Finding information or advice on a specific artform can be difficult across such a huge range of activities.

Umbrella bodies can be a great way to find out more about a specific artform, craft or activity and, as they are often membership bodies, they can also point you towards local groups near you! See the list below here, and check out our 'Creativity Map' for direct links to groups across the UK and Ireland.

List of Umbrella Bodies by category

Organisation

Website

Email

Facebook

Twitter

Craft

Association for Contemporary Jewellery	www.acj.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Association of Woodturners of Great Britain	www.woodturners.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Basketmakers' Association	www.basketmakersassociation.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook
Bead Society of Great Britain	www.beadsociety.org.uk	[email protected].com	Facebook	Twitter
Border Stick Dressers Association	www.bsda.eu	[email protected]
British Association for Modern Mosaics	www.bamm.org.uk	[email protected]
British Beadworkers' Guild	www.beadworkersguild.com	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
British Decoy Wildfowl Carvers	www.bdwca.org.uk	[email protected]
British Origami Society	www.britishorigami.info	[email protected]	Facebook
British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild	www.britishpuppetguild.org.uk	[email protected]
British Society of Master Glass Painters	www.bsmgp.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
British Sugarcraft Guild	www.bsguk.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
British Toymakers Guild	www.toymakersguild.co.uk		Facebook
British Woodcarvers Association	www.britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk	[email protected]
British Woodturners Association	www.britishwoodturners.co.uk	[email protected]
Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society	www.clas.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook
Contemporary Glass Society	www.cgs.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Crafts Council	www.craftscouncil.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Guild of Enamellers	www.guildofenamellers.org		Facebook
Guild of Glass Engravers	www.gge.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook
Guild of Rocking Horse Makers	www.rockinghorse.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Hilliard Society of Miniaturists	www.hilliardsociety.org	[email protected]
International Guild of Knot Tyers	www.igkt.net	[email protected]
London Potters	www.londonpotters.com	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Marquetry Society	www.marquetry.org	[email protected]
National Federation of Women's Institutes	www.thewi.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers	www.royal-miniature-society.org.uk	[email protected]		Twitter
The Arts Society (formerly NADFAS)	www.theartssociety.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter

Dance

All England Dance Association	www.all-england-dance.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
British Association of American Square Dance Clubs	www.uksquaredancing.com
British Cheerleading Association	www.cheerleading.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
British Dance Council	www.bdconline.org	[email protected]	Facebook
Dalcroze Society	www.dalcroze.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Early Dance Circle	www.earlydancecircle.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
English Amateur Dancesport Association	www.eada.org.uk		Facebook
English Folk Dance and Song Society	www.efdss.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Historical Dance Society	www.historicaldance.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook
Laban Guild for Movement and Dance	www.labanguild.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Morris Federation	www.morrisfed.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Morris Ring	www.themorrisring.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
One Dance UK	www.onedanceuk.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Open Morris	www.open-morris.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
People Dancing	www.communitydance.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Royal Scottish Country Dance Society	www.rscds.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Society for International Folk Dancing	www.sifd.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Square Dance Callers Club of Great Britain	google.com/site/squaredancecallersclub
Sweet Adelines International	www.sweetadelines.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Allied Dancing Association	www.allieddancing.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook

Disabilities

Arts & Disability Ireland	www.adiarts.ie	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Shape Arts	www.shapearts.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter

Drama

All England Theatre Festival	www.aetf.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook
Association of Community Theatre	www.actuk.org	[email protected]	Facebook
Association of Ulster Drama Festivals	www.audf.org.uk	[email protected]
Little Theatre Guild	www.littletheatreguild.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Association of Youth Theatres	www.nayt.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA)	www.noda.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Radius	www.radiusdrama.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook
Scottish Community Drama Association - read our Q&A with SCDA	www.scda.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Total Theatre Network	www.totaltheatre.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Youth Theatre of Great Britain	www.nyt.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter

Festivals

Association of Festival Organisers - ready our Q&A with AFO	www.festivalorganisers.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Association of Independent Festivals	www.aiforg.com	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Association of Irish Festivals & Events	www.aoifeonline.com	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
British Arts Festivals Association	www.artsfestivals.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Drama Festivals Association	www.ndfa.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook

Film

Cinema For All	www.cinemaforall.org.uk	[email protected]maforall.org.uk	Facebook	Twitter
IAC - The Film & Video Institute	www.theiac.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook

Literary

Alliance of Literary Societies	www.allianceofliterarysocieties.org.uk		Facebook	Twitter
Folklore Society	www.folklore-society.com	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
International PEN	www.pen-international.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Association of Writers Groups	www.nawg.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook
Poetry Society	www.poetrysociety.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Society for Storytelling	www.sfs.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Spread the Word	www.spreadtheword.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter

Music

Brass Bands England	www.brassbandsengland.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
British Association of Barbershop Singers	www.singbarbershop.com	[email protected]		Twitter
British Association of Steelbands	www.panpodium.com		Facebook	Twitter
British Association of Symphonic Band and Wind Ensembles	www.basbwe.net	[email protected]basbwe.net	Facebook	Twitter
British BMG Federation	www.banjomandolinguitar.org
British Choirs on the Net	www.choirs.org.uk/home		Facebook	Twitter
British Clavichord Society	www.clavichord.org.uk
British Double Reed Society	www.bdrs.org.uk	[email protected]		Twitter
British Flute Society	www.bfs.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
British Horn Society	www.british-horn.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
British Trombone Society	www.britishtrombonesociety.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
British Youth Band Association	www.byba.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Clarinet and Saxophone Society	www.cassgb.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
CoMA (Contemporary Music for All)	www.coma.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Commun na Clarsaich	www.clarsachsociety.co.uk	[email protected]
Corps of Drums Society	www.corpsofdrums.com	[email protected]	Facebook
Drum Corps United Kingdom	www.dcuk.org.uk	[email protected]		Twitter
East Anglian Traditional Music Trust	www.eatmt.org.uk	[email protected]
English Folk Dance and Song Society	www.efdss.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Friends of Cathedral Music	www.fcm.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Handbell Ringers of Great Britain	www.hrgb.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Incorporated Association of Organists	www.iao.org.uk		Facebook	Twitter
Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers	www.labbs.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Lute Society	www.lutesoc.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook
Making Music	www.makingmusic.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Music and the Deaf	www.matd.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Music for Youth	www.mfy.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Accordion Organisation of the UK	www.accordions.com/nao	[email protected]	Facebook
National Association of Choirs	www.nationalassociationofchoirs.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Early Music Association	www.earlymusic.info
National Harmonica League	www.harmonica.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Youth Choirs of Great Britain	www.nycgb.net	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Youth Jazz Orchestra	www.nyjo.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Northumbrian Pipers' Society	www.northumbrianpipers.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook
Organ Club	www.organclub.org		Facebook
Piper's Guild	www.pipersguild.org
Royal School of Church Music	www.rscm.com	[email protected]	Facebook
Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association	www.rspba.org		Facebook	Twitter
Scottish Brass Band Association	www.sbba.org.uk		Facebook	Twitter
Sing for Pleasure	www.singforpleasure.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Society of Recorder Players	www.srp.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Sound Sense	www.soundsense.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
The Concert Band Portal	www.concert-bands.co.uk	[email protected]		Twitter
Traditional Youth Marching Band Association	www.tymba.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Viola da Gamba Society	www.vdgs.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Wind Band Association of the UK	www.windbandassociation.co.uk	[email protected]
Women in Music UK	www.womeninmusic.org.uk	[email protected]
Youth Music	www.youthmusic.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter

Performance

Circus Arts Forum	www.circusarts.org.uk		Facebook	Twitter
Irish Street Arts, Circus & Spectacle Network	www.isacs.ie	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Independent Street Arts Network	www.isanuk.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Magic Circle	www.themagiccircle.co.uk		Facebook	Twitter
National Association of Street Artists	www.nasauk.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Rural Touring Forum	www.nrtf.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter

Photography

Disabled Photographers Society	www.disabledphotographers.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook
Photographic Alliance of Great Britain	www.thepagb.org.uk	[email protected]
Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain	www.rps.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter

Textiles

Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers	www.wsd.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook
Batik Guild	www.batikguild.org.uk		Facebook
Braid Society	www.braidsociety.com	[email protected]	Facebook
British Tapestry Group	www.thebritishtapestrygroup.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Cross Stitch Guild	www.thecrossstitchguild.com	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Embroiderers' Guild	www.embroiderersguild.com	[email protected]	Facebook
Guild of Needle Laces	www.guildofneedlelaces.org		Facebook
Guild of Silk Painters	www.silkpainters-guild.co.uk		Facebook
International Feltmakers Association	www.feltmakers.com	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Knitting & Crochet Guild	www.kcguild.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Lace Guild	www.laceguild.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Lace Society	www.thelacesociety.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Quilters' Guild of the British Isles	www.quiltersguild.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Ring of Tatters	www.ringoftatters.org.uk	[email protected]
Textile Society	www.textilesociety.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
UK Hand Knitting Association	www.ukhandknitting.com	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter

Visual Art

Association of Illustrators	www.theaoi.com	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Engage - the National Association for Gallery Education	www.engage.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Acrylic Painters Association	www.napauk.com	[email protected]	Facebook
SAA Society for All Artists	www.saa.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
UK Coloured Pencil Society	www.ukcps.co.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter

Youth

Action for Children's Arts	www.childrensarts.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Ambition UK	www.ambitionuk.org	[email protected]		Twitter
British Youth Band Association	www.byba.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Music for Youth	www.mfy.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Association of Youth Theatres	www.nayt.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs	www.nfyfc.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Youth Choirs of Great Britain	www.nycgb.net	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Youth Jazz Orchestra	www.nyjo.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
National Youth Theatre of Great Britain	www.nyt.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Traditional Youth Marching Band Association	www.tymba.org	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter
Youth Music	www.youthmusic.org.uk	[email protected]	Facebook	Twitter

Note: This is a listing of external organisations and Creative Lives is not responsible for the accuracy of the listings or the content on external sites. Email addresses are included where these are obviously that of the organisation, but those that are personal in form are excluded for data protection reasons. If you are a representative of a network or umbrella body and want to update or add your information to the listings above, please contact [email protected] 

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See our Practical Help section for more info on finding support in your local area.