Voluntary Arts
Voluntary Arts play a vital role in promoting health, wellbeing and community cohesion.
Image: Open Source Belfast. Source: Voluntary Arts Ireland People carry out Voluntary Arts activities for self-improvement, social networking, intellectual stimulation, leisure and pleasure purposes, rather than for financial gain.
The artform range is wide and includes dance, drama, literature, music, media, visual arts, crafts, applied arts, folk arts and festivals. The Arts Council is an advocate for the value of Voluntary Arts.
Voluntary Arts play a vital role in promoting health, wellbeing and community cohesion, contributing an estimated £50 million to the UK arts economy each year. More than half of the UK’s adult population is engaged in some form of voluntary arts or crafts.
For many, Voluntary Arts are the first point of access to any kind of arts activity. The Arts Council helps to strengthen the support network and to encourage more opportunities for voluntary involvement in the arts. We work in partnership with arts organisations and local authorities.