Epic AwardsThe Epic Awards shine a spotlight on the achievements of creative groups across the UK and Republic of Ireland each year. The 2019 Epic Awards are open for applications from 1 April until 31 May 2019. Shortlisted entries will be put forward for the highly coveted People's Choice Award while winners and runners-up from each of the four main categories (England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales) will be invited to the winners reception in Edinburgh on 3 October 2019. The Epic Awards are an annual chance for your creative group or project to be recognised for the incredible work you've done over the past year. This year's event will be held in Central Hall, Edinburgh on Thursday 3 October 2019. Follow Voluntary Arts on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with news about this year's Epic Awards. See all the 2018 winners and runners-up here. 2017 People's Choice Award winners Roscommon Solstice Choir celebrating their win on BBC One's Breakfast show About Rules and Guidelines 2018 Winners Back to Home Epic Awards The Epic Awards were set up in 2010 by Voluntary Arts, an organisation that works across the UK and Republic of Ireland to promote participation in creative cultural activities. Nominations for the Epic Awards 2019 were open throughout April and May 2019, and are currently being shortlists. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Edinburgh on 3 October 2019. The Epic Awards celebrate the achievement of voluntary arts groups across the UK and Republic of Ireland, by recognising the skill, innovation and hard work that goes into their activities. Voluntary Arts works with local creative cultural groups, voluntary sector organisations, arts councils and local and national government, to help increase opportunities for creative participation – and support those who have already discovered the benefits of taking part. The voluntary cultural sector is huge, incorporating drama groups, choirs, knitting circles, orchestras, dance troupes, painters, photographers, community arts and much, much more. Over 60,000 voluntary arts groups operate across the UK and Republic of Ireland, and their contribution to lives in their local community cannot be underestimated. The Epic Awards are here to shine a spotlight on their work, and to inspire others to get involved. Who can enter the Epic Awards? The Epic Awards are for creative projects that involve people who participate for the love of it and on an amateur basis. You can be based anywhere in the UK or Republic of Ireland, practice any kind of art form or craft and work with any age group. Your nominated project can be long or short-term, as long as some or all of it took place in the twelve months prior to 31 December 2018. Prizes include: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales Epic Award Winners: Framed winners' certificate £250 A tailored package of training, mentoring and promotion to help bring your group to the next level from Voluntary Arts and Epic Award partners England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales Epic Award Runners Up: Framed runners-up certificate £75 Mentoring from Voluntary Arts and Epic Award partners Get a taste of what the Epic Awards are all about in this short video: