Author: communications

23 YEARS OF CREATING CONNECTION, SKILLS AND WELLBEING

Today – 7 July 2026 – Create turns 23. I can still remember the first day, at my dining room table, as though it were yesterday.

I love a celebration, and this feels like a very special and important moment for the charity, particularly at a time when the wide-ranging benefits of creativity are being increasingly recognised.

Yesterday, I visited the showcase of our “More Creative” project in the London borough of Southwark. Over seven weeks our inspirational professional dancer worked with a group of 20 adults with learning disabilities and primary schoolchildren to explore movement, storytelling and the joy of creating collaboratively. Joy was at the heart of their glorious performance, which took us through animal-filled forests to a water meadow full of colourful dancing waterlilies. Once again, I experienced the magic that happens when people come together to create.

Although so much in our world has changed since 2003, my vision on starting the charity – of a society in which everyone has access to the educational, social and life-enriching benefits of the creative arts – has stayed the same. We have always believed that access to creativity is a fundamental right, not a privilege, and the increasing inequalities in our communities mean that our work has never been more important.

It is a challenging time for the arts sector – and charities more broadly – and I am proud that Create has now delivered 17,167 workshops that have brought joy, skills, inspiration, connection and wellbeing to 50,430 of the most isolated and vulnerable children and adults across the UK. That’s equivalent to a convoy of 630 packed double decker buses!

Social prescribing is increasingly embedded in the NHS, which explicitly recommends creative and cultural activities for people with mental health issues, chronic pain, and other conditions. Creative health, which was arguably seen as a specialist topic 23 years ago, is now widely discussed in Parliament and policy circles. And this awareness continued to grow at the start of this year, with the publication of Professor Daisy Fancourt’s book “Art Cure”. Drawing on the last decade of UCL research into the arts, Fancourt makes a compelling case for the necessity of access to the arts. Create’s core belief – that people need to create – is here scientifically proven beyond doubt by evidence drawn from thousands of studies.

Fancourt argues overwhelming for the arts as the “fifth pillar of health” alongside diet, sleep, exercise, and nature. The impact of creative arts participation is measurable, producing quantifiable improvements across physical and mental health outcomes.

Here at Create, we have 23 years of compelling data demonstrating the impact of our creative arts programmes on skill building, connections, confidence and wellbeing. And we have played an important role in the debate through our own online series of “Create Conversations” roundtables. Throughout the past year, we brought together experts from academia, charities, business and the creative sector to discuss the intersection of creativity and wellbeing, AI, and leadership.

Create Week (1-7 July 2025) brought the topic of creativity and wellbeing to an even wider audience. Working with a group of partner organisations across the UK, we encouraged people to participate in creative activities for seven days, designed by our professional artists and made available for free via our website. The campaign reached 2.6 million people, doubling its impact compared to the year before.

The main focus of Create’s work remains the delivery of free, high-quality creative arts programmes across the country. Among 97 different projects in the past year, we celebrated music created by 53 disabled and non-disabled young people as part of Manchester Literature Festival in October 2025. We gave a voice to young carers from five geographical locations on Young Carers Action Day in March 2026, when they showcased their incredible artwork, drama, music and puppets. And we published two storybooks written by prisoners for their children, winning a series of prestigious awards.

I am proud of the passion, commitment, drive and energy that our incredible staff team has shown over 23 years. I am inspired by Create’s professional artists who deliver our projects. I feel privileged that we are supported by dedicated Trustees, Patrons and funding partners. I am delighted that 100% of our partner organisations during 2025 rated their Create programme “successful overall”. And I am humbled that our work has been recognised with 146 awards since 2012, including Charity of the Year in 2020.

Above all, I am thankful to the incredible children and adults that we work with, who inspire and motivate me every day. As an isolated 93-year-old told me:

“It’s something to live for, isn’t it!”

Nicky Goulder MBE, Founding Chief Executive of Create

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In a world of digital distractions, making time for creativity is vital

It has never been easier to connect with others. We can send a message to someone on the other side of the world instantly. We carry endless entertainment in our pockets. Technology promises to make life easier, more productive and more connected. Yet many of us have never felt more stressed, more distracted, or more alone.

Recent figures show that 22% of adults in England experience loneliness at least some of the time, with younger adults among the most affected. At the same time, research continues to show that constant digital interruptions are shrinking our attention span, increasing cognitive load and contributing to stress and poorer mental wellbeing.

Technology has in many ways made life easier. But somewhere along the way, we have confused being connected with feeling connection.

That’s where creativity comes in.

Twenty-three years ago, I founded the charity Create, to bring creativity to the most marginalised people in our society. In that time, I’ve seen what happens when people are given the space to create. I’ve watched isolated older people become part of a community through shared creative experiences, seen young and adult carers rediscover confidence through songwriting, and observed non-verbal children find their voice through painting, drama or photography.

At Create, we consistently see the power of creativity to create connection. That’s why, since 2024, we’ve run Create Week – a global celebration of creativity offering people free creative activities wherever they are.

Research backs this up. Creative participation has been shown to strengthen belonging, confidence and social connection. Even brief creative activities can increase wellbeing, enabling people to focus on the present moment, reducing stress and improving emotional regulation.

At a time when the NHS is under immense pressure, evidence shows that engagement with the arts can help prevent ill health, support recovery and reduce pressure on health services. These aren’t fringe benefits. They are exactly the kinds of preventative interventions we should be investing in.

Yet while the evidence has grown stronger, opportunities to be creative are moving in the opposite direction. Since 2010, local authority arts funding has fallen by 55%, with spending now at just £6.47 per person annually. Access to creativity should be a fundamental right, not a privilege. Yet for too many people, it is becoming increasingly determined by where you live or what you earn.

We often talk about creativity as though it’s a luxury – something nice to have. But creativity isn’t simply entertainment. It’s part of the infrastructure that helps people thrive. It helps us process difficult emotions, understand one another and slow down in a culture that is constantly demanding more of our attention. The value of creativity isn’t only in what we make. It’s in what happens to us when we create.

From 1-7 July, Create Week invites everyone to spend just ten minutes each day taking part in a free creative activity, designed by our professional Create artists. No specialist equipment or artistic experience are needed. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with yourself, with other people, and with the present moment.

Everyone deserves the chance to experience the wellbeing, confidence and connection that creativity can bring.  If we’re serious about building a healthier and more connected society, we shouldn’t be asking whether creativity is a luxury. We should be asking why we’ve allowed it to become one.

Nicky Goulder MBE, Founding Chief Executive of Create

Create Week boosts creativity and connection this July

Taking place from 1–7 July 2026, Create Week is a week-long campaign celebrating creativity, run by the charity Create.

It gives everyone the opportunity to experience the wellbeing benefits of creativity by providing access to free creative arts activities online.

The theme of Create Week 2026 is “Connect”: Encouraging everyone to slow down and connect with themselves, other people, and the world around them.

It’s no secret that engaging in the creative arts boosts our mood and is good for our overall sense of wellbeing. But not everyone has access to the creative arts, and many struggle to make time for creativity in today’s busy world, full of digital distractions.

For Create Week, Create’s professional artists have developed seven activities that encourage people to stop and create space for mindful engagement in the here and now. The activities are available completely free of charge and have been designed to help people of all ages and abilities to explore their creativity.

How does it work?

• Taking part in Create Week is simple: Anyone can access the free creative activities and get creative wherever they are.
• Everyone is encouraged to join in the celebration of creativity by sharing their creations and reflections using the hashtag #CreateWeek.
• Create Week participants can also enter a free draw to win £100 of art materials from London Graphic Centre to fuel their creative journey.

Create Week activities can be done anywhere and take just 10 minutes to complete, allowing busy people to bring the power and joy of creativity into their everyday lives. And anyone who wants to create for longer can, as all activities are open-ended and can be extended.

People are encouraged to get together with friends, family, neighbours, or colleagues and run their own events for Create Week. Whether they get creative with others or on their own, everyone can take part in the activities and engage with the campaign online, helping to raise awareness of the benefits of creativity.

Why is it important?

Modern life with its frequent digital interruptions can lead to poorer focus, increased stress and even depression. Thankfully, large studies show that present‑moment awareness reduces stress and improves emotional regulation, even when practiced briefly. Creative activities naturally foster mindfulness by focusing attention on the here and now.

UK‑wide reports show that creative activities can prevent ill health, support recovery, and reduce pressure on the NHS, while also being low‑cost. Create Week helps boost wellbeing by encouraging people to pause, switch off, and re‑engage with the present moment.

Nicky Goulder MBE, Founding CEO of Create, said:

“Access to the life-enhancing power of the creative arts should be a right, not a privilege, and that’s why we started Create Week. Everyone should have the chance to pause and make time for creativity, but our busy lives can get in the way. And many of us don’t know where to start. Create Week makes creativity easy and accessible by removing the barriers to participation. Creativity is not an “add-on” but an essential wellbeing tool that should be available to everyone. So make some time for yourself, download the free activities from our website and join in with Create Week. We can’t wait to see what you create.”