Creatives Now’s work is rooted in place. Participants explore people and environment as the foundation of their creative projects, asking how identity, story and belonging are shaped by the towns and cities we inhabit. Creativity becomes a way of understanding lived experience and responding to local context.

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We have led social cohesion conversations, contributing to a project across the North addressing hate crime and social polarisation, supported by Bolton CVS. These conversations created space for dialogue across difference and positioned creative practice as a tool for reflection, listening and civic connection.

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Through public consultations in Bolton, we have explored belonging and community aspirations for the town centre as a social destination. Residents shared their hopes and needs for inclusive civic space, directly informing our programming and local cultural conversations.

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Our Director’s ongoing action research into grassroots activity and mutual aid in post-industrial towns and cities in the UK and US increasingly shapes the organisation’s direction, ensuring our work remains socially engaged, place-responsive and grounded in contemporary community realities.