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, CA Redfern Charitable Foundation, Chesterhill Charitable Trust, David and Ruth Lewis Family Charitable Trust, Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation, The Finborough Foundation, Q Charitable Trust, The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation and Wates Foundation.
