What we do

Our Purpose

Creative Lives is a registered charity that was established in 1991. We champion community and volunteer-led creative activity, and work to improve opportunities for everyone to be creative. In particular, we celebrate and promote people expressing themselves creatively with others, recognising the benefits this can bring.

We know that creative expression in all its forms is a fundamental part of being human, but that individuals and communities need opportunities and support for creativity to flourish. We also know that people coming together to create, have fun, share experiences and support each other can have a positive impact on both their physical and emotional wellbeing.

We work with community groups, organisations, local authorities, policy-makers, funders, and creative individuals as a voice for positive change, to improve and expand the landscape in which creative participation can take place. We work to address inequalities in access to creative participation, promote inclusivity, connect people and communities, and seek to increase awareness of the links between creativity and wellbeing.

We do this on a local and national level through advocacy, development, and celebrating the activities of creative people, groups, and places. We have teams based across the UK and Ireland, and are funded by Arts Council England, the Arts Council of Ireland, Creative Scotland, and the Arts Council of Wales.

You can learn more in our Creative Lives Strategic Plan 2024-29.

Our Mission is Building Creative Communities

We champion, support, promote and nurture local creative groups in order to build more sustainable communities.

Our Goal

Local creative groups have the capacity, resilience and connections to enable them to work collaboratively towards solutions to local challenges.

Our Values

We believe in the importance of:

People expressing themselves creatively...
...and doing this collectively with others;
Creative groups whose activities are shaped and directed by the people who take part in them;
Everyone being treated equally and feeling included;
Actively working to increase opportunities for people to be creative
Knowledge, skills, contacts, venues and equipment being pooled to enhance creative cultural activity, for the common good;
Taking meaningful actions to reduce our environmental footprint and mobilising positive change to contribute to the pathway to net zero emissions.

More information about Creative Lives can be found in our Governance Handbook, Policies and Procedures, Memorandum of Association, and Articles of Association. You can also view our latest Annual Accounts.