Our work
We work alongside cultural practitioners and organisations, academics, funders and policymakers to explore the timely questions of cultural value.
We investigate how different kinds of arts, cultural and heritage activities create value, for whom, and in which 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 and heritage make to people and society.
We want cultural policy and practice to be based on rigorous research and evaluation. Through doing this, we help build a more equitable, confident and sustainable 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 topics.
Our findings are shared through our research digests, vision papers, short films and our events series.
Evaluation
We help make cultural sector evaluation more meaningful and purposeful.
Our co-produced Evaluation Principles are designed as a framework to underpin how evaluation is carried out and used across the 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 putting our Evaluation Principles into practice.
Policy
We draw out recommendations from academic research and collaborate with local and national decision-makers to help shape cultural policy.
Our policy work is enriched by a mutually beneficial placement-led approach, which allows us to gain valuable insights into the challenges local and regional authorities face.
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.