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Collaborate project spotlight: the impact of co-creation

Collaborate project spotlight

Find out more about the research project between Compass Live Art and Matthew Reason, Institute for Social Justice, York St John University

The impact of co-creation

Research partnership:
Compass Live Art with Matthew Reason, Institute for Social Justice, York St John University

Research focus:
Making with / Researching with –
exploring the experiences, values and impact of different forms of co-creation

This partnership was awarded a research grant in June 2022 as part of the first round of the Centre for Cultural Value’s Collaborate programme.

The fund supported innovative new partnerships between cultural sector practitioners and academics to explore under-explored questions around cultural value.

Collaborate research project. A large black square structure in the centre of leeds Market. The structure has a range of screens on it, one screen has the word ‘Time Bar’ written on it, one is playing a video of a person, one has a pub quiz. A group of people are watching the screens.
Image: Public House - The Yorkshire Square by Small Acts. Photo by Lizzie Coombes for Compass Festival 2021.

What did the project explore?

Compass Live Art has ten years of experience producing socially engaged, interactive live art. Through processes of ‘making with’ – such as co-creation and community participation – Compass produces work in non-art spaces that engage under-represented audiences, including those new to the arts.

The research partnership with Matthew Reason and Lauren Hall from York St John University investigated the experiences of both artists and audiences taking part in ‘making with’, as well as exploring the experiences of previous festival attendees. The methodology included walking interviews, where participants revisited the locations of previous Compass Festival events to explore enduring memories of impact and agency.

At a time when the cultural sector is looking to co-creation and participation to engage new and different audiences, this research provided valuable insights into the impact of co-creation on arts engagement.

Project learning and findings

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