumn gathering to the Artist + Educator Conference at Hartlepool Art Gallery on Tuesday 21 October 2025.

This conference provides a fantastic opportunity for NSEAD members to connect with other art educators and creative practitioners from all levels of education, to explore how diverse cultural perspectives shape and enrich creative teaching practices. Through keynote talks and hands-on workshops, participants will examine innovative pedagogical approaches that transcend borders and foster intercultural understanding, exploring the theme 'diversifying the creative curriculum'.

Follow the booking link to find out more about the conference and event programme.

Venue: Hartlepool Art Gallery, Church Street, Hartlepool, TS24 7EQ

Tickets: £5 + booking fee

Book now

NSEAD Summer Gathering & Awards Ceremony 2026

Celebrating the very best of art, craft and design education.

Join us at The National Gallery's new Roden Centre for Creative Learning on Saturday 20 June to celebrate our 2026 NSEAD Award nominees and winners, and connect with other art, craft and design educators.

Since 1888, the NSEAD professional learning community has been at the forefront of advancing better practice in art, craft and design education. The NSEAD Awards shine a spotlight on the remarkable work of our members across the United Kingdom, celebrating their dedication, creativity and impact.

These awards recognise individuals, schools and organisations who have championed our subject, challenged boundaries, inspired change and demonstrated innovation within the sector.

Let's raise the profile of our community, our subject and its learners, together.

Double the celebration: The summer gathering will be preceded by the National Art & Design Education Conference on Thursday 18 June, online. Delegates have the option to join us for one, or both days.

 

Early bird registration (until 20 April 2026)

The conference and summer gathering are 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

Register today