With councils across the UK slashing funding for the arts, nice-to-have services have paid the price.
This uphill battle means those who go above and beyond to ensure people still have the resources and opportunity to be creative should be applauded.
One group in Bristol doing exactly this is award-winning theatre company Brave Bold Drama, headed up by former secondary teacher Gill Simmons and creative producer Paul Lawless.
In 2017 the pair took on the building formerly occupied by Volunteering Matters in Withywood and transformed it into a valuable community hub which now hosts a wide range of events for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Building on a successful two years serving people in the BS13 postcode and beyond, Creative Workspace has a busy calendar in 2020 with plenty going on to interest everyone, from coffee mornings for the elderly to theatre-making projects for budding thespians.
"I think it's absolutely vital that communities have places like this where they can come together and get creative," said Gill, who launched Brave Bold Drama on her own in 2013 before collaborating with Paul.
"We offer activities and workshops which people are unable to do at home due to a lack of space and other reasons.
"Without places like this, young people wouldn't have the ability to get creative and therefore wouldn't be able to find what they want to do when they grow up.
"I'm really passionate that everyone has access to facilities such as this no matter their background or how much money they have. It's so important for self-confidence and brings with it so many benefits."
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Gill said 43 per cent of people who used the service in 2019 live within the BS13 postcode - something she is proud of - but she would also like to attract people from further afield this year.
Since launching Creative Workspace, Brave Bold Drama has secured funding from Community Fund, Bristol Cultural Investment Fund, Quartet Funding and Arts Council England to support its events programme, allowing it to develop in a short space of time.
For more information including upcoming events, visit Creative Workspace's website.
