Voluntary Arts
| Head union | President – Beeban Kidron |
|---|---|
| Key people |
Robin Simpson, Chief Executive; Louise de Winter, Chair |
| Office location | Cardiff, Derry, Edinburgh |
| Country | United Kingdom, Ireland |
| Website | www.voluntaryarts.org |
Robin Simpson, Chief Executive;
Voluntary Arts supports, celebrates and promotes creative cultural activity. It works across the UK and Republic of Ireland to help create an environment where participation in everyday creativity can flourish. Voluntary Arts recognises that participating in cultural activities helps physical and mental well-being, and can play an important role in building a healthy, engaged civil society.
Through a devolved structure across the UK and Ireland, Voluntary Arts provides information and training, works with policy makers, funders and politicians with a goal of improving the environment for voluntary arts and crafts, promoting existing activity and encouraging newcomers to get involved. It works with over 300 national and regional artform umbrella bodies, and through them, their member groups.
Voluntary Arts is registered in Scotland as Voluntary Arts Network Company No. 139147 and Charity No. SC 020345.
The voluntary arts are defined as creative cultural activities that people undertake for self-improvement, social networking, leisure and fun - but not primarily for payment. The range of art forms includes crafts, dance, drama, literature, media, music, visual arts, applied arts and festivals.
Voluntary Arts has offices in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Derry, as well as project workers in various other locations. Each nation has its own organisation: Voluntary Arts England, Voluntary Arts Ireland (covering Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland), Voluntary Arts Scotland and Voluntary Arts Wales.
Beginning in Scotland in 2011 and extended across the UK and Ireland the following year, Voluntary Arts organised Voluntary Arts Week. This followed similar models in other European countries including the Week of Amateur Arts in Flanders. Taking place for one week in May, across the UK and Ireland, the aim of Voluntary Arts Week is two-fold:
Amateur art and craft groups are encouraged to do something special for Voluntary Arts Week, such as run an open rehearsal, hold a workshop/taster session, put on a special performance or exhibition – anything which shines a light on their activity, and encourages others to join in. Events are then listed on its website.
The 2013 Voluntary Arts Week featured the first ever national 'CraftBomb'. This involved crafters of all kinds taking their creations out into the public domain, leading to a burst of colour in parks, gardens, on railings and outside buildings.
In 2017, the ten-day event was renamed Voluntary Arts Festival: www.voluntaryarts.org/festival
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