Culture is a part of every community
Creative Communities, which launched in 2020, is a programme that aims to support and empower communities to develop cultural activities.
The programme distributes funds to support communities to develop new initiatives involving culture and creative arts.
In addition to investing in community-led arts projects, the Creative Communities Programme is providing a number of organisations with development support and/or funding to progress early-stage ideas.
Creative Communities is funded jointly by the Scottish Government’s Culture and Justice directorates and aims to extend opportunities for people to take part in creative endeavours throughout their lives.
Organisations funded by the Creative Communities Programme.Â
Read the media release about the launch of the fund  and our media release about funding for 2021/22.
About the programme
Creative Communities forms a key part of the Culture Strategy for Scotland, and is based on the belief that cultural activity has broad, interlinked benefits for people and communities. These include but are not limited to: improving mental wellbeing, reducing loneliness and diversion from criminal behaviour
We want to support communities to develop and implement programmes of creative activity. Support is focused on communities where social or geographical circumstances make engaging with cultural activities more challenging.
We are currently funding and supporting 29 organisations with funding up to £40,000 to provide creative activities for their communities. We are supporting a further  15 organisations with development support and/ or seed funding.
The fund is not currently accepting applications. To find out more about future funding rounds please follow us on Twitter or send an email using the ‘Contact Us’ section below to let us know you are interested.
Creative Communities evaluation report
We recently commissioned Research Scotland to complete an independent evaluation of the first year of the Creative Communities Programme.
They concluded that Creative Communities projects:
- Provided the opportunity for people to engage in creative arts that they would not have otherwise, have fun and feel joy and pride;
- Brought people together, building connections and reducing loneliness – which was particularly important during the pandemic; and
- Helped participants develop a wide range of improved skills around creativity, digital engagement and skills for life, learning and work.
Download the full report
Creative Communities Film
Watch our Creative Communities Film below showcasing a selection of the 46 projects funded in the first year of the Creative Communities Programme (2020-2021)
Read more about the film hereCreative Communities Showreel
Watch a showreel featuring some of the creative projects below.
Watch the showreelContact Us
For all enquiries about the Creative Communities programme please email creative@inspiringscotland.org.uk
We’re also on Twitter @IScreativecomm
Creative Communities
Supported organisations
Creative Communities
An Lanntair
Based in Harris and Lewis, this Creative Communities project supports online visual arts workshops for people over the age of 60, held in Gaelic and English.
Learn More
Creative Communities
ATLAS Arts in partnership with Skye Climate Action
Based in Skye, ATLAS organises visual art and education projects and provides resources and support to local groups to make and take part in culture.
Learn More
Creative Communities
Bethany Christian Trust
Bethany Christian Trust aims to eliminate the risk factors of homelessness by using creative activity to improve wellbeing and strengthen communities.
Learn MoreOur news
26.05.2022
Showcase demonstrates the power and potential of creativity in Scotland’s communitiesÂ
A showcase of projects involved in the Creative Communities Programme took place Thursday 19th May in Glasgow, creating a powerful and diverse exhibition. The showcase aimed to demonstrate how individual communities, facing barriers to engaging in culture, have formed their own unique creative activities: developing their own connection to culture and improved their wellbeing and
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26.05.2022
Matt Baker guests blogs on Creative Communities programme after attending its showcase earlier this Month.
Artist and founder of the Stove Network, Matt Baker guests blogs on Creative Communities programme after attending its showcase earlier this Month.  Firstly, I’d like to congratulate everyone who took part in the Creative Communities programme – from those who first thought up the idea and made it possible – to everyone who has been
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10.12.2021
Launching a fund during a pandemic – lessons learned
The Creative Communities programme was due to launch just as the pandemic struck. Erica, head of the Creative Communities team takes a look at just what this meant for third sector organisations and Inspiring Scotland as a funder, and shares key learnings from the experience. The Creative Communities Programme was conceived as part of the Scottish Government’s Culture strategy, which
Read MoreContact us
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