March 2026

About Creative Lives

Established in 1991, Creative Lives is a registered charity that champions community and volunteer-led creative activity. We work to improve opportunities for everyone to be creative and, in particular, celebrate and promote people expressing themselves creatively with others - recognising the benefits this brings to both individuals and communities. 

Creative Lives works with communities, organisations, 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.

Our goal is that local creative groups have the capacity, resilience, and connections to enable them to work collaboratively towards solutions to local challenges.

Creative Lives’ Strategic Priorities are:

• Local creative groups are better connected with each other;
• Local creative leaders have enhanced skills, capacity and motivation;
• There is increased visibility and appreciation of local creative groups - and the positive impact they have on those who take part in them; 
• An improved infrastructure and regulatory environment for local creative groups.

Read Creative Lives’ Strategic Plan

How government policy impacts local creative groups

National policy decisions impact local groups in many ways. Years of austerity, and considerable cuts to both arts and local authority funding, have eroded much of the infrastructure that helps local groups to thrive. 

The viability of local creative groups is currently under threat in many communities due to: 

• Decades of under-investment, leading to structural funding issues;
• Increasing regulation / compliance demands (including data protection, safeguarding, health and safety) - without sufficient resources to support these demands;
• The availability of suitable, affordable venues to host groups;
• The cost-of-living crisis;
• Post-Covid disengagement from in-person activities;
• Volunteer burnout and an aging population;
• Isolation from local authorities and the broader arts sector;
• Lack of research demonstrating their value;
• Social divisions;
• Unstable national and global politics.

Why participation in creative activity is essential in communities

Creative expression in all its forms is a fundamental part of being human. Voluntary creative groups contribute a huge amount to the cultural and civic life of our communities. There are extensive proven benefits to regular participation in creative activities, including: 

• Reducing loneliness;
• Improving health and wellbeing;
• Building stronger communities and active citizenship;
• Building a sense of belonging and pride in where people live ;
• Providing valuable, transferable skills;
• Adding economic value;
• It’s really good fun - making it easier for people to start, and commit to, something that’s actively good for them.

Learn more about the benefits of grassroots creativity

Creative Lives carries out a range of policy activities to support creative groups and activity to thrive

These include:

• Advocating for creative groups at a local and national level;
• Carrying out responses to relevant government consultations that will impact creative groups;
• Campaigning on relevant issues by working with other national advocacy partners.

What needs to happen for local creative groups to thrive?

• Increased investment in local creative groups;
• Improved infrastructure and targeted support for local creative groups;
• Availability of suitable and affordable community spaces;
• Increased research and recognition of the role of local creative groups in meeting societal aims, including health & wellbeing, social cohesion and place-making.

The following policy areas are currently of interest to Creative Lives and the groups we serve:

• The UK Government’s Pride in Place strategy;
• Social cohesion;
• Cities, towns and boroughs ‘of Culture’ initiatives;
• Arts council reviews in England and Scotland, and up-and-coming Ireland review;
• Elections in Scotland and Wales; 
• Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution;
• The Inventory of Living Heritage;
• The BBC Charter Review.

Other relevant areas of development include:

• The Creative Health agenda, including Social Prescribing;
• The Adult Education and Lifelong Learning agenda;
• The campaign for spaces;
• Campaign to End Loneliness;
• Community wealth building/asset transfer.

Read about our responses to national and local consultations

If you are interested in learning more about Creative Lives’ policy work, or would like to join our Policy & Nations Committee, please contact Jess Plant, Policy Director, on [email protected].