Grassroots creative groups under pressure

This article was featured in the SCDC Weekly - 26th August 2026

New research has highlighted the precarious position many creative community organisations face, with increased demand for their services and reduced levels of funding and support.

Published by Creative Lives, the report lays out findings from an annual health check of the capacity, resilience, and connections of grassroots creative groups across the UK and Ireland.

Like many in the voluntary sector, despite high demand and positive social impact, creative groups remain financially fragile, with three quarters of organisations lacking the resources they need.

Many groups reported feeling isolated and struggling to establish meaningful connections with local authorities and other civic infrastructure, further reducing their impact. 

The report also found that demand for and provision of creative activity aren't equally spread, highlighting that people with protected characteristics are often underserved. Groups raised issues around volunteer burnout and recruitment, challenges around social division, and uncertainty around the development of AI.

Recent research from SCVO shows that these trends will be familiar to almost all groups, with 97% of surveyed organisations in Scotland reporting that they face challenges in their work.

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