the Voluntary Arts directory of
amateur art and craft forms

How to use the book

Every week, hundreds of thousands of people all over the UK and Republic of Ireland pull on their dancing shoes, pick up their paint brushes or tune their instrument. They gather together in village halls, classrooms, theatres, concert rooms... even each other's houses, to take part in one of the many voluntary and amateur art and craft forms alive today.

They don't do this because they are told to, nor to make money, but because they have an insatiable desire to create... through craft, dance, folk arts, literature, music, performance and the visual arts.

Some of them have known for many years which creative outlet is right for them - they may have been born to be basketmakers, pipers or poets, and found their calling early in life. Others may take longer to find the art or craft for that is right for them.

That is where this book can help you. It details over eighty of the most widely-practiced amateur art and craft forms today.

If you feel like trying something new, why not flick through the Directory's pages and see if anything fires your imagination? You can then contact the national umbrella and lead bodies featured alongside each entry, using the details provided, to find the groups, classes and/or events in your area.