CREATIVITY WITHOUT BARRIERS: WHY ACCESS TO THE ARTS MATTERS 

Who gets to be creative? 

It sounds like a simple question, but for many people, access to the arts remains out of reach. Whether due to disability, caring responsibilities, poor mental health, financial pressures or social exclusion, barriers to creativity continue to prevent many people from experiencing its benefits. 

These issues were explored during Create’s recent Create Conversations webinar on Creativity Without Barriers, held as part of Creativity and Wellbeing Week. 

Chaired by Dr Simon Opher MP, the discussion brought together a panel of experts with different perspectives on creativity, wellbeing and inclusion: Dr Tola Dabiri, Director of Electric Piers CIC and Chair of Advocates for Representation in Creative Health; Jemilea Wisdom-Baako, Cultural Disruptor, Poet and Creative Director; and Nicky Goulder MBE, Founding CEO of Create. 

Together, they explored how creativity can support marginalised communities, the barriers that prevent participation and why access to the arts matters. 

The people who need it most 

One of the strongest themes to emerge from the discussion was a simple but uncomfortable reality: those who could benefit most from creativity are often the least likely to access it. 

As Dr Simon Opher MP observed: 

“The people that really need it are the least likely to be exposed to it.” 

This is particularly important given the growing body of evidence linking arts engagement with improved wellbeing, reduced loneliness and better mental health outcomes. 

At Create, we see this every day through our work with young carers, disabled children, children in care, older adults, people in prison and others who often face barriers to participation. 

As Nicky Goulder explained: 

“Giving children and adults access to the creative arts enables people to build their skills and their wellbeing and to make new connections.” 

Rethinking what creativity looks like 

The conversation also challenged assumptions about what counts as creativity and where it takes place. 

Dr Tola Dabiri encouraged attendees to think beyond traditional arts venues and activities: 

“Singing in a choir is very good for you… but why do you have to go to a choir? Why can’t we look at something like karaoke down the pub?” 

The point resonated throughout the discussion. Creativity exists in communities already. The challenge is recognising it, valuing it and creating more opportunities for people to participate in ways that feel relevant and accessible. 

Tola also highlighted the need to broaden our understanding of creative health: 

The thing about creative health is that it actually benefits everyone.

DR TOLA DABIRI, CREATE CONVERSATIONS

Meeting people where they are 

For Jemilea Wisdom-Baako, expanding access starts with listening to communities and challenging assumptions about who engages with creativity. 

She asked: 

“Who is being excluded from conversations? Who is not showing up in the places where we’re doing our work?” 

The panel discussed the importance of taking creative opportunities into community spaces and working alongside local people rather than expecting them to come to traditional cultural settings. 

As Jemilea put it: 

When you can go to the people instead of expecting them to come to you, you actually change the power dynamic.

Jemilea Wisdom-Baako, CreatE CONVERSATIONS

Creativity as connection 

The discussion repeatedly returned to the role creativity can play in reducing isolation and strengthening communities. 

Research shows that loneliness is associated with poorer mental and physical health outcomes, while social connection is increasingly recognised as a key determinant of wellbeing. 

At Create, reducing isolation and building connection sit at the heart of our work. In 2025/26, 96% of participants said their wellbeing was enhanced after taking part in a Create project. 

Whether through music, visual art, writing, dance or drama, creativity provides a powerful way for people to come together, share experiences and discover common ground. 

As Nicky reflected: 

“Reducing isolation and building skills and empowerment are really at the heart of our model.” 

Looking ahead 

The discussion concluded with a clear message: access to creativity should not be determined by circumstance. 

If creativity helps people build confidence, strengthen relationships, improve wellbeing and unlock new possibilities, then ensuring more people can access it should be a priority. 

At Create, that belief is summed up in a simple phrase: 

“People need to create.” 

By continuing to remove barriers to participation, we can help ensure that more people experience the life-enhancing power of the creative arts. 

MEET ZAINAB – A CREATIVE:TANDEM PARTICIPANT

Mental ill health in young people can take many forms including eating disorders, OCD, psychosis and severe emotional distress. Conversations around mental health often focus on anxiety and depression, overlooking the complexity of many young people’s experiences.

According to NHS England, around one in five children and young people aged 8-25 are now estimated to have a probable mental health disorder. For those admitted to inpatient mental health services, being away from home and friends can have a huge impact on confidence and wellbeing.

Create’s creative:tandem programme works with children and young people admitted to mental health units due to serious conditions, providing them with opportunities for self-expression, creativity and connection through the arts.

Losing your sense of self

Zainab* (14) took part in visual art workshops at the SLAM Bethlem Adolescent Unit, an inpatient service supporting young people with a range of mental health challenges including eating disorders, OCD and psychosis.

She described how mental illness affected her confidence and ability to engage with the things she once enjoyed:

“I’ve been in SLAM Bethlem Adolescent Unit for three to four months. My mental illness has stopped me from speaking up or participating in things I enjoy. You get cut off from your hobbies when you’re unwell.”

For many young people experiencing severe mental ill health, this loss of identity and routine can be deeply isolating.

Finding freedom through creativity

During the project, participants explored collage, painting and clay work with Create artist Renata Minoldo.

“On this project we’ve been making collages with different materials, painting and building with clay. The collages were my favourite. I used pieces of text, flowers and butterflies on top of different wallpaper designs, and that looked really pretty. It felt nice to put the piece on my wall.” 

For Zainab, creativity became a way to feel calmer and more open:

“Creativity is good for your mental health. makes you feel more free and relaxed. And it broadens your mind.” 

Getting to know that artistic side of yourself can be very freeing.

Zainab, creative:tandem

Research increasingly supports the link between creativity and wellbeing. The World Health Organization’s Collaborating Centre for Arts & Health, directed by Daisy Fancourt, has highlighted evidence that arts engagement can support mental health, reduce stress and anxiety, improve social connection and even help reduce pressure on health services.

The importance of making together

As well as supporting self-expression, group creative activities can help reduce feelings of isolation by encouraging conversation, collaboration and shared experiences:

“We’ve been talking to each other, sharing our ideas, our artwork and finding inspiration.”

For young people in inpatient settings, opportunities for meaningful social interaction can be limited. Zainab explained why projects like creative:tandem are so valuable:

“This project is really good for patients, because there’s not much stuff going on in the ward.  Group activities like these can be helpful and they boost your mental wellbeing. ”

You can focus on an art project and really lose yourself in it. And I think that being able to lose yourself is a wonderful thing.

Zainab, creative:tandem

Why this work matters

Mental wellbeing is about far more than the absence of illness. It is about connection, confidence, identity and feeling able to participate in life.

Through projects like creative:tandem, young people experiencing significant mental ill health are given space to express themselves creatively, connect with others and rediscover parts of themselves beyond their illness.

*Name changed to protect anonymity

Thank you to London Freemasons’ Charity and Prudence Trust for funding this project.

THANK YOU TO OUR CORE and unrestricted FUNDERS: CREATIVITY WITHOUT LIMITS

At Create, we believe that everyone – regardless of age, background or circumstance – should have access to the life-enhancing power of creativity.

Thanks to the generous support of our core and unrestricted funders, we were able to reach more people than ever in 2025/26 with high-quality, collaborative creative arts projects. This flexible funding is vital: it enables us to respond quickly to emerging needs, build trusted partnerships, and co-design programmes with communities. It also underpins the essential costs of running a resilient organisation, supporting our artists, maintaining quality and ensuring projects are accessible, inclusive and impactful.

Across the year, we ran 96 projects, delivered over 1,355 workshops and engaged 2,500 participants facing significant barriers to accessing creativity – from young carers and children in care, to people with disabilities and older adults experiencing isolation.

A CREATIVE RESPONSE TO INEQUALITY

60% of our participants were eligible for free school meals, more than double the national average. Nearly half were from the global majority, 50% had special educational needs and 17% spoke English as an additional language. These figures reflect our commitment to reaching the most marginalised groups in our society.

In every workshop, participants explored their creativity in new ways, built meaningful connections and developed vital life skills – all while being supported by our team of professional artists.

REAL IMPACT

The outcomes of this work were powerful:

• 99% of participants reported learning something new
• 96% said their wellbeing had improved
• 95% felt more confident and 96% felt more connected to others
• 96% said they enjoyed the project they took part in
• 99% of community partners said that their programmes were enhanced by our projects

These numbers only tell part of the story. Behind every statistic is a person who discovered their voice through creativity – like this adult carer from Harrow:

“Since the workshop, I’ve noticed a real shift in my wellbeing – [I’m] more balanced, more focused and definitely more energised. It’s like something clicked into place.”

Participant, creative:voices, Harrow

Or this young carer from our Southwark dance project:

“[This project] gave me the confidence to speak to people.” – Participant, art:space, Cambridge

Thank you

Unrestricted, core support from our funders makes this work possible. With their backing, we’re not only increasing access to creativity – we’re changing lives. Whether through painting, dance, photography, drama or music, our workshops help participants to build confidence, improve wellbeing and feel seen, valued and heard.

To our core funders, including those who prefer to remain anonymous – thank you. Your commitment to creativity, inclusion and impact is helping us build a fairer, more connected society. We are so grateful for your partnership and support.

In 2025/26 we received core or unrestricted funding from:

Aesop Foundation, Brown Forman, CA Redfern Charitable Foundation, Chesterhill Charitable Trust, David and Ruth Lewis Family Charitable Trust, The Finborough Foundation, The Linbury Trust, London Graphic Centre, Q Charitable Trust, The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation, Unethical and White Stuff.