Making Data Work
We’re leading a national research project to develop a blueprint for a UK cultural data observatory.
The project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, and we are working with sector specialist partners The Audience Agency and MyCake.
Photo: Family Flourish Day, Mafwa Theatre (Credit: Tom Arber)
Better data, better policy
The arts, cultural and heritage sectors make significant contributions to people’s lives, society and the economy – so why do we struggle to convey their value?
At the heart of this issue lies a crisis with data. Cultural sector datasets are currently poorly aligned and not always fit for purpose. This fragmented data makes it difficult for the sector to demonstrate its impact.
In 2021, the Centre led a 15-month scoping study to identify ways the sector might better collect and harness its data. We looked at how to combine quantitative and qualitative data to create a multidimensional understanding of impact. This project culminated in a call to pilot a national cultural data observatory.
Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), we are now working with The Audience Agency and MyCake on the next steps of developing a blueprint for a UK-wide observatory.
From July ’24 to June ’25, we will investigate the practicalities of establishing an observatory that can gather and analyse smarter data and provide a trusted evidence base for the arts, cultural and heritage sectors. The resulting insight will help underpin better cultural policy for the public good.
Read more about the motivations behind the project in this blog post.
Blueprint for the future of cultural data
As part of our current research, we will design and build a prototype data observatory for Bradford 2025, the next UK City of Culture.
Our prototype will illustrate the benefits of carrying out data analysis at hyperlocal, ward, city and regional levels. We will also work closely with Born in Bradford, drawing on its large, varied datasets, including the largest resident cohort study in Europe.
With the expert support of the Leeds Institute for Data Analytics (LIDA), we will investigate how varied datasets could be opened up and linked together in ethical and functional ways. This work will include datasets held by Public Health England, Morrisons, Born in Bradford, The Audience Agency’s Audience Answers cultural engagement platform and MyCake’s non-profit sector financial data.
Throughout the project, we will engage with researchers, sector leaders and policymakers. This will enable us to foster a more place-based and people-centred approach to cultural data and policy development and to build a consortium to deliver the actual observatory once this pilot work is complete.
Photo: Be Curious, University of Leeds
Initial scoping study
Our current work builds on our previous ESRC-funded project Making Data Work: A scoping study to develop a mixed-methods evaluation framework for culture.
Running from January 2021 to March 2022, the research team consisted of researchers from arts management, cultural policy, psychology and quantitative sociology, working closely with industry experts from The Audience Agency and MyCake.
Our findings suggested the potential to build upon the cultural sector’s strengths and data resources, although we also highlighted the importance of building communities of practice around data and evaluation.
The project recommended the development of a national cultural data observatory to bring together quantitative and qualitative data, develop common standards, and act as a repository of data and research findings.
Join our journey
Until June 2025, we will be hosting a series of roundtables and sector and policy engagement events.
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