Jun 17

Jun 17 We are #CultureMakes ambassadors

We are delighted to announce that we have joined the Culture Makes Campaign.

The question of how to place value on the impact culture and heritage creates is the defining issue on which the future of investment in our sector hangs, and the question that Culture Makes… aims to respond to through a bold and joyful celebration of the ways in which culture has an impact on our lives. Artists, creatives and cultural and heritage organisations of all scales and locations create impact with and for their communities but to date have struggled to articulate the value of what they do in a clear and robust way.

The aim of this campaign is to establish a new understanding of the value and impact of culture and heritage. This will hopefully lead to enhanced investment by governments and enhanced support from audiences.

Culture Makes... will launch at a critical time for the cultural sector in the whole UK; at a time of ongoing standstill funding for central government, an almost £500m decline in investment from local authorities in recent years, in the face of losses due to Covid, ever rising energy and wider cost of living increases and the news that philanthropic support of culture has more than halved – now is the moment for an overwhelmingly powerful sector voice that cannot be ignored.

Defining the 8 Types of Impact

Culture Makes for seeing your story told...

Creative Impact describe the intrinsic benefit of the experience of engaging with culture and heritage. This leads to happiness and joy, people identifying as creative, enhanced creative networks, and diverse and representative culture and heritage sectors.

Economic Impact speaks the language of power to power by articulating the economic value of the creative industries. The outcomes of this type of impact include: value to the economy of an area, the ability to sustain a career and more cultural and heritage professionals remaining resident in that area.

Social Benefit is the benefit to the individual in society. Outcomes include the development of communication and leadership skills, increased confidence, the cultural and heritage sectors becoming more diverse and representative and the ability for those working in these sectors to sustain their careers.

Innovation is about pushing technology forwards through cultural work to enhance people’s experience.

Educational Benefit to individuals in formal educational settings – whether primary, secondary, FE or HE and of course, teachers and academics as well. The outcomes which are created range from educational outcomes being enhanced, to teachers developing knowledge and skills and improvements in teaching and learning, through to an enhanced ability to access culture and heritage, people identifying as creative, and being involved in the co-creation of work, as well as more people exploring careers in culture and heritage.

Physical Health, outcomes in this area of impact include: well-being is enhanced, confidence is increased, feeling empowered, enhanced skills for self-expression, reduced levels of isolation, happiness is improved and people who identify as having long term physical health conditions identifying as creative.

Community Building refers to communities of geography (in the UK and internationally) and communities of interest. Communities need to be able to communicate with each other as well as sharing experiences to be a true community. Outcomes in this area include: enhanced dialogue with and between each other, enhanced sense of community and or civic pride, reduced levels of isolation, empathy.

Mental Health and Wellbeing ranges from general well-being through to benefit created with and for people with long term mental health conditions. We would argue that many projects have secondary mental health benefits, which is to say benefits which the programme wasn’t designed to create but are by products of its process and approach.

Throughout the year we will share our Impact. Tune in every third Friday of the month on our social media to find out all the details and the amazing stories of impact the Duncairn is having across all areas.