create celebrates 20th year with special birthday event
On the morning of Friday 7 July 2023, Create staff, artists, freelance project managers, Trustees and council members gathered to celebrate the charity’s 20th birthday.
The morning began with a Bucks Fizz brunch before Create Chairman Eddie Donaldson OBE delivered a speech. He said: “I like to think of Create as a jigsaw puzzle. We’re all shaped differently, we have different colours, we have different gifts and different involvement. But actually, in a jigsaw puzzle, every little piece is different. As the pieces fit together, we begin to create a picture and together we make a difference.”
The group was then transported back to 7 July 2003, when Create began. Founding CEO Nicky Goulder’s presentation highlighted seminal moments from Create’s early years through to the present, from its inception at her dining room table in Blackheath to the multi award-winning national charity that it has become today. She concluded with a moving poem written by an adult carer in Merton; and a retrospective film created to celebrate the anniversary year:
During her speech, Nicky asked guests to reflect on why people need to Create, prompting a string of responses ranging from poignant, to powerful, to practical. People need to create because:
- “It brings me happiness and connects me to people, nature, and wider ideas” Kristina Niles (Evaluations Consultant)
- “How else do we discover who we are?” Rishi Dastidar (Create Comms Council Member)
- “It’s my activism. I want to amplify the voices that are so often ignored.” Alicia Clarke (Create Artist)
- “Sometimes it can’t be said in words.” (Anon)
During the final portion of the event, guests took part in a birthday themed workshop delivered by Create artist of 18 years, musician Mike Poyser. Divided into smaller groups, guests were tasked with creating a verse and body percussion rhythms to add to a special birthday song for Create. Following the workshop, Mike combined each verse and created a group birthday song, which you can listen to here.
After singing and birthday cupcakes flaunting Create’s new 20th anniversary logo, the Create staff team continued celebrations into the afternoon, marking the occasion with their annual birthday picnic in Battersea Park.
Create’s 20th birthday celebrations will continue throughout the year, with a fundraising Gala in October and more exciting announcements to follow. For now, we are excited to share our 2022/23 Impact Report, which features a 20-year timeline and interviews with some of Create’s long-standing partners, including 20-year corporate partner British Land and musician Mike Poyser. You can also read Founding CEO Nicky Goulder’s reflections on 20 Years of Sparking Creativity here.
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