Creative Lives Awards

Overview

The Creative Lives Awards (formerly Epic Awards) celebrates imagination and initiative in participatory arts across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Each year they creative groups across the UK and Ireland to share their achievements.

If your group did something really special between September 2022 and September 2023, and voluntary participants played a key role in both planning and delivery, then fill out the online application form here or download a Word version here.

Award categories will include:

• The Local Hero Award - an award recognising the creative efforts and community spirit of an individual
• The Resilient Group Award - an award recognising the resilience and ingenuity of voluntary arts groups that adapted their regular meet-ups/activity in light of restrictions
• The Diversity and Inclusion Award - an award to champion an individual or group that has done something special to overcome barriers to creative participation
• The Peer Award for Excellence - an award selected by fellow shortlisted entries
• The People's Choice Award - an award voted for by members of the public from the shortlist of entries

Eligibility

To be eligible for an Creative Lives Award, a project and groups has to be able to answer yes to the following questions:

• The project involves citizens, artists and creative people who participate for the love of it and on an amateur basis.
• Any paid staff involved in delivery of project activities are neither the main nor the sole decision makers, either creatively or organisationally.
• The project took place between March 2020 and March 2021 (or the group is ongoing) and was based in the UK or Republic of Ireland.

Being constituted as a group is not a requirement. The Creative Lives Awards celebrates the activity that has happened and impact that it has made.

What are they looking for?

The Awards recognise engagement, partnership, innovation and creative development across voluntary and community-led projects and groups; often shining a spotlight on those ‘unsung’ heroes who lead and sustain creative cultural activity for the benefit of others. The awards are intended to be as inclusive as possible.

In 2021, they're looking for applications from (or nominations for) groups and projects that have shown resilience and imagination during the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and carried on being creative.

The activity must have taken place between March 2020 and March 2021, or be ongoing.

Benefits

Winners will receive a cash prize (usually in the region of £250), a package of mentoring including free places on all their training, all expenses paid atrendance at the awards ceremony, and networking opportunities.