Our 'Creative Lives Monitor 2025' survey explored the health of local creative groups across the UK and Ireland. 

Since 2017, Creative Lives has been running the Big Conversation, our biennial survey about participation in voluntary-led creative groups across the UK and Ireland. 

Our aim with the Creative Lives Monitor was to take a more quantitative approach: to attempt to put figures on the current capacity of local creative groups, their resilience, and the strength of their local connections. 

Here are our key findings

• Local creative groups are optimistic about their future, and have high numbers of participants

However . . . 

• Groups are struggling to find sufficient resources, in particular core funding and audience members 
• Groups felt very disconnected from Local Authorities, and are lacking confidence in raising issues with public bodies 
• Creative Lives' support is demonstrably helpful: groups who received support from Creative Lives scored higher in every category apart from 'sufficient resources'

In summary, we found a resilient but strained sector facing systemic challenges such as:

• Structural funding issues
• Volunteer burnout
• Institutional isolation
• An aging demographic
• The impact of the cost of living crisis

Addressing these issues could significantly strengthen this vital sector, which provides crucial social and cultural infrastructure, and brings huge benefit to individual and community wellbeing. 

This report presents the findings from our research, and considers the implications. 

You can download the Creative Lives Monitor 2025 report here, or view it below: