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Sign up below to participate, and we'll send you 31 easy and accessible creative challenges across January 2024.

(You'll also receive updates on competitions and events near you!)

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The January Challenge has now come to a close for 2023, but your creativity doesn't have to end there! The creative challenges will live here all year round, and we invite you to have a go whenever you like.

Explore our 2023 Impact report

It’s time for a celebration and you’re invited.

By admin | 23rd January 2023

When: 31st January 2023 (this month) Time: 12:00 – 01:00 PM Where: Zoom Buy Tickets on Eventbrite Get your free ticket here We’re throwing a virtual party to celebrate TEN WHOLE YEARS of…

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Join our incredible collaborators and let’s get creative together.

By admin | 5th January 2023

  Throughout January, there will be events, workshops and celebrations designed to help us celebrate The January Challenge community! Some events are in person, and some are online. All of…

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The Champions Pack for Care Settings

By admin | 3rd January 2023

If you work with older people in a care home setting – here’s a free resource you might find useful! 64 Million Artists have been working with Leicester-based charity Learning…

Read More
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We are all creative.

...yes, that means you too.

We're often driven by the idea of 'getting things right'.

Creativity is a chance to get back in touch with a part of ourselves, often long-buried, that allows us to connect with the world around us differently.

Over 50,000 people have taken part in The January Challenge so far.

If you want to participate in The January Challenge and receive our FREE daily creative prompts via email throughout January, then fill out your details below.

We'll also send you some updates on events and competitions, (and you can unsubscribe at any time).

Why join in?

What is the 'January Challenge'?

The January Challenge is 31 days of quick, fun and free creative challenges. You can take part in the challenge however you choose. You could be exploring the colours of nature, making music about Mondays, or turning the ordinary extraordinary.

MADE BY YOU

The Challenges are always designed by different people across the UK, including writers, makers, activists and community groups! 2023 is our 10th anniversary, and The January Challenge will be bigger and better than ever. Learn more about who set this year's challenges below!

What is the 'January Challenge'?

The January Challenge is 31 days of quick, fun and free creative challenges. You can take part in the challenge however you choose. You could be exploring the colours of nature, making music about Mondays, or turning the ordinary extraordinary.

MADE BY YOU

The Challenges are always designed by different people across the UK, including writers, makers, activists and community groups! 2023 is our 10th anniversary, and The January Challenge will be bigger and better than ever. Learn more about who set this year's challenges below!

Meet 2023's collaborators

Meet this 2023's collaborators

Jonny Cotsen

Jonny Cotsen is an artist, performer, storyteller and creative access consultant. Jonny is deaf and inspired by retelling everyday conversations as a visual narrative. Always at the heart of important conversations; Jonny recently featured on BBC One's 'Our Lives' in an episode called 'Born Deaf, Raised Hearing'.

Lemn Sissay

Lemn Sissay OBE is a poet, playwright, performer and broadcaster. Lemn was awarded The Pen Pinter Prize in 2019 when his memoir ‘My name Is Why’ reached number one on The Sunday Times bestseller list. In 2021 it won the Indie Book Awards non-fiction prize. Lemn has read on stage worldwide, from The Library of Congress in The United States to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, from the Opera House of Dubai to London Palladium and finally to the heady heights of Wigan library.

Chrissie Okorie

Chrissie Okorie is a writer, performer and producer who loves creating art and organising art events and talks. You'll usually find Chrissie writing opinion pieces, first-person articles, poems, and theatre.

Liv Little

Liv is a writer of Jamaican and Guyanese descent via South London. She's the founder and former CEO of the award-winning publication gal-dem. Her work spans journalism, audio, TV and curatorial projects for which she's received various accolades, including LGBTQI+ Broadcaster of The Year and Rising Star at Wow. Her short story, 'The Sisters,' was published in the critically-acclaimed 'HAG', a collection of forgotten folktales retold. She was a BBC writer in residence for 2021, in which she developed an original pilot for a queer conspiracy thriller. Rosewater is her debut novel.

Karen Arthur

Karen Arthur is a former teacher, private sewing tutor, stylist, model, and podcast host who recently relocated from the capital to the seaside. Also a fashion creative and seasoned speaker, Karen regularly gives public talks on style, positive ageing, mental well-being and diversity in menopause. A strong advocate for dressing for the way you want to feel and the links between fashion and mental well-being, Karen calls the phenomenon of using vibrant clothes to boost our mood 'Wear Your Happy'.

Suhaiyla Hippolyte

Suhaiyla is a spiritual wellness practitioner creating safe spaces for discussion and group work. Her work is rooted in Ancestral practices, encouraging healing through self-compassion and intuitive listening.

Arts & Homelessness International

Arts & Homelessness International organise exchanges and events with the arts and homelessness community globally and run an ART (Advocacy, Research and Training) Laboratory – a space to make a case for arts and homelessness and produce research, resources and training for people and projects working in this field.

The Men's Table

The Long Table is a community canteen where we strive to answer the question 'what if everyone on our community had access to great food and people to eat it with?' Food is always available Pay As You Can so it doesn't matter if you have lost your job or your wallet there is space at our table for you.

Sean O'Donoher

Sean is an ex-prisoner who now runs an art room at Makingitout. Making It Out is a charity in Brighton and Hove that shares 64 Million Artist's trust in the benefits of creativity. They work with people who need structured occupational support to help them get their life back on track. They design and make many artefacts and artworks, from intricate small-scale pieces to large public installations.

InCommon

InCommon bridges generational divides. They connect groups of young people with their older neighbours in retirement homes to learn and build friendships together. Their activities help to boost older people's well-being, support children's social and emotional learning, and create more age-friendly communities for all.

WAHWN

The Wales Arts Health and Wellbeing Network (WAHWN) is a rapidly expanding network of arts, health and social care professionals from across Wales. They work to celebrate and champion the role that the arts can play in our health and wellbeing. Funded by Arts Council of Wales, they connect people through training and events; disseminate research, information and opportunities; support the development and wellbeing of staff in this sector and work with a wide range of partners to innovate in all areas of arts, health and wellbeing.”

Rotherham United Community Sports Trust (RUCST)

Youth & Inclusion department of (RUCST) works with Rotherham's diverse and vibrant communities with the overall goal of making Rotherham a more inclusive, cohesive and safer society.

Cumbria Libraries

Cumbria Libraries Outreach Team works with local communities to champion participation in creativity and culture. They support social connection, digital inclusivity, reading journeys, environmental awareness and celebrate diversity through their library projects, aiming to make culture and creativity accessible to everyone.

The Friendship and Bereavement Cafe

The Friendship and Bereavement Cafe is one of 7 cafes in Tendring, organised by Community Voluntary Services Tendring. Friendship cafes are weekly groups for anyone who feels isolated, wants to make new friends or has experienced bereavement. There are fun activities, guest speakers at every session and planned outings throughout the year. It's a great place to meet others for a cuppa and a chat!

Emma Major

Emma Major has been a blind wheelchair user and a joyful participant of The January Challenge for many years. When she lost almost all of her eyesight eight years ago, Emma had to get used to a new way of living, and she decided to try art. Emma started with mosaic making, pottery and macramé and slowly progressed to abstract painting and digital art. Technology gives Emma huge magnification, which helps her to see the world and create art. Still, it's the lack of sight itself, she says, that is her surprising creative gift as it removes the ability to doubt herself.

CALM

The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is taking a stand against suicide. That means standing against feeling shit, standing up to stereotypes and standing together to show life is always worth living. CALM run a free, confidential and anonymous helpline as well as a webchat service, offering help, advice and information to anyone who is struggling or in crisis

Artes Mundi

Held Space is a monthly group for Black Artists & non-black Artists’ of Colour, held by Artes Mundi. Artes Mundi is Wales's flagship visual arts organisation, generating unique opportunities for individuals and local communities to engage creatively with the urgent issues of our time. They are committed to supporting the practice, discussion and activity of the Held-Space Network and working in partnership with them on their programme's future development.

Chit Chat group

Bharti works predominantly with South Asians in the 50+ age group in the Belgrave area of Leicester. This group can often feel lonely and isolated and benefit from support to get them connected back into their community. In-person activities include community allotment, dance exercise, seated exercise and yoga. Virtual activities include exercises, chit-chat, singing, Sudoku, Bingo and 'Knit & Natter'.

WANT TO BE A CREATIVITY CHAMPION?

We created three versions of the Creativity Champion's Pack for 2023, which you can download for free. January might be over, but the pack is available all year round, whenever and wherever you want.

Click the links below to download the version that suits your community or workplace.

The original champions pack

Made for those who work with people. Use this pack to inspire and engage those around you at work, in the community or in school.

Pecyn Hyrwyddwyr

Mae Hyrwyddwyr (fel chdi!) yn gallu defnyddio'r Pecyn mewn gwahanol leoliadau gwaith mwyn cysylltu â'r bobl a'r cymunedau o'u hamgylch.

The care homes champions pack

Made for people who work in a care settings. These challenges are created to invite residents and staff to get creative together and connect with one another.

FAQs

What's The January Challenge?

The January Challenge is an annual campaign connect all parts of the UK through creativity.

Why should I participate?

Together, we've proved that creativity is so closely linked to our levels of wellbeing and connection to ourselves and others. You can read our most recent Impact Report here.

What do I have to do to participate?

You can join in however you like. You might like to open our daily emails in January and let each challenge inspire thoughts. Each challenge will be a unique creative prompt that'll invite you to do something, reflect and perhaps share with those around you or online. You can sign up to receive the daily creative challenges here. 

How much does it cost?

The January Challenge is completely free for everyone!

Do I do the challenges on my own or with others?

Challenges can be done alone, with friends and family or as part of a teaching plan, library event, team engagement at work or in any community setting. You can build a little community of your own to share what you create with others or join ours online by joining our Facebook group or posting on social using the hashtag #TheJanuaryChallenge.

What if I change my mind and no longer want to participate?

You're free to dip in and out of The January Challenge as you please. It's there for you. You might do all the challenges, you might do one challenge, you might do none, it's totally up to you. You can be a part of it purely by searching the hashtag and seeing what others are creating (though we promise you'll have more fun if you have a go yourself!)

Got another question not answered here? Send it over to jemima@64millionartists.com and they'll be happy to answer you (no question is too big, small or silly!)

"I love that this is an opportunity to be creative with others worldwide. It is a powerful experience, thank you!"

"I found that a creative way to complete the day's task would lead to lead to me enjoying the rest of my day too."

Work with us

Want a creative session for your whole team?

We work with leaders like you to help develop your practice as a facilitator of group creativity and with the staff to celebrate their creativity.

If you’d like a 30-minute conversation to hear how we could help you engage teams across your organisation, get in touch with Jemima by clicking the button below.

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Support creativity across the UK

2023 is our 10th anniversary! We need your help to reach more people.

Please donate any amount that you can.

Or, if you can't donate, why not share our page with your network or on social media and help us spread the word? Every donation or post makes a huge difference in helping us to catalyse creativity across the UK.

Case studies

Hear from Hamilton Brown below, a business that used The January Challenge to engage their people at work.

This is the story of what happens when 350 employees put down their tasks once a week and tried something new.