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Dear Creative,
We are pleased to announce that applications are open for this year's ACED Volunteer of the Year Award 2026.
We are also delighted to share a new funding opportunity for East Devon Festivals.
Other news:
- Register the next ACED Network Meeting
- Add your culture events to the East Devon Excellence directory
- New artist opportunities
- Latest training and funding opportunities
 photo © Emily Appleton
ACED Volunteer of the Year 2026
Honour a volunteer’s outstanding contribution to your arts / heritage organisation or festival and recognise the invaluable impact they make through the ACED Volunteer of the Year Award.
Nominating is easy. Just submit up to 250 words about your volunteer and three words to describe them.
Deadline: Thursday 7 May, 5pm.
Kennaway House, Sidmouth
Summer ACED Network Meeting
Wednesday 3 June, 5 - 7pm
Kennaway House, Sidmouth
Join us to celebrate the nominees and winner of the ACED Volunteer of the Year 2026 at our Summer ACED Network Meeting.
New fund for East Devon Festivals
A new fund has opened today to support festivals across East Devon.
Grants of up to £2,000 are available to support promotional and marketing activity targeting audiences from outside the district to visit East Devon to contribute to the local economy and promote the area as a vibrant cultural destination.
Deadline: Thurday 30 April, 5pm.
 New ACED Champion
We are pleased to announce our new ACED Festival Champion - Tash Daly.
Tash is Co- & Artistic Director of Sidmouth Folk Festival and has worked across the UK’s folk and community festival scene for many years.
She is a Member of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) and is passionate about the power of festivals to bring communities together, celebrate sustainability and inclusivity, and keep live culture thriving.
 East Devon events listings
Make sure your events are featured on the East Devon Excellence directory, showcasing the very best of what's happening across the region.
Adding your event is a great way to boost visibility, attract more visitors and ensure your activity is part of the wider story about the region.
 © Moby Hill, Swimmers
April Highlight
New Sidmouth Wallspace artwork on display. “Swimmers” by artist Moby Hill is an uplifting piece perfectly in context at the giant billboard outdoor public gallery overlooking the Ham car park, next to the swimming pool and beside the sea. Also by Moby Hill is an exhibition 'Two Women in a Car Park' with award-winning poet and writer, Selima Hillat, at the Riverside Art Space around the corner.
Free Training Opportunities
Once upon a pixel: the magic behind digital tracking: Tuesday 28 April, 12 - 1. James Akers, Tech Champion from Digital Culture Network, will guide you through the magical world of marketing pixels to help you transform your digital marketing.
How can we use the arts to unlock climate conversations with young people? Thursday 18 June, 10 - 12. Online. How we can use arts practice to unpack stories and emotions surrounding the climate emergency. Part of A New Direction's Cultural Sector Masterclass series for creative learning professionals to reflect upon and strengthen your practice.
Opportunities
 © Elevation Film Festival
Free recording sessions for musicians. Free recording sessions for 4 Devon-based bands and solo artists at Sound Gallery Studios, Exeter’s longest-standing studio at Exeter Phoenix. Supported by Devon Youth Council as part of Sound Gallery’s Rising Artists programme. Contact Maria Peters: marketing@sound-gallery.net / 01392 495301
Call for Submissions: Inventories of Living Heritage in the UK
Do you know a living heritage practice that belongs in the inventories? You can play a part in shaping their inventory.
Elevation Film Festival celebrates artistic and experimental cinema across the South West. They welcome filmmakers to showcase their work across a weekend of screenings, talks and workshops: 02 - 04.10.26. Deadline: 12.04.26
Open Call: Reclaim Scratch Performances. Exeter Northcott invites South West women-led theatre companies and performance artists to apply for their Scratch Nights at the Barnfield Theatre during Reclaim, a festival of work by women, for women. Deadline: 06.05.26
Funding opportunities
First Steps Touring Bursary: micro-bursary up to £1,000 for new and original performance work which shows potential to move beyond scratch stage and into an extended life, touring Devon schools or libraries. Deadline: 24.04.26
Nineveh Charitable Trust: grants of up to £5,000 for registered charities and Community Interest Companies supporting projects and activities promoting better understanding of the environment and countryside. Deadline: ongoing
Job opportunity or artist call to share? Send it to: aced@eastdevon.gov.uk. More funding and training opportunities and links to resources on ACED website.
Arts and Culture East Devon (ACED) is a network connecting the artistic communities of East Devon and providing a central platform to engage, network, promote and talk about arts and culture across the region.
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