Category: Main

1. Andrew Miles and Jill Ebrey. Cultural Trends. “The Village in the City: Participation and Cultural Value on the Urban Periphery.” 2017. United Kingdom.

Drawing on evidence from ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2014–2016 for the Understanding Everyday Participation (UEP) project, this paper addresses the relationship between space, place and participation in a “suburban village” on the edge of the city of Aberdeen in North East Scotland.

2. Barbara Schaffer Bacon, Pam Korza, Graciela Kahn, and Liz Deichmann. Americans for the Arts. “Programs Supporting Art in the Public Realm.” 2019.

The scan offers snapshots of 28 programs supporting and building capacity for artists to work in the public realm. Detailed summaries from interviews with seven selected programs provide additional insights.  

3. Mark J. Stern and Susan C. Seifert. Culture and Social Wellbeing in New York City. “The Social Wellbeing of New York City’s Neighborhoods.” 2017. United States.

This report presents the conceptual framework, data and methodology, and findings of a two-year study of culture and social wellbeing in New York City by SIAP with Reinvestment Fund. Building on their work in Philadelphia, the team gathered data from City agencies, borough arts councils, and cultural practitioners to develop a 10-dimension social wellbeing framework—which included construction of a cultural asset index—for every neighborhood in the five boroughs. The research was undertaken between 2014 and 2016.

4. New England Foundation for the Arts. “Creative City.” 2017. United States.

This report, combined with a series of video profiles, highlights a sample of these inspiring stories and illustrates the transformative power art can play in civic life and the importance of investing in artists as civic leaders. With acknowledgment of the Barr Foundation’s funding and thought partnership, NEFA shares the learnings through the Creative City Report and video series featuring the inspiring stories of the pilot program grantee work.

5. Kiley Arroyo, Mary Ann DeVlieg, Dian Ika Gesuri, and Alma Salem. International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies. “Artists, Displacement and Belonging.” 2019. Australia.

The report draws on current literature and the experiences of our members around the world, civil society actors and artists, gleaned through a series of interviews. It has been developed in close collaboration with members of the Federation and international colleagues to better understand the needs and aspirations of displaced artists.

1. Susan Galloway. Cultural Trends 18:2. “Theory-based evaluation and the social impact of the arts.” 2009. United Kingdom.

The well-documented challenges in researching the social impacts of the arts are closely related to key issues in contemporary social research and evaluation, most particularly the problem of causal attribution. The article contends that some of the most common criticisms of the evidence base for the social impact of the arts relate to the successionist model of change which underpins positivist social science research and evaluation. The article considers whether in fact theory-based evaluation approaches offer an effective strategy for understanding how and why arts engagement can result in social change.

2. Clayton Lord. Americans for the Arts. “Equitable Investment Policies and Practices in the Local Arts Field.” 2019. United States.

This report reviews results from the 2018 Local Arts Agency Profile, an annual survey deployed in April 2018, with a particular focus on an added module to the survey about how, when, and where LAAs in the United States currently consider equity in the deployment of their funds, time, space, and staff. The data was gathered from a broadly representative sample of 537 local arts agencies in the United States of varying budget size, community size, tax status, geography, etc. Overall, the report tells a story of a field where direct and indirect practices about and centered on equity are on the rise.

3. Stephen Duncombe, George Perlov, Steve Lambert, and Sarah J. Halford. Center of Arts Activism. “Assessing the Impact of Artistic Activism.” 2018. United States.

Compiled by the C4AA æfficacy project research team, this exploration of arts activism is the culmination of a decade of interviews with practitioners of artistic activism and a year of reviewing the relevant academic literature and professional reports. The authors survey several sets of literature: critical theories on the relationship between arts and social change, studies on assessment from other fields concerned with creative impact such as social marketing and documentary film, and reports produced by or for arts and activist organizations.

4. Moshoula Capous-Desyllas and Karen Morgaine. Palgrave Macmillan. “Creating Social Change Through Creativity.” 2017. Canada.

This book examines research using anti-oppressive, arts-based methods to promote social change in oppressed and marginalized communities. The contributors discuss literary techniques, performance, visual art, and new media in relation to the co-construction of knowledge and positionality, reflexivity, data representation, community building and engagement, and pedagogy. The contributors to this volume hail from a wide array of disciplines, including sociology, social work, community psychology, anthropology, performing arts, education, medicine, and public health.

5. Elizabeth Lynch and Miriam Nelken. Creative People and Places. “From Small Shifts to Profound Changes.” 2018. United Kingdom.

The report captures the perspectives of artists who have been commissioned to create new work with one or more CPP Places and of the CPP team members who are responsible for programming and working with artists and communities. It uses Creative People and Places practice as the starting point but pulls out transferable learning about what works when commissioning socially engaged art – for artists, for commissioners and for communities.

1. Maurice Davies and Lucy Shaw. Cultural Trends 19.3. “Measuring the Ethnic Diversity of the Museum Workforce.” 2010. United Kingdom.

This paper attempts to determine the ethnic profile (sometimes called “cultural diversity”) of the museum sector workforce. It sets the museum sector workforce in the context of the population as a whole and makes some comparisons to the diversity of the wider cultural sector workforce. It looks also at positive action training schemes, targeted at under-represented minority groups, in particular the Museums Association’s Diversify scheme, looking at their cost and effectiveness in securing employment.

2. Mariët Westermann, Roger Schonfeld, and Liam Sweeney. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. “Art Museum Staff Demographic Survey 2018.” 2018. United States.

A report on the second demographics study issued by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the American Alliance of Museums, and Ithaka S+R to gauge any progress being made in diversifying leadership in arts institutions.

3. Rachelle Schlosser. League of American Orchestras. “Advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Orchestras.” 2019. United States.

In January 2019, the League of American Orchestras launched The Catalyst Fund, a three-year pilot program of annual grants to adult and youth orchestras that aims to advance their understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Supported by a three-year, $2.1 million grant to the League of American Orchestras from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the fund responds to input from the League’s members that perceive “a momentum within orchestras towards serving people of all races, genders, and cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds.”

4. University of Bristol and AHRC Connected Communities Programme. “Hidden Histories of World War One: Ramgarhia Sikh Tapestry Project.” 2018. United Kingdom.

A collaboration between a group of Sikh women in Leicester and two academic advisors from the University of Nottingham. The aim of the project was to support the women to undertake research on the contribution of Sikh soldiers to the First World War. This case study was produced in 2018 as part of the Common Cause Research project.

5. University of Bristol and AHRC Connected Communities Programme. “Imagine: Writing in the Community.” 2018. United Kingdom.

This case study is part of a broader initiative called Imagine, a 5 year project from 2013-2017. The project aimed to create spaces in which women and girls could explore the social and cultural context of minority women in Rotherham through writing. This case study was produced in 2018 as part of the Common Cause Research project.

1. Maurice Davies and Lucy Shaw. Cultural Trends 19.3. “Measuring the Ethnic Diversity of the Museum Workforce.” 2010. United Kingdom.

This paper attempts to determine the ethnic profile (sometimes called “cultural diversity”) of the museum sector workforce. It sets the museum sector workforce in the context of the population as a whole and makes some comparisons to the diversity of the wider cultural sector workforce. It looks also at positive action training schemes, targeted at under-represented minority groups, in particular the Museums Association’s Diversify scheme, looking at their cost and effectiveness in securing employment.

2. Mariët Westermann, Roger Schonfeld, and Liam Sweeney. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. “Art Museum Staff Demographic Survey 2018.” 2018. United States.

A report on the second demographics study issued by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the American Alliance of Museums, and Ithaka S+R to gauge any progress being made in diversifying leadership in arts institutions

3. Rachelle Schlosser. League of American Orchestras. “Advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Orchestras.” 2019. United States.

In January 2019, the League of American Orchestras launched The Catalyst Fund, a three-year pilot program of annual grants to adult and youth orchestras that aims to advance their understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Supported by a three-year, $2.1 million grant to the League of American Orchestras from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the fund responds to input from the League’s members that perceive “a momentum within orchestras towards serving people of all races, genders, and cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds.”

4. University of Bristol and AHRC Connected Communities Programme. “Hidden Histories of World War One: Ramgarhia Sikh Tapestry Project.” 2018. United Kingdom.

A collaboration between a group of Sikh women in Leicester and two academic advisors from the University of Nottingham. The aim of the project was to support the women to undertake research on the contribution of Sikh soldiers to the First World War. This case study was produced in 2018 as part of the Common Cause Research project.

5. University of Bristol and AHRC Connected Communities Programme. “Imagine: Writing in the Community.” 2018. United Kingdom.

This case study is part of a broader initiative called Imagine, a 5 year project from 2013-2017. The project aimed to create spaces in which women and girls could explore the social and cultural context of minority women in Rotherham through writing. This case study was produced in 2018 as part of the Common Cause Research project.

1. Alexandre Frenette, Nathan D. Martin, and Steven J. Tepper. Cultural Trends Vol. 27, No. 5. “Oscillate Wildly: The Under-Acknowledged Prevalence, Predictors, and Outcomes of Multi-Disciplinary Arts Practice.” 2018. United States.

This article draws on data from a survey of U.S. arts and design graduates to analyze the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of multi-disciplinary artistic careers. The authors propose that the practice of multiple artforms is a common, albeit under-acknowledged, component of nimbly navigating artistic labour markets, alongside other strategies such as multiple jobholding and self-employment. While there are undoubtedly benefits to specialization, overall, we find that generalist arts alumni are more likely to continue working in the arts well after graduation.

2. NEA Office of Research & Analysis. National Endowment of the Arts. “U.S. Trends in Arts Attendance and Literary Reading: 2002-2017.” 2018. United States.

This research booklet shows the rates at which adults in the United States have been attending arts events—and reading works of literature—over a 15-year period. In partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Endowment for the Arts has conducted the SPPA seven times since 1982.

3. Calgary Arts Development. “Arts Professionals Survey 2017.” 2017. Canada.

In the fall of 2017, Calgary Arts Development conducted an Arts Professionals Survey to learn how art is made in Calgary, what the lifestyle patterns and living conditions are for those working in the arts, and how Calgary is perceived as a supporter of arts activity. The survey sample comprised more than 700 artists and arts professionals.

4. Lord Harwath. All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts Health and Wellbeing. “Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing.” 2017. United Kingdom.

This 2017 study out of the UK is the result of a three-year inquiry into the state of practice and research at the intersection of the arts and social care and provides recommendations on improvements of policy and practice.

5. Voices of Culture. Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. “Social Inclusion: Partnering with Other Sectors.” 2018. Europe.

This report is the result of the brainstorming process between 35 participating organizations. It looks at the policy, qualities of partnership, and research and development aspects of programs and projects dealing with culture and social inclusion.

1. Tom Burrup. Creative Community Builders. “Cultural Planning at 40: A Look at the Practice and Its Progress.” 2018. United States.

A study led by Dr. Tom Borrup of Creative Community Builders, “Cultural Planning at 40” sheds light on the aspirations, accomplishments, shortcomings, and methods used in cultural planning over the past decade and compares it with a similar study from 1994 by Dr. Craig Dreeszen.

2. Nick Rabkin. The James Irvine Foundation. “Hearts and Minds: The Arts and Civic Engagement.” 2017. United States.

The James Irvine Foundation asked Nick Rabkin to take a close look at links between arts and civic engagement. As Nick reports from his wide-ranging study, there is ample evidence of compelling connections. The headline is that people who participate in arts, especially those who go beyond traditional arts audience experiences, are more likely to be active in their communities and to be making a difference in the lives of others.

3. Andy Parkinson and Jamie Buttrick. Consilium Research & Consultancy. “Equality and Diversity within the Arts and Cultural Sector in England.” 2018. United Kingdom.

Consilium Research and Consultancy (Consilium) was commissioned in June 2016 by Arts Council England to update the previous review of evidence about equality and diversity within the arts and cultural sector in England up to 2013 (Consilium 2014). This report provides a summary of the evidence collated and reviewed since 2013 and highlights key themes and trends within the evidence base to guide and inform Arts Council England’s future work around diversity.

4. Calgary Arts Development. “Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: A Demographic Profile of Calgary’s Arts Sector.” 2018. Canada.

In 2017, Calgary Arts Development undertook an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) survey of Calgary’s arts sector, as represented by the 161 non-profit arts organizations who receive annual operating funds from Calgary Arts Development. The purpose of this survey was twofold: 1). To provide detailed data necessary to construct a demographic profile of Calgary’s arts sector, and 2). To understand the extent to which Calgary arts organizations have access to policies and procedures that promote equitable and diverse workplaces.

5. Anne Gadwa Nicodemus, Rachel Engh, and Susan Fitter Harris. NeighborWorks America and Metris Arts Consulting. “Creative Community Development.”  2018. United States.

NeighborWorks America engaged Metris Arts Consulting to lead its planning process to better understand how its network of nearly 250 affordable housing and community development organizations uses arts- and culture-based strategies and creative expression to pursue their goals, and the challenges they face doing this creative community development work. Metris completed a network scan that surveyed 75 community development organizations; facilitated 20 interviews and conversations with experts in the field and potential partners; and generated five “Bright Spot” case studies that highlight network organizations’ approaches to creative community development.

1. The Berk Foundation. “Social Impact of the Arts Study.” ArtsFund. 2018. United States.

The ArtsFund Social Impact of the Arts Study frames a new way of understanding the public value of the arts in King County. With primary focus on youth development & education, health & wellness, and neighborhood vitality, the study probes the potential for arts to influence more equitable outcomes. The report combines a county-wide public poll; a landscape scan of King County arts, cultural, and heritage nonprofits; a substantive review of 150+ national research resources; and case studies of ten regional arts organizations.

 

2. Rick Reyes and Mytoan Nguyen-Akbar. “Creative Strategies for Career Connected Learning: Youth Voice in the Media Classroom.” Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. 2018. United States.

A report on ways to incorporate creative skills and media-based skills into the curriculum for youth in the Seattle area. Several recommendations emerged from survey responses which included direct quotes from youth, collected anonymously, about what youth enjoy in their media arts Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses and their career aspirations as they relate to the arts. They are supplemented by insights generated by in depth interviews conducted with creatives in media arts occupations in Seattle.

 

3. Jessica Vu, Yash Tulsyan, Geoffrey Gund, and Chuan Fan. “Reimagining King Street Station through a Racial Equity and Social Justice Lens.” University of Washington. 2018. United States.

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) is opening a publicly accessible cultural space in King Street Station (KSS). ARTS intends to make KSS a space that works to dismantle institutional racism in and through the arts by supporting, advocating for, and prioritizing arts programming by and for communities of color and historically marginalized populations. The following report presents research and analysis on best practices related to promoting racial equity in cultural spaces.

 

4. Tasha Golden and Jamie Hand. “Arts, Culture, and Community Mental Health.” Community Development Innovation Review. 2018. United States.

Based on an analysis of dozens of projects, a literature review, and input from both arts and public health‒sector leaders, Tasha Golden identified several domains where arts and cultural strategies are helping drive change in community health outcomes, or to the systems in which public health practitioners operate. Among these domains, what quickly stood out was the impact of creative placemaking on mental health—including stigma; trauma; community-level stress, depression, and substance use disorders; and cultural identity. Here we have taken these four categories as a frame, describing their relevance to public health and providing examples of initiatives that address them. Our findings suggest that infusing community development with creativity and collaboration stimulates the potential for unique mental health benefits that warrant continued investment and exploration.

 

5. Carla Vásquez-Noriega, Cameron Okeke, Sino Esthappan, and Mark Treskon. “Creative Placemaking and Community Safety.” The Urban Institute. 2018. United States.

To better understand how creative placemaking can enhance community safety, the Urban Institute studied several creative placemaking efforts, examining their design, implementation, challenges, and successes. The goal of this work is to inform others interested in understanding how creative placemaking improves community safety and how to measure these interventions’ effectiveness.

These are recent reports that have just been added to the CultureLab Library. Similar to last month’s research share, articles this month focus on shifts happening in the arts landscape, including public perceptions, creative placemaking, and funding.

A reminder to reach out to me if you would like to see something featured in the research share. Remember that if you do not yet have access to the CultureLab Library, you can request access on the log-in page.

---

1. National Association of Latino Arts Organizations. “A Call to Collaborate: Continued Inequity in Funding Houston Latinx Arts Organizations.” 2018. United States.

This report from NALAC highlights dramatic funding disparities for Latino arts and cultural organizations in Houston. The research looks at the state of arts funding in Houston from 2010 to 2015, analyzing disbursements of the Houston Hotel Occupancy Tax and four prominent Houston foundations. While Houston’s Latino communities represent 44% of the population, current support for Latino arts and culture is not proportional by any measure. The report’s launch offers an opportunity for public and private stakeholders to collaborate and find solutions to equity issues.

 

2. Philippe Schneider, Sarah Thelwall, Richard Turpin, Patrick Towell, and Sophia Woodley. Arts Council England. “What is Resilience Anyways?” 2018. United Kingdom.

Arts Council England commissioned Golant Media Ventures and The Audience Agency to research how resilience is currently understood in the arts and culture sector – and whether the understanding of funders and policymakers is congruent with that of others within the sector. The new study, said to be the first substantive piece of research on resilience published by ACE since 2010, involved experts, academics and practitioners in the sector. The findings are drawn from a wide range of sources, including a literature review, interviews and over 1,000 responses to a survey.

 

3. Americans for the Arts. “Americans Speak Out About The Arts in 2018.” 2018. United States.

Americans Speak Out About The Arts in 2018 is the second in a series of national public opinion surveys about the arts (the first was conducted in 2015). The poll was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs during the week of May 9-16, 2018.

 

4. Chelsea A. Allinger, Danielle Lewinski, Anne Gadwa Nicodemus, Susan Fitter Harris, and Rachel Engh. Metris Arts Consulting and Center for Community Progress. “Creative Placemaking on Vacant Properties: Lessons Learned from Four Cities.” 2018. United States.

In 2017, Center for Community Progress engaged Metris to support an exploration of using creative placemaking on vacant properties to foster equitable revitalization. Throughout the project, interdisciplinary cohorts from four cities participated in learning exchanges to gain knowledge and tools.

 

5. Department of Canadian Heritage. “Government of Canada Survey of Heritage Institutions.” 2018. Canada.

The Department of Canadian Heritage is pleased to present the third iteration of the Government of Canada Survey of Heritage Institutions. The 2017 survey captured financial and operating data on not-for-profit heritage institutions in Canada for the 2015 data year, as well as building and capital infrastructure data for the 2017 data year.

This month’s research share contains articles that in some way address the shifts that are happening at the intersection of the arts and the public. Doeser and Kim assess models for governing cultural districts, Duncombe looks at the impact of artistic activism, Courage and McKeown compile the ever-expanding body of literature on creative placemaking, and Steven Hadley and Eleonora Belfiore challenge approaches to cultural democracy.

Thanks to the CRN members who contributed to this month’s research share. A reminder to reach out to me if you would like to see something featured next month. Remember that if you do not yet have access to the CultureLab Library, you can request access on the log-in page.

---

1. James Doeser and Anna Marazuela Kim. Global Cultural Districts Network. “Governance Models of Cultural Districts.” 2018. United Kingdom.

This report, commissioned by the Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN), draws on primary research and a literature review to capture good practices, and identifies which stakeholders should be “at the table” for informed and effective decision making and oversight. The research has also revealed the range of business models that underpin these governing entities, reviewing how cultural districts are generating revenue and expending it. The research is intended to be fully international in scope, with useful lessons for GCDN members and other practitioners around the world.

 

2. Stephen Duncombe. The Center for Artistic Activism. “Assessing the Impact of Artistic Activism.” 2018. United States.

“Assessing the Impact of Artistic Activism” is an exploration of the impact of artistic forms of activism: how the affect and effect of the practice have been theorized, how it’s understood by cultural institutions and, based upon more than 50 interviews with practitioners, how artistic activists think what they do, how it works, how they know if it works, and what “working” even means in the context of a hybrid practice that mixes the arts and activism.

 

3. Francesca Sanderson, et al. Nesta. Experimental Culture: A Horizon Scan Commissioned by Arts Council England. 2018. United Kingdom.

This report, commissioned by the Arts Council and developed by Nesta, provides insights and recommendations on how arts and cultural organizations in the United Kingdom should evolve over the next 10 years in order to adapt the ever changing ways we consume arts and culture.

 

4. Cara Courage and Anita  McKeown (editors). Routledge. “Creative Placemaking: Research, Theory and Practice.” 2018. United States & United Kingdom.

The book brings together a range of scholars to critique and deconstruct the notion of creative placemaking, presenting diverse case studies from researcher, practitioner, funder and policymaker perspectives from across the globe. It opens with the creators of the 2010 White Paper that named and defined creative placemaking, Ann Markusen and Anne Gadwa Nicodemus, who offer a cortically reflexive narrative on the founding of the sector and its development. This book looks at vernacular creativity in place, a topic continued through the book with its focus on the practitioner and community-placed projects. It closes with a consideration of aesthetics, metrics and, from the editors, a consideration of the next ten years for the sector.

 

5. Eleonora Belfiore and Steven Hadley. Cultural Trends (Vol 27, No 3). “Cultural Democracy and Cultural Policy.” 2018. United Kingdom.

Steven Hadley and Eleonora Belfiore review existing literature and initiatives regarding cultural democracy and argue for a more thorough questioning of existing hierarchies.