Author: crnmanager

December 2016

1. Jackie Bailey, et al. Australia Council for the Arts. “Showcasing Creativity: Programming and Presenting First Nations Performing Arts“. 2016. Australia.

This report examines trends and practices in the Australian performing arts sector related to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and advocates for greater visibility and equity in the presentation of First Nations arts.

2. Bronwyn Mauldin. Grantmakers in the Arts Reader, Vol. 27, No. 2. “The Charitable Deduction: What Does ‘Tax Reform’ Mean for the Arts?“. 2016. United States.

This article speculates about the potential implications of United States federal tax reform on individual contributions to the American nonprofit arts and culture sector, accompanying the new presidential administration in 2017.

3. Harder+Company Community Research and Diane Espaldon. The James Irvine Foundation. “Experiments in Arts Engagement: Real-world examples and practical tips from the Exploring Engagement Fund”.  2016. United States.

This report examines the strategies utilized by the grantees of The James Irvine Foundation’s “Exploring Engagement Fund” to build sustainable relationships with communities of color and low-income individuals in California.

4. Nanos Research. Business for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. “Culture for Competitiveness: How Vibrant Culture Attracts Top Talent”. 2016. Canada.

This report analyzes a random survey of 500 skilled workers and 508 businesses in Ontario to ascertain the ways in which arts and culture is employed for talent recruitment and retention.

5. Juan Mateos-Garcia and Hasan Bakhshi. Creative England and NESTA. “The Geography of Creativity in the UK: Creative clusters, creative people, creative networks.” 2016. United Kingdom.

This report employs a framework of “creative clusters” to trace individual and institutional networks among participants in the United Kingdom’s cultural economy, as well as provides policy recommendations to further the growth of these networks.

November 2016

1. Hasan Bakhshi and Stuart Cunningham. NESTA. “Cultural policy in the time of the creative industries“. 2016. United Kingdom.

This paper argues that a conflation of the cultural sector with the creative industries in the UK harms the ability for policymaking to serve the interests of either.

2. Kim Gibson and Liesbeth Goedhart. Western Australia Arts and Health Consortium. “Examination of the use of the arts to improve health and healing in Western Australian hospitals“. 2016. Australia.

This inaugural report from the newly-formed Western Australian Arts and Health Consortium explores the disjunct between the substantial hospital-based arts activities in Western Australia and a comparative dearth of evaluation and public policy strategy.

3. Jennifer Clary and Amy Terpstra. Social IMPACT Research Center. “The Value of the Nonprofit Arts and Culture Field in Illinois”.  2015. United States.

This report examines art and cultural activity in Illinois through the framework of Social Return on Investment (SROI), comparing socio-economic outcomes with the financial resources and human capital committed by both public and private entities.

4. Christina Davies, Matthew Knuiman, and Michael Rosenberg. BMC Public Health, Vol. 16, No. 15. “The art of being mentally healthy: A study to quantify the relationship between recreational arts engagement and mental well-being in the general population”. 2016. Australia.

This article examines a link between arts engagement and mental health, demonstrating enhanced cognitive well-being for those with two or more hours-per-week of arts activities.

5. Kate Haley Goldman, Steven Yalowitz, Erin Wilcox/Audience Viewpoints Consulting. The Art of Science Learning. “The Impact of Arts-Based Innovation Training on the Creative Thinking Skills, Collaborative Behaviors, and Innovation Outcomes of Adolescents and Adults.” 2016. United States.

This report demonstrates a strong causal relationship between arts-based learning and heightened creative problem-solving acumen in adolescents, as well as arts-based learning and emotionally intelligent behavior in adults.

October 2016

1. Anne Torreggiani and Jonathan Goodacre. The Audience Agency. “Audience Finder: Outdoor Arts“. 2015. United Kingdom.

These reports assess Outdoor Arts activity as part of the Audience Finder initiative, a three-year program (2013-2016) designed to assist UK arts and cultural organizations in understanding their audiences.

2. Girija Kaimal, Kendra Ray, and Juan Muniz. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, Vol. 33, No. 2, 74-80. “Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants’ Responses Following Art Making“. 2016. USA.

This article describes a medical study in which researchers examined the relationship between the production of visual art and the brain cortisol levels of 39 adults.

3. Julia Bennett, Andrew License, Fiona Tuck/TBR. Crafts Council (UK). “Measuring the Craft Economy”.  2014. United Kingdom.

This report gauges the broad economic impact of craft within the United Kingdom from 2012-2013. It employs measures such as: the number of businesses operating, the number of employees per business, turnover, and Gross Value Added, among others.

4. Joshua Siepel et al. NESTA. “The Fusion Effect: The economic returns to combining arts and science skills”. 2016. United Kingdom.

This report examines potential synergy from a combination of arts and science competencies in the UK workforce, and assesses performance impacts that result from a “STEAM” approach.

5. William Cleveland and Intermedia Arts. Americans for the Arts. “Creative Citymaking: In Search of the New Village”. 2016. USA.

This report evaluates the planning, program activities, and outcomes of the 2013 ArtPlace America-funded grant project “Creative Citymaking,” a collaboration between the City of Minneapolis and Intermedia Arts.

September 2016

1. Ipsos Public Affairs Research. Americans for the Arts. “Americans Speak Out About the Arts: An In-Depth Look at Perceptions and Attitudes about the Arts in America“. 2016. USA

This report distills and explains the results of a December 2015 survey of 3,020 Americans regarding their perceptions about arts and culture, both in their personal lives and society at large.

2. Bob Harlow and Cindy Cox Roman. Bob Harlow Research and Consulting LLC and The Wallace Foundation. “Converting Family Into Fans: How the Contemporary Jewish Museum Expanded its Reach“. 2016. USA.

This research case study in the Wallace Foundation’s “Building Audiences for the Arts” series examines the audience development results stemming from a Wallace Foundation grant to The Contemporary Jewish Museum.

3. Eric Desjardins. Statistics Canada. “Provincial and Territorial Culture Indicators, 2010 to 2014“. 2016. Canada.

This report collates and analyzes Statistics Canada’s Provincial and Territorial Culture Indicators, or PTCI, which generate data about arts, culture, and sports activities throughout Canada in terms of GDP and employment between 2010 and 2014.

4. Kate Hamblin and Sarah Harper. The British Museum, et al. “The UK’s Ageing Population: Challenges and opportunities for museums and galleries“. 2016. United Kingdom.

This report examines the gradual ageing of the United Kingdom’s population and recommends ways in which museums and art galleries can facilitate better access for the elderly through a series of case studies.

5. Shawn Lent, et al. Createquity. “Who Can Afford to Be a Starving Artist? The key to success might be risk tolerance, not talent“. 2016. USA.

This article hypothesizes about a potential correlation between an individual’s socio-economic status and their ability and/or willingness to take on risk in pursuit of a professional arts career.

August 2016

1. Timothy Senior et al. Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK). “Connecting to Innovate: A Preliminary Report on the Achievements of the AHRC Knowledge Exchange Hubs for the Creative Economy“. 2016. United Kingdom.

This report examines the initial findings of the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council’s four Knowledge Exchange (KE) hubs dedicated to the creative economy: Creativeworks London, Design in Action, REACT, and The Creative Exchange.

2. William Cleveland and The Center for the Study of Art & Community. Intermedia Arts. “Options for Community Arts Training & Support“. 2016. USA.

This report studies local arts agencies in America as providers of culture-based community development training.

3. Ann Markusen. Grantmakers in the Arts Reader, Vol. 27, No. 1. “Supporting Individual Artists: Translating Value, Evaluating Outcomes“. 2016. USA.

This article describes the conversations and challenges surrounding how grantmakers can assess the value of support for individual artists.

4. Melissa Menzer et al. NEA Office of Research & Analysis (USA). “The Arts in Early Childhood—Social and Emotional Benefits of Arts Participation: A Literature Review and Gap-Analysis (2000-2015)“. 2015. USA.

This literature review summarizes the findings of cultural research focusing on individuals ranging in age from newborn to eight years old.

5. Fiona Tuck and Mitra Abrahams. TBR Consulting. “Understanding the Impact of Event Cinema: An Evidence Review“. 2015. United Kingdom.

This report examines the culture-sector impact of alternative content in digital cinema, including live streaming and direct relays of recorded performing arts events.

July 2016

1. The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs and the University of Minnesota. The McKnight Foundation. “Yes and No: Conversations About Thriving with Artists of Color in the Twin Cities“. 2015. USA.

This study is a targeted exploration of the perspectives and experiences of working artists of color in the Twin Cities, designed to inform the McKnight Foundation’s philanthropic planning and practices in the arts.​

2. Amy Terrill et al. Music Canada. “The Mastering of a Music City“. 2015. Canada.

This report makes recommendations towards building stronger music communities in cities internationally, working from five case studies to create seven key strategies for modeling by policymakers, politicians, and musicians.

3. University of Tasmania. Live Music Office (AUS). “The Economic & Cultural Value of Live Music in Australia 2014“. 2015. Australia.

This report sets out to value the economic, social, and cultural contributions of the Australian live music industry in 2014.

4. Nordicity et al. Music Canada. “Live Music Measures Up: An Economic Impact Analysis of Live Music in Ontario.” 2015. Canada.

This study is an economic profile designed to guide strategic decision-making in the live music industry as well as determine the industry’s impact on the Ontario and Canadian economies.

5. Shawn Lent et al. Createquity. “The BFA’s Dance with Inequality.” 2016. USA.

This article examines the risk burden of earning professional arts bachelors degrees, particularly for individuals from less affluent backgrounds.

“Ask Me Anything” with Sunil Iyengar, NEA Director of Research and Analysis

On April 3, 2017, the Cultural Research Network held a virtual study group to explore the NEA’s new five-year research agenda. Sunil Iyengar (Director of Research and Analysis at the NEA) kindly agreed participate, and fielded questions from the membership. The format resembled a 60-minute “Ask Me Anything” in the style of Reddit, with James Doeser moderating. The discussion covered topics like:

  • What has changed since the publication of “How Art Works”?
  • What has been learned from research outside the US?
  • Why do some research questions seem to persist indefinitely?
  • How can we coordinate efforts better?

Questions were able to be submitted in advance, and were actively posed during the Study Group

To review the NEA’s research agenda in preparation for the VSG, click here.

 

CultureLab Fellows’ research collections

On Tuesday, January 31, 2017, seven members of the Cultural Research Network who received CultureLab Fellowships from Alan Brown/WolfBrown presented overviews of their collections as an informal webinar. These collections are groupings of researching literature in the CultureLab Library–a free online resource for students, researchers, and managers–each under a unifying concept. The Fellowships were supported by a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to build the library as a resource for the field.

The CultureLab Fellows and their collections include:

Brea Heidelberg: Emerging Arts Leaders Programs

Laura Elayne Miller: Alternative Modes of Cultural Production – The Contemporary Practices of Artist-Run Platforms and Small-Scale Arts Organizations

Lynn Osgood: Civic Engagement and the Arts

Rachel Engh: Creative Placemaking

Tracy Hudak: Creative Economy

Diedre Thomas: Funding Equity in the Arts

Julie Judson: Millennials in Philanthropy

 

https://vimeo.com/201937263

 

The CultureLab Library is a free online resource. To request a user account, go to www.culturelab.net and click on ‘Request an Invite’.

Measuring quality

On November 30, 2016, the Cultural Research Network hosted a virtual study group to explore a new research method that seeks to help artists, arts organizations and funders to develop a shared approach to evaluating the reception of their work.

The session comprised a short presentation from an independent researcher who has worked with the Culture Counts Quality Metrics system in the UK: Catherine Bunting.

This was followed by a panel discussion with Catherine and Dr. Abigail Gilmore (University of Manchester, UK), featuring contributions from around the world, with Alan Brown (WolfBrown: USA) and Kim Dunphy (University of Melbourne/Cultural Development Network: Australia). We were able to feed questions and observations from attendees into the discussion.

The VSG was hosted by James Doeser, CRN Committee Member.

The concept of quality measurement has attracted a great deal of controversy, from the arts community as well as researchers. The purpose of the VSG was to demystify this particular approach, and to interrogate the policy, theory and methods that underpin it.

The following readings were distributed to study group registrants to get them up to speed on the issues at hand:

  • Quality Metrics on the Arts Council England website:
  • An explanation of its application in Scotland:
  • An arts correspondent’s take on the controversy it’s generated

“Cultural and Creative Spillovers in Europe” report discussion

On January 26 , 2016, the Cultural Research Network hosted a Virtual Study Group on the report Cultural and Creative Spillovers in Europe.

We heard from Andrew Erskine (from Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy), the main author of the report, as well as two of the commissioners: Nicole McNeilly (Arts Council England) and Tsveta Andreeva (European Cultural Foundation).

The Study Group was hosted by James Doeser.

After learning about the research – what happened; what was discovered – the discussion focused on whether or not the work touched on the cultural sectors in all parts of Europe, what could be learned from a trans-national research program, and what we can confidently say about cause and effect in cultural policy.

 

Click here for the full report and executive summary.