Create is a UK creative arts charity (registered charity number 1099733) based in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
, which offers creative workshops and arts experiences led by professional artists in community settings, schools, day centres, prisons and hospitals.
The charity works with seven priority groups: young hospital patients; disabled children and adults; young, young adult and adult carers; schoolchildren (and their teachers) in areas of deprivation; vulnerable older people; young and adult prisoners (and their families); and marginalised children and adults (including LGBTQ+ young people, homeless people and refugees).
Patrons include: choreographer/director
Sir Matthew Bourne OBE, writer
Esther Freud
Esther Freud (born 2 May 1963) is a British novelist.
Early life and training
Born in London, Freud is the daughter of Bernardine Coverley and painter Lucian Freud. She is also a great-granddaughter of Sigmund Freud and niece of Clement Freu ...
, musician
Dame Evelyn Glennie, composer/TV presenter
Howard Goodall CBE, Royal Academician
Ken Howard OBE, writer/ex-prisoner
Erwin James
Erwin James Monahan (born 1957) is a columnist and convicted murderer who has written for '' The Guardian'' since 1998, writing under the name "Erwin James" whilst still incarcerated. He was released in August 2004 having served 20 years of a life ...
, choreographer
Shobana Jeyasingh CBE, pianist
Nicholas McCarthy, writer/broadcaster/art historian
Tim Marlow OBE, and writer/actress/comedian
Isy Suttie
Isobel Jane "Isy" Suttie (; born 11 August 1978) is a British musical comedian, actress, and writer. She played Dobby in the British sitcom '' Peep Show'', and in 2013 won the gold Sony Radio Academy Award for her radio show ''Pearl And Dave' ...
.
History
Create was founded on 7 July 2003 from the dining room table of Chief Executive, Nicky Goulder, with the aim of empowering lives through the creative arts. Prior to this, Nicky was Chief Executive of the
Orchestra of St John's. In 2013, Nicky won the Clarins Most Dynamisante Woman of the Year Award, which recognises "the action and commitment of inspirational British women who work tirelessly to help underprivileged or sick children across the globe."
Create has won more than 115 awards since 2012, including Charity Times's "Charity of the Year: with an income of less than £1 million" in 2020,
and "Digital Transformation of the Year" in 2021.
In 2021/22, Create ran 981 workshops, delivering 13,439 contact hours with 1,367 disadvantaged and vulnerable children and adults.
Since 2003, Create has run 12,057 workshops, delivering 330,943 contact hours with more than 41,500 participants. Projects have been delivered across England, Scotland and Wales.
Projects connect, empower, inspire and upskill participants, raising aspirations, reducing isolation and enhancing wellbeing. Each is rigorously evaluated to assess impact.
Selection of Projects

*art:links is a cross-arts project which brings together vulnerable older people in day centres and care homes for friendship, self-expression and creative release, reducing isolation.
*art:space and inspired:arts use film-making, photography, music, drama, creative writing and visual art to enable young carers to take time away from their caring responsibilities.
*change:matters educates and upskills young carers across the UK on the topic of money and family finances through the creative arts.
*creative:connection tackles disability prejudice, bringing disabled and non-disabled young people together to make visual art, music, film and more.
*Inside Stories enables prisoners to write, record, illustrate and set to music their own stories for their children, while My Dad's In Prison gives prisoners a chance to write a children's book that promotes understanding of having a parent in prison.
Awards
*Winner: 104
Koestler Awards
Koestler Arts (formerly The Koestler Trust) is a charity which helps ex-offenders, secure patients and detainees in the UK to express themselves creatively. It promotes the arts in prisons, secure hospitals, immigration centres and in the commun ...
since 2012
*Winner:
Charity Times Awards The UK Charity Awards are annual awards for outstanding achievements within the UK not-for-profit sector. Categories reflect the management of charities and not-for-profits, and awards are made to individuals, departments and whole organizations.
P ...
2021 ~ Digital Transformation of the Year
*Winner:
Charity Times Awards The UK Charity Awards are annual awards for outstanding achievements within the UK not-for-profit sector. Categories reflect the management of charities and not-for-profits, and awards are made to individuals, departments and whole organizations.
P ...
2020 ~ Charity of the Year: with an income of less than £1 million
*Winner:
Legal Week CSR Innovation (Collaboration) (Ashurst/Create) 2020
*Winner:
Children & Young People Now 2019 ~ Young Carers Award
*Winner: Charity Awards 2017 ~ Arts, Culture and Heritage Award
*Winner: East End Community Foundation ~ Smooth Sailing Award 2017
*Winner: Foundation for Social Improvement ~ Small Charity Big Impact Award 2017
*Highly Commended:
Children and Young People Now 2017 ~ Young Carers Award
*Highly Commended:
Children and Young People Now 2017 ~ Youth Justice Award
*Highly Commended:
Children and Young People Now 2017 ~ Youth Work Award
*Winner:
Children and Young People Now 2016 ~ Arts and Culture Award
*Winner: Creative Vision Award 2016
*Winner:
Charity Times Awards The UK Charity Awards are annual awards for outstanding achievements within the UK not-for-profit sector. Categories reflect the management of charities and not-for-profits, and awards are made to individuals, departments and whole organizations.
P ...
2015 ~ PR Team of the Year: with an income of less than £1 million
*Special Commendation:
Royal Society for Public Health
Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) is an independent, multi-disciplinary charity dedicated to the improvement of the public's health.
RSPH helps inform policy and practice, working to educate, empower and support communities and individuals ...
's Arts and Health Awards for Inside Stories (2013)
*Winner:
Business in the Community
Business in the Community (BITC) is a British business-community outreach charity promoting responsible business, CSR, corporate responsibility, and is one of the Prince's Charities of King Charles III (formerly the Prince of Wales).
BITC wo ...
's South East Local Impact Award for art:space presented to sponsor
British Land (2013)
*The Lord Mayor's Dragon Award for Social Inclusion for creative:u~turn presented to sponsor
Reed Smith
Reed Smith LLP is a global law firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with more than 1,500 lawyers in 30 offices throughout the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
History
Reed Smith was founded in Pittsburgh in 1877 by ...
(2012)
References
External links
Official websiteArticle on Create's dance workshops with older people in The Guardian*[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/star-choreographer-matthew-bourne-gives-young-carers-a-chance-to-perform-at-sadlers-wells-10009772.html Article from The Independent on Create's dance project with young carers at Sadler's Wells]
Article by CEO Nicky Goulder on disability prejudice and the arts in The GuardianReport from Sky News on Create's visual art project with young carers in Canary WharfArticle by rock band Biffy Clyro on their support of CreateArticle by CEO Nicky Goulder on the Arts Council England website about delivering arts activities during lockdownArticle from Charity Times on how Create transformed its delivery during the COVID-19 pandemicArticle by CEO Nicky Goulder in The Stage on how theatre can empower young carersInterview from Inside Time between Create Patron Erwin James and Create CEO Nicky Goulder about the charity's work in prisons
{{Authority control
Arts organizations established in 2003
Charities based in London
Disability in the arts
Arts organisations based in the United Kingdom
2003 establishments in England
Arts charities