Rules and guidelines

1. How to enter

The Creative Lives Awards are for creative projects that involve citizens, artists and creative people who participate for the love of it and on an amateur basis. Organisers can be a voluntary group, a professional organisation or an individual creative citizen as long as the voluntary artists involved also play a large part in the decision-making and running of the project. 

To be eligible for a Creative Lives Award, the project and group have to be able to answer 'yes' to the following questions:

● The project involves citizens, artists and creative people who participate for the love of it and on an amateur basis.
● Any paid staff involved in the delivery of project activities are neither the main nor the sole decision-makers, either creatively or organisationally.
● The project took place between April 2023 and March 2024 (or the group is ongoing) and was based in the UK or Republic of Ireland.

2. What will happen to the supplementary material we submit?

We ask for one image to be submitted along with your application form. We also welcome further supplementary material, such as photographs, press cuttings etc, from groups who are shortlisted. Please email materials if at all possible. If you would like to submit it by post, please bear in mind that we cannot return these materials.

By submitting this material, you agree to it being published on the Creative Lives website and any publicity material connected to Creative Lives. We will only use it to promote Creative Lives, the Creative Lives Awards and your group’s activities.

3. What copyright, permissions and legitimacy must we have to enter?

Entrants must certify that appropriate copyright clearances and permissions for all submitted materials have been obtained (e.g. permission of people in the photographs). Your entry form, and any supplementary material, must relate specifically to the group involved. Your entry, and all information you submit and/or distribute to publicise your entry, must not infringe the intellectual property, privacy or any other rights of any third party.

4. Judging process

Our judging panel features Creative Lives staff and Trustees, as well as representatives from previous winning groups, stakeholders and funders. All shortlisted groups will be eligible for the 'People’s Choice Award', voted for online by members of the public. Shortlisted groups can also vote for each other to win the 'Peer Award for Excellence'.

The judges’ decision is final, and Creative Lives will not enter into any discussion concerning the results. We are, however, very happy to offer feedback upon request to any interested groups on their own applications.

5. Publicity

We strongly recommend that all shortlisted groups publicise themselves far and wide in order to attract votes for the People’s Choice Award and maximise the benefits of being recognised as a shortlisted entry. Shortlisted groups will be provided with a press release template which they can add to and send to the local media in their area.

Winning groups and runners-up will receive an electronic Creative Lives Award winners pack, including a logo and branding that can be used on any communication or publicity they wish. Winners may be requested to take part in promotional activity in relation to the Creative Lives Awards.

Creative Lives reserves the right to use the names of winners, their photographs and audio and/or visual recordings submitted by them in any publicity to promote the Creative Lives Awards and Creative Lives in general.

6. How we handle your information

Creative Lives follows UK data protection legislation, and therefore any personal data you submit (email addresses, phone numbers etc.) will not be disclosed to a third party without your prior consent. Any data submitted to the Creative Lives Awards will be retained by Creative Lives for a reasonable period after the awards close, for administration purposes.

7. Terms and Conditions

● By entering the awards, you agree that all information submitted by you is true, current and that all the necessary copyright/permission is in place.
● Creative Lives reserves the right to make any changes to the deadline date or prizes that subsequently become necessary.
● Creative Lives may edit, remove or disable access to information and entries that appear to be legally or otherwise problematic (e.g. infringe the copyright or other intellectual property or privacy rights of others, are defamatory, or for any other
legitimate reason).
● Creative Lives also reserves the right to disqualify any entrant if it has reasonable grounds to believe the entrant has breached any of the Rules.

Good luck with your entry!

Download the rules and guidelines here in English. 

Download the rules and guidelines here in Welsh.