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  1. Your Creativity

Umbrella Bodies

Finding information or advice on a specific artform can be difficult and the voluntary arts covers a huge range of activities.

Umbrella bodies can be a great way to find out more about a specific artform, craft or activity and, as they are often membership bodies, they can also point you towards local groups near you! See the list below here, and check out our 'Creativity Map' for direct links to groups across the UK and Ireland.

List of Umbrella Bodies by category

Organisation Website Email Facebook Twitter
Craft
Association for Contemporary Jewellery www.acj.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Association of Woodturners of Great Britain www.woodturners.co.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Basketmakers' Association www.basketmakersassociation.org.uk [email protected] Facebook
Bead Society of Great Britain www.beadsociety.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Border Stick Dressers Association www.bsda.eu [email protected]
British Association for Modern Mosaics www.bamm.org.uk [email protected]
British Beadworkers' Guild www.beadworkersguild.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
British Decoy Wildfowl Carvers www.bdwca.org.uk [email protected]
British Origami Society www.britishorigami.info [email protected] Facebook
British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild www.britishpuppetguild.org.uk [email protected]
British Society of Master Glass Painters www.bsmgp.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
British Sugarcraft Guild www.bsguk.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
British Toymakers Guild www.toymakersguild.co.uk Facebook
British Woodcarvers Association www.britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk [email protected]
British Woodturners Association www.britishwoodturners.co.uk [email protected]
Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society www.clas.co.uk [email protected] Facebook
Contemporary Glass Society www.cgs.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Crafts Council www.craftscouncil.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Guild of Enamellers www.guildofenamellers.org Facebook
Guild of Glass Engravers www.gge.org.uk [email protected] Facebook
Guild of Rocking Horse Makers www.rockinghorse.co.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Hilliard Society of Miniaturists www.hilliardsociety.org [email protected]
International Guild of Knot Tyers www.igkt.net [email protected]
London Potters www.londonpotters.com [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Marquetry Society www.marquetry.org [email protected]
National Federation of Women's Institutes www.thewi.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers www.royal-miniature-society.org.uk [email protected] Twitter
The Arts Society (formerly NADFAS) www.theartssociety.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Dance
All England Dance Association www.all-england-dance.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
British Association of American Square Dance Clubs www.uksquaredancing.com
British Cheerleading Association www.cheerleading.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
British Dance Council www.bdconline.org [email protected] Facebook
Dalcroze Society www.dalcroze.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Early Dance Circle www.earlydancecircle.co.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
English Amateur Dancesport Association www.eada.org.uk Facebook
English Folk Dance and Song Society www.efdss.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Historical Dance Society www.historicaldance.org.uk [email protected] Facebook
Laban Guild for Movement and Dance www.labanguild.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Morris Federation www.morrisfed.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Morris Ring www.themorrisring.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
One Dance UK www.onedanceuk.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Open Morris www.open-morris.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
People Dancing www.communitydance.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Royal Scottish Country Dance Society www.rscds.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Society for International Folk Dancing www.sifd.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Square Dance Callers Club of Great Britain google.com/site/squaredancecallersclub
Sweet Adelines International www.sweetadelines.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Allied Dancing Association www.allieddancing.co.uk [email protected] Facebook
Disabilities
Shape Arts www.shapearts.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Drama
All England Theatre Festival www.aetf.org.uk [email protected] Facebook
Association of Community Theatre www.actuk.org [email protected] Facebook
Association of Ulster Drama Festivals www.audf.org.uk [email protected]
Little Theatre Guild www.littletheatreguild.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Association of Youth Theatres www.nayt.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) www.noda.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Radius www.radiusdrama.org.uk [email protected] Facebook
Scottish Community Drama Association www.scda.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Total Theatre Network www.totaltheatre.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Youth Theatre of Great Britain www.nyt.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Festivals
Association of Festival Organisers www.festivalorganisers.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Association of Independent Festivals www.aiforg.com [email protected] Facebook Twitter
British Arts Festivals Association www.artsfestivals.co.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Drama Festivals Association www.ndfa.co.uk [email protected] Facebook
Film
Cinema For All www.cinemaforall.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
IAC - The Film & Video Institute www.theiac.org.uk [email protected] Facebook
Literary
Alliance of Literary Societies www.allianceofliterarysocieties.org.uk Facebook Twitter
Folklore Society www.folklore-society.com [email protected] Facebook Twitter
International PEN www.pen-international.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Association of Writers Groups www.nawg.co.uk [email protected] Facebook
Poetry Society www.poetrysociety.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Society for Storytelling www.sfs.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Spread the Word www.spreadtheword.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Music
Brass Bands England www.brassbandsengland.co.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
British Association of Barbershop Singers www.singbarbershop.com [email protected] Twitter
British Association of Steelbands www.panpodium.com Facebook Twitter
British Association of Symphonic Band and Wind Ensembles www.basbwe.net [email protected] Facebook Twitter
British BMG Federation www.banjomandolinguitar.org
British Choirs on the Net www.choirs.org.uk/home Facebook Twitter
British Clavichord Society www.clavichord.org.uk
British Double Reed Society www.bdrs.org.uk [email protected] Twitter
British Flute Society www.bfs.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
British Horn Society www.british-horn.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
British Trombone Society www.britishtrombonesociety.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
British Youth Band Association www.byba.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Clarinet and Saxophone Society www.cassgb.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
CoMA (Contemporary Music Making for Amateurs) www.coma.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Commun na Clarsaich www.clarsachsociety.co.uk [email protected]
Corps of Drums Society www.corpsofdrums.com [email protected] Facebook
Drum Corps United Kingdom www.dcuk.org.uk [email protected] Twitter
East Anglian Traditional Music Trust www.eatmt.org.uk [email protected]
English Folk Dance and Song Society www.efdss.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Friends of Cathedral Music www.fcm.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Handbell Ringers of Great Britain www.hrgb.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Incorporated Association of Organists www.iao.org.uk Facebook Twitter
Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers www.labbs.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Lute Society www.lutesoc.co.uk [email protected] Facebook
Making Music www.makingmusic.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Music and the Deaf www.matd.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Music for Youth www.mfy.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Accordion Organisation of the UK www.accordions.com/nao [email protected] Facebook
National Association of Choirs www.nationalassociationofchoirs.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Early Music Association www.earlymusic.info
National Harmonica League www.harmonica.co.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Youth Choirs of Great Britain www.nycgb.net [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Youth Jazz Orchestra www.nyjo.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Northumbrian Pipers' Society www.northumbrianpipers.org.uk [email protected] Facebook
Organ Club www.organclub.org Facebook
Piper's Guild www.pipersguild.org
Royal School of Church Music www.rscm.com [email protected] Facebook
Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association www.rspba.org Facebook Twitter
Sing for Pleasure www.singforpleasure.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Society of Recorder Players www.srp.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Sound Sense www.soundsense.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
The Concert Band Portal www.concert-bands.co.uk [email protected]
Twitter
Traditional Youth Marching Band Association www.tymba.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Viola da Gamba Society www.vdgs.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Wind Band Association of the UK www.windbandassociation.co.uk [email protected]
Women in Music UK www.womeninmusic.org.uk [email protected]
Youth Music www.youthmusic.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Performance
Circus Arts Forum www.circusarts.org.uk Facebook Twitter
Independent Street Arts Network www.isanuk.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Magic Circle www.themagiccircle.co.uk Facebook Twitter
National Association of Street Artists www.nasauk.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Rural Touring Forum www.nrtf.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Photography
Disabled Photographers Society www.disabledphotographers.co.uk [email protected] Facebook
Photographic Alliance of Great Britain www.thepagb.org.uk [email protected]
Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain www.rps.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Textiles
Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers www.wsd.org.uk [email protected] Facebook
Batik Guild www.batikguild.org.uk Facebook
Braid Society www.braidsociety.com [email protected] Facebook
British Tapestry Group www.thebritishtapestrygroup.co.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Cross Stitch Guild www.thecrossstitchguild.com [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Embroiderers' Guild www.embroiderersguild.com [email protected] Facebook
Guild of Needle Laces www.guildofneedlelaces.org Facebook
Guild of Silk Painters www.silkpainters-guild.co.uk Facebook
International Feltmakers Association www.feltmakers.com [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Knitting & Crochet Guild www.kcguild.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Lace Guild www.laceguild.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Lace Society www.thelacesociety.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Quilters' Guild of the British Isles www.quiltersguild.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Ring of Tatters www.ringoftatters.org.uk [email protected]
Textile Society www.textilesociety.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
UK Hand Knitting Association www.ukhandknitting.com [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Visual Art
Association of Illustrators www.theaoi.com [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Engage - the National Association for Gallery Education www.engage.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Acrylic Painters Association www.napauk.com [email protected] Facebook
SAA Society for All Artists www.saa.co.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
UK Coloured Pencil Society www.ukcps.co.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Youth
Action for Children's Arts www.childrensarts.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Ambition UK www.ambitionuk.org [email protected] Twitter
British Youth Band Association www.byba.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Music for Youth www.mfy.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Association of Youth Theatres www.nayt.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs www.nfyfc.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Youth Choirs of Great Britain www.nycgb.net [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Youth Jazz Orchestra www.nyjo.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
National Youth Theatre of Great Britain www.nyt.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Traditional Youth Marching Band Association www.tymba.org [email protected] Facebook Twitter
Youth Music www.youthmusic.org.uk [email protected] Facebook Twitter

Note: This is a listing of external organisations and Voluntary Arts is not responsible for the accuracy of the listings or the content on external sites. Email addresses are included where these are obviously that of the organisation, but those that are personal in form are excluded for data protection reasons. If you are a representative of a network or umbrella body and want to update or add your information to the listings above, please contact [email protected] 


See our Practical Help section for more info on finding support in your local area.

Published: 27th November, 2017

Updated: 15th February, 2021

Author: Damien McGlynn

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