Centre for Cultural Value

⭐ New research digest: Culture and Placemaking ⭐ What role can arts and culture play in placemaking? What does this mean for organisations, practitioners, policymakers and funders? There is a wealth of research on everything from the impact of cultural mega-events to exploring questions around place and wellbeing, gentrification and regeneration. But where to start? In this newly published research digest, the Centre’s John Wright, Ava Podgorski and Kyla Tully review 126 studies to identify the key findings from the current evidence.  Available online and as a PDF download, head to the highlights section for a short rundown of the main themes within the research. https://lnkd.in/efkx5cZE And a special thank you to Dr Cara Courage and Ben Walmsley for their expert input. 

How have Cities and Capitals of Culture approached their evaluations? We’ve reviewed the vast array of evaluation reports out there to uncover the key learnings. The findings are useful to anyone measuring the impact of cultural projects, no matter how big or small. So what did we find out? Tap/swipe/click below for a summary of the key insights 👉 And if you want to discover more, head to the Evaluation Learning Space to access the full resource. Find the link in the comments 👇

How can we nurture ethical, people-centred research collaborations in the cultural sector? We learnt a lot developing Collaborate, an exploratory programme pairing cultural practitioners with academics to investigate questions of cultural value. We’re now keen to share what we have learned with others who may want to embark on similar collaborative research projects. In this new how-to guide, Lisa Baxter FRSA (Partnerships Manager for Collaborate) draws upon the lessons learned from the programme, sharing practical tips on designing successful collaborations that put people first. Lisa prompts us to think about how we can find shared values, address power imbalances, and cultivate a culture of care when establishing collaborative research partnerships. Access the guide for free on our CultureHive resources platform 👇 https://lnkd.in/eR7iYSFP

How have UK Cities and Capitals of Culture impacted their local economy?     In our latest resource, Emma McDowell and Ava Podgorski shine a light on the sometimes thorny topic of economic impact assessments of major cultural events and consider how they relate to other measures of value.   “Cultural events and festivals can have a variety of impacts on a place, both good and bad. It is important to look at these in the round. Any economic impact assessment needs to consider how it interacts with environmental, cultural, educational, social and health impacts within a host city.” The resource also draws out other key learning from the evaluations of UK Cities and Capitals of Culture, looking at economic impacts over the short and longer term. Visit the Evaluation Learning Space to access the full resource 👉 https://lnkd.in/dajkzypy #Culture #Evaluation #Events

How do you evaluate digital work in the cultural sector? How can you measure the impact it’s having on audiences, creators and even the wider world? The Space (Digital Arts) has produced a collection of new resources to help guide you through, and it’s brilliant to see signposts to some of the Centre’s resources, such as the Wheel of Change framework. https://lnkd.in/dzfgrdmh

When we heard that a leading UK opera company applied findings from our research review to develop a new programme to support young people’s mental health, we just had to learn more. In this article, we find out how English Touring Opera brought research into the real world when creating ETO Lyrics. The programme uses the power of songwriting to build the confidence of young people in Alternative Provision settings. For Bradley Travis (ETO's Head of Learning and Participation), discovering the Centre's research digest provided the robust evidence needed to develop a programme that met participants' often complex needs. Head to our website to find out more, including hearing from some of the young people involved 👇 https://lnkd.in/d4rdnNUV Robyn Dowlen

We love spotting our researchers out and about 👀 Here is Emma McDowell speaking at a recent Lancaster Evaluation Group (LEG) event, highlighting the Centre’s evaluation work: https://lnkd.in/dPZQrtnu The LEG group work to explore a range of perspectives on evaluative practice in HE and beyond. As part of this, they have produced the Little Book of Creative Evaluation, which is brimming with innovative methodologies: https://lnkd.in/dK9vu96T Thanks to the team for inviting us along and for the great photos!  Elisavet Christou | Marina Bazhydai | Bethan Garrett | Matthew Pawelski | Carys Nelkon | Murray Saunders | Violet Owen | PINAR C. | Radka Newton| Laura Kornas | Jess S.

Why does the cultural sector need collaborative research partnerships now more than ever? Over the last two years, we’ve run Collaborate: an exploratory programme pairing cultural practitioners with academics to investigate questions of cultural value.  But, as the programme draws to a close, what can we learn about the value and challenges of such research collaborations? In this piece, Centre Manager Liz Harrop, FRSA reflects on how bringing practitioners and academics together has helped to bridge the gap between theory and practice while also rethinking traditional research models. Although - spoiler alert - it wasn’t always easy.  “Collaborations are inherently messy and challenging. After two years of running the programme, we have learned much about supporting partners to navigate competing interests and find common ground, and the care needed to develop these spaces ethically and effectively”. Liz also signposts new free resources, sharing our learning and guiding cultural practitioners, universities and funders to creating research partnerships with real impact. https://lnkd.in/eKBpcyMy

Join us in Manchester for a book launch event, marking the publication of Pandemic Culture. To mark the publication of the new book Pandemic Culture, the Centre for Cultural Value and Creative Manchester at The University of Manchester will host a free, in-person book launch event on Tuesday 17 September. Join the book’s co-editors, Ben Walmsley, Abigail Gilmore and Dave O'Brien, for an afternoon of in-depth discussion of the book’s central themes followed by a Q&A and networking opportunities. This is a free event, but advance booking is essential: https://lnkd.in/eeADP3Zs For more about the book and how to download your free ebook copy visit: https://lnkd.in/gKrb6Fg6

"... we can see that culture thrives under locally-led decision-making." The Centre's co-director Anne Torreggiani writes for Arts Professional with Patrick Towell about why devolution is good for culture. Recent articles by the Centre's John Wright and Anna Kime are also quoted in the piece. Read the full feature on the Arts Professional website [no paywall] 👇 The Audience Agency