Our work
We work alongside cultural practitioners and organisations, academics, funders and policymakers to explore the timely questions of cultural value.
We investigate what kinds of arts, cultural, heritage and screen activities create value for whom, how and why, and in which particular conditions and contexts.
Creative Journeys with Sinfonia Viva in Brentwood. Orchestras Live. Photo: Paul Starr, Essex County Council
Making research and evaluation count
We help improve lives by creating a shared understanding of the differences that arts, culture, heritage and screen make to people and society.
We want cultural policy and practice to be based on rigorous research and evaluation to build a more diverse, equitable and regenerative cultural sector.
Research
We review and summarise existing research so that its insights can be understood and applied more widely.
Consulting with the cultural sector, academics and policymakers, we collate research around a series of research themes. We invite the public to shape our work by telling us their questions about these themes.
Our findings are shared through our research digests, vision papers, short films and our events series.
Evaluation
We help make evaluation a meaningful and integrated part of the cultural sector.
In 2021, we responded to growing demand across the cultural sector for support with evaluation. The result was our co-produced Evaluation Principles, which are designed as a framework to underpin how evaluation is carried out and used in the cultural sector.
We share our work on evaluation through a variety of events, resources and learning tools, including online training for arts, culture and heritage professionals. We have also released a podcast series exploring our Evaluation Principles.
Collaborate
Collaborate is an open-call funding programme that brings together cultural sector partners with academic researchers.
We select projects that develop innovative research methodologies and ask under-explored questions around cultural value.
Across two rounds of funding we have awarded Collaborate funding to eleven projects. We are committed to investing £200,000 into the UK cultural sector through the fund.
Resources
Written by expert academics and leading sector professionals, our resources provide practical guidance underpinned by research.
Resources include step-by-step guides, learning case studies and recommended essential reads.