Dench, Moss and Vegas back campaign to get UK creative

Matt Baker (top left) and Frank Skinner (bottom left) are backing the campaign alongside Johnny Vegas

A campaign to challenge people to get creative has been launched, backed by stars including Dame Judi Dench and Johnny Vegas.

Get Creative is being launched by the BBC and major cultural organisations.

It is described as a year-long celebration of British arts, culture and creativity.

Director general Tony Hall said he hoped the campaign would "inspire everyone to make art or do something creative."

The campaign has been launched with a day of free activities across the UK, ranging from graffiti in Cardiff to a huge paint-by-numbers painting in Cumbria.

Robin Simpson, chief executive of Voluntary Arts, which has organised the day of events, pointed out that being creative in your daily life can bring many benefits.

Throwing pots

"For those who take part, this activity becomes an essential part of their quality of life. Expressing yourself creatively enhances your skills, understanding, confidence and wellbeing - and taking part in creative activity collectively in a group strengthens communities."

Johnny Vegas showed off his pottery skills on the potters wheel at the launch of the campaign in London and told how learning pottery "saved him".

"When I'm not trying to act, or am ranting at people on stage, I like to pot. For somebody that was struggling at school it literally saved me. It gave me a real belief in my ideas," he said.

Supermodel Kate Moss has backed the campaign by speaking of her love of creating her own outfits.

"I just think it's so important to be creative for your own identity. I couldn't find what I wanted in the shops, so I started by getting clothes from jumble sales and cutting them up and making my own style. It gives me a lot of happiness and satisfaction," she said.

The BBC is planning special programming to encourage people to discover a new passion or master a talent they already have.

They start on Sunday with The Big Painting Challenge on BBC One and each month there will be a Saturday night arts special on BBC Two.

Among the other organisations that are involved are cultural movement What Next? and a wide range of national and local arts and cultural organisations, both professional and amateur.

It is said to be the first time amateur and professional arts organisations have come together on a national project of this scale.