News and views
We are building a shared understanding of the differences that arts, culture, heritage and screen make to people’s lives and to society.
Catch up with our latest news and hear from a range of voices sharing perspectives on cultural value.
Fun Palaces, Feltham. Photo: Helen Murray
Featured news
Centre for Cultural Value to launch free-to-access, online evaluation training
Would you like to hear from experts, develop new approaches and build your evaluation skills and confidence? Together with the University of Leeds, we are launching a new, free-to-access online ...
The Beauty Project. Photo by Lisa Mattocks.
Revealing the beauty of using lab books for audience research
The collaborative research team behind The Beauty Project assess the value and challenges of collecting audience reflections offline.
The joy of doing: what we know about everyday creativity and how to support it
Read more about a new Arts Council England resource, produced by the Centre of Cultural Value and The Audience Agency, that helps cultural organisations interested in supporting everyday creativity.
Watch ‘Friction’ – a new short animation about the role of the artist in society
Artist Rebecca Farkas highlights the main themes of the Centre's new research digest exploring the role of the artist in society.
Photo credit: Gene Kavanagh. Crafts Council and Glasgow Caledonian University (London) Living Lab with Legacy West Midlands
Young, diverse voices: my experience as a Young Craft Citizen
How can cultural organisations make sure placements are meaningful for all involved? Yashika Munjal reflects on her experience as a Young Craft Citizen with the Crafts Council, working on one of our funded Collaborate research projects.
Three golden principles to power-up your collaborative practice
What makes a great collaboration? Marianna Hay and Lisa Baxter draw out lessons from a range of partnerships in this collaborative blog post which explores how to sustain your work with partners over the long term.
Image by Gene Kavanagh.
Collaborate project explores making meaning through craft
Craft can boost wellbeing, celebrate culture and help build communities, according to a new report produced by the Crafts Council working with academics from Glasgow Caledonian University London.
Listen to our new podcast series exploring evaluation practice
It's been two years since we first launched the Evaluation Principles. We wanted to talk to sector professionals about how they have informed their work.
Opportunity for artists – creative micro-commission
We would like to commission a visual artist, filmmaker or animator to produce an original work responding to the key themes of our new research digest, The Social Role of the Artist
Bromley by Bow Fun Palaces. Photo by Roswitha Chester.
Collaborate fund – meet the new cohort
Five new cultural sector and academic partnerships will receive Collaborate fund research grants.
Adopting a creative, rigorous approach to researching LEEDS 2023
Learn more about our work exploring the cultural value and social impact of LEEDS 2023.
Photo by Olumide Osinoiki. Rising Arts Agency.
Podcasting the power in partnerships
As part of their Collaborate project Rising Arts Agency and Andreana Drencheva are producing a new podcast series Power in Partnerships.
Quarantine, 12 Last Songs at Transform Festival, October 2021
Photo: David Lindsay
“It helps your work make more sense” – academics talk about Collaborate fund
Hear more about the Centre for Cultural Value's Collaborate fund from academics currently working on supported research projects exploring key questions about the value of culture.
Watch online: Evaluation Principles in Practice recordings
Were you unable to join us for the recent Evaluation Principles in Practice workshops? Would you like to re-visit the sessions? All three workshops, exploring the co-created Evaluation Principles, are now available to watch online.
© The University of Leeds
Collaborate fund reopens to academics
Are you a UK-based academic keen to begin 2023 working on an exciting new research project? The Centre has reopened its Collaborate fund, which seeks to support collaborative research partnerships between academics and cultural practitioners.
Quarantine, 12 Last Songs at Transform Festival, October 2021
Photo: David Lindsay
How a theatre company, physicist and philosopher are exploring beauty
How do we evaluate, understand and articulate the value of beauty? One of our Collaborate research partnerships considers new methodologies to answer this intriguing question.
© University of Leeds
Collaborate project uses walking interviews to explore co-creation
What are "walking interviews"? And how can they be used to research co-creation in the cultural sector? The Collaborate research partnership between Compass Live Art and York St John University puts this research methodology through its paces.
Light Night at the University of Leeds © University of Leeds
Better data, better policy – making data work
In the report "Making Data Work", we share findings from a national, interdisciplinary research project aimed at tackling the crisis the cultural sector is currently facing in harnessing and evaluating its data.
National Museums Liverpool Image (c) Dave Jones
Picture by Gareth Jones
Collaborate: second round of funding announced
The Centre for Cultural Value is reopening its Collaborate fund to support the development of innovative new projects between UK-based cultural sector practitioners and academic researchers.
Pushing myself out of my comfort zone: reflections on my summer internship at a research centre
Recent summer intern Katie Warrior shares advice for anyone embarking on an internship and reflects on what she has learned from the various creative projects she has been involved in whilst working at the Centre for Cultural Value.
Image: Public House - The Yorkshire Square by Small Acts. Photo by Lizzie Coombes for Compass Festival 2021.
Collaborate fund – first cohort announced
We are delighted to announce that the Collaborate fund has now awarded research grants to five innovative new partnerships between cultural sector practitioners and academics.
Photo: Andrew Moore
Insight into action: policy recommendations launched at UK Parliament
Following on from our ground-breaking research into the impact of Covid-19 on the UK’s creative and cultural sectors, we are now pleased to publish a new report detailing 12 evidence-led recommendations for policymakers.
Photo: Adah Parris
Welcome new Advisory group and team members
We are pleased to share news of new appointments to our Advisory group and the Centre's core team, including Adah Parris as Advisory group Chair.
Photo: University of Leeds
Fully-funded PhD opportunity – Evaluating Cities of Culture
As part of our collaboration with LEEDS 2023 and The Audience Agency we’ll be hosting a fully-funded PhD starting in September 2022.
Quarantine, 12 Last Songs at Transform Festival, October 2021
Photo: David Lindsay
Collaborate – the matchmaking phase
Read about the ten projects and academics who are developing projects for our Collaborate fund for research collaborations.
The Lowry in lockdown. Photo: Nathan Chandler
Culture in crisis – new report from our major research project into the impacts of Covid-19
New research reveals profound impact of Covid-19 on cultural sector workforce, audiences and organisations
Photo: University of Leeds
Capturing the value and impacts of a year of culture
We are excited to announce that we are working with LEEDS 2023 as their research partner in collaboration with The Audience Agency.
‘4th ought sing raved ink loud’ – Fraz Ireland on the ideas and processes behind their creative commission
Manchester-based artist Fraz Ireland discusses the inspiration and process behind their 'interactive soundscape', an artwork commissioned as part of our Covid-19 research conference.
Three Tables, Tim Etchells, Tate Exchange. Photo courtesy of the Tate.
Collaborate fund now open for academic researchers
We are now accepting Expressions of Interest from academic researchers for our Collaborate fund. Find out more about how to apply and the projects you could be partnering with.
Angela Awuah, founder Mental Health The Arts
From research to reality: mental health and young people
Young practitioner and Mental Health The Arts founder Angela Awuah responds to our latest research digest on young people and mental health.
Missing voices in culture, health and wellbeing research
In this article for Arts Professional, Dr Robyn Dowlen considers whether more support and training is needed for cultural practitioners working in complex spaces.
Wakefield Council’s Rhubarb Festival 2020.
Stephen Garnett
A call for regenerative practice: reflections on our Covid-19 research conference
Ben Walmsley, Centre Director, reflects on the perspectives and conversations shared at our Covid-19: Changing Culture conference
KALA CHNG performing at Knowle West Fest. Photo: Tanya Hazell
Art – who holds the power? It has to change…
Makala Cheung reflects on who gets to decide what kinds of art and culture are valued, and on other themes emerging from our Covid Culture conference.
Photo: Manos Gkikas
Will we fall under panto’s magic spell this year?
Trevor MacFarlane reflects on findings from our Covid research project and on what may lie ahead for this year's panto season
Inviting academic researchers to collaborate
We'll soon be inviting academic researchers to apply for the Collaborate fund. Join us on 9 December to find out more.
Dr Robyn Dowlen recording the Reflecting Value podcast
Reflecting Value – call out for a co-created episode
Call for podcast episode partner - we want to co-create an episode of the podcast which is centred on the ways in which people have engaged with creativity and culture during the pandemic. Deadline 30 November.
Where next for culture? Join us at our online conference
Join us at our online conference to share and discuss insights from our major research programme examining the impacts of Covid-19.
Watch our Collaborate briefing event
Watch a recording of one of our Collaborate briefing events, where Liz Harrop and Lisa Baxter introduce the fund and talk through the application process. Expressions of interest from the cultural sector are now open.
Orchestras Live, The Lost Letters with Britten Sinfonia at Saffron Hall. Photo: Paul Bellany
The E word – why we’re talking about evaluation
To mark the launch of our co-created Evaluation principles, Ben Walmsley, Anne Torregiani and Oliver Mantell share the essence of the principles and explain why co-creation was central to their development.
Embracing evaluation for the right reasons
To coincide with the launch of our co-created evaluation principles, Holly Donagh from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation shares a funder's perspective on what more can be done to support evaluation in the cultural sector.
Who Are Ya? Tate Exchange. Dan Weill Photography
A UK first – evaluation principles for the culture sector
Dr Beatriz Garcia sets the launch of our co-created evaluation principles in a global context and explains the value for the cultural sector.
Some of your thoughts on evaluation…
We asked you for your thoughts about evaluation for our latest short film. From frustrations and challenges to opportunities, hear what people from across the sector had to say.
Together to the Workhouse Door, with Sinfonia Viva, Gressenhall, Orchestras Live Photo: Charlie Jepson
We’re seeking a Collaborate panel member
An opportunity to join our Collaborate fund assessment panel, helping to develop new research-based partnerships between higher education and the cultural sector.
Natasha Fyffe (left) and Jessica Olliver (right), Centre for Cultural Value student interns
Reflections from our interns
This summer we welcome two student interns - Natasha Fyffe and Jessica Olliver - to come and work with us in paid placements organised by the University of Leeds. Find out how they got on and what they learnt from their time at the Centre.
Three Tables, Tate, Photo: Tim Etchells
Creative commission – call for proposals
Call for artists - we are looking for a creative practitioner to create a participative, reflective, imaginative mode of engagement at our online conference in November.
Circuit at The Lowry. Image: The Lowry
Come and work with us to share findings from our Covid research
We are looking for a freelance Editor and a freelance Marketing and Communications specialist to work on our Covid-19 research project.
Fun Palaces 2019. Photo: Roswitha Chesher
Join our Advisory group
Would you like to help us to develop and implement our activities, and inform thinking and practice in the sector? We're seeking two new members to join the Centre’s Advisory group.
Witness This, Company Chameleon. Photo: Joel Chester Fildes.
The Collaborate fund has now launched
We're excited to have launched Collaborate, a new fund to support research partnerships between the cultural sector and academic researchers. Information about how to apply and what's involved is now available.
The Power of Our Ancestors. Tate. Dan Weill Photography
Collaborate: fostering research-based partnerships between higher education and the cultural sector
Ben Walmsley and Liz Harrop write about the opportunities our Collaborate fund offers for the cultural sector and academics.