Reports and papers assessing different methodologies for measuring art and culture impacts.
- Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, Generic Social Outcomes 2008. Guidance on measuring and providing evidence of the wider benefits of museums, libraries and archives. Includes advice, planning and case studies assisting cultural institutions to measure outcomes.
- Deborah Stone, ‘Why the arts improve health’ Artshub, 1 May 2014. Reviews research undertaken by Christina Davies at the University of Western Australia which develops a framework for understanding the relationship between health and the arts.
- Allesandro Bollo, Report 3 Measuring Museum Impacts (The Learning Museum Network Project, 2013). Provides a useful and up to date review of commonly-used methodologies for measuring economic as well as broader cultural impacts. Includes case studies of the application of differing measurement approaches.
- Deborah Stone, ‘Measuring the value of the arts’, ArtsHub, 6 November 2013. Panel on how arts organisations can measure and articulate the public value of what they do.
- Learning Museum Report 3: ‘Measuring Museum Impacts’ July 2013. Research undertaken by the European funded project, The Learning Museum, on the subject of impact evaluation in museums. Provides overview of different kinds of impact evaluations eg economic, educational, social, relational, environmental. Also provides practical information and guidelines.
- Christian Baars, ‘Museums are Good for You’ National Museum Wales blog, Sept 2013. Pulls together some of the recent material demonstrating that engaging with museums is good for health.
- Daniel Fujiwara, ‘Museums and happiness: The value of participating in museums and the arts‘, London School of Economics. Arts Council England, April 2013. Two years of research in twelve museums which found that museums improve people’s happiness and perception of good health.
- Arts Council England (ACE), The contribution of the arts and culture to the national economy (May 2013). Commissioned from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), marks an attempt to use rigorous methodology which ‘the Treasury will recognise and respect’. The study was co-commissioned with the UK National Museums Directors Council (NMDC) but difficulties with the wide range of museums meant that they were excluded from CEBR’s macroeconomic impact analysis d. The report does demonstrate however the important role of museums in spill over impacts such as attracting tourists, supporting creative industries and contributing to national productivity through education, research and skills development. ACE and NMDC are using the report’s findings and possible solutions suggested by CEBR to consider options for further work to fully assess the macroeconomic impact of museums.
- A Manifesto for the Creative Economy (Hasan Bakhshi et al April 2013) Chapter 8 of this NESTA report deals with the apparent clash between economic and cultural valuations of the arts and culture. See Manifesto for the Creative Economy.
- Measuring Cultural Participation, (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2012) is part of a series designed to facilitate the implementation of the 2009 UNESCO Framework for Cultural Statistics (FCS). This handbook explores how to accurately measure cultural practices, how the digital age is impacting cultural participation in society and how communities interact culturally through cultural participation surveys. See Measuring Cultural Participation.
- Making Culture Count: Rethinking measures of cultural vitality, wellbeing and citizenship is the report from a Cultural Value Network conference held last year in Melbourne (2-4 May). The conference brought together diverse perspectives from international guest speakers and leading local practitioners to explore the burgeoning field of cultural and community indicators. The report and papers look at the usefulness of existing measures and opportunities for their refinement. See Making Culture Count.
- Measuring the economic benefits of arts and culture. Practical guidance on research methodologies for arts and cultural organisations (May 2012). Arts Council England publication providing guidance about undertaking or commissioning studies into the economic benefits of cultural activities and organisations and the information needed to apply robust research methodologies. See: Measuring the economic benefits.
- Reinventing Rural Places – The extent and impact of festivals in rural and regional Australia (Chris Gibson et al, 2009) Analyses results from a three-year Australian Research Council (ARC) Festivals Project which sought to document the extent and significance of festivals for rural communities and economies. The report provides insights into the ability of festivals to catalyse social and community development, to generate regional income and to challenge or sustain rural cultural identities. See Reinventing Rural Places.
