Voluntary Arts works to promote and increase active participation in creative cultural activities across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Across the UK and the Republic of Ireland there are approximately 63,000 voluntary arts groups, regularly involving more than 10 million people participating voluntarily in creative cultural activities: this activity is, and will continue to be, a critical part of both the bedrock and the grass roots of the cultural life of our communities and nations.
Voluntary Arts was created in 1991, in response to a need identified by government and the voluntary arts sector, to provide a universal voice for the voluntary arts across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Today Voluntary Arts has 17 staff and more than 60 volunteers working across five nations. We provide information and advice services, undertake lobbying and advocacy work and deliver, and support the delivery of, projects to develop participation in creative cultural activities. Voluntary Arts receives funding from all four UK arts councils. We have offices in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Derry, with flexible working across England.
Our support is particularly focused on those creative citizens who – beyond their own participation and beyond any remuneration – give their time to make such activity more available within their communities (of locality and interest) and to improve the quality and range of those opportunities and activities.
