Impact Update 8, November 2006

This newsletter reviews the content that has been added to the Impact Database since the end of August 2006. As always, many of the studies are recently published but we also include earlier research that is relevant to the themes of the database. Full bibliographical details of the references highlighted below can, of course, be obtained from the database.

We encourage users and their networks to use the facility to submit their own research, which will then be considered for inclusion. Research should relate to the main themes of the database (listed in the Advanced Search section) and should have stated aims/objectives, methodological approach and findings/conclusions.

Arts and Culture The UK Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has issued the provisional results of its nation-wide survey of culture, leisure and sports, Taking Part. This publication covers the first nine months of this year-long survey.

Arts, Culture and Education Two recent studies address the effects of musical education on young children’s development. In “One year of musical training affects development of auditory cortical-evoked fields in young children” (Brain 129: 2593-2608) Fujioka et al. (2006) assess the effects of musical training on children’s maturation and study changes in their auditory responses. A study carried out by Northumbria University (2006) explores the impact of active participation in musical activities on several areas of the development of young children.

Creative Partnerships: initiative and impact. The impact of sustained partnerships between schools and creative practitioners as a result of Creative Partnerships initiatives, by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted, 2006), evaluates the effectiveness of phase 1 of the Arts Council England’s Creative Partnerships initiative, involving arts practitioners in an educational context.

Arts, Culture and Health Three studies examine the effects of arts therapy projects. Wilson & Goldie (2006) report on the findings of four arts therapy projects that took place in distinctive communities in Scotland during 2003-2005, exploring the relationship between art therapy and broader arts in health opportunities in community settings. Gussak (2006) measures the effects of art therapy on decreasing depression and improving social skills among prisoners. Higgins, McKevitt & Wolfe (2005) investigate the delivery and perceived benefits of a reading service to stroke patients. A more general methodological evaluation is carried out by Staricoff (2006) in “Arts in health: the value of evaluation” (Journal of the royal society for the promotion of health 126(3): 116-120), in which she examines a number of quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate the value of implementing arts projects and programmes in healthcare environments.

Arts, Culture and Inclusion Two studies examine the impact of specific projects aimed at tackling social exclusion. From the wings: an inquiry into the role of sports and creative activities in tackling social exclusion, published by The Smart Company (2005), looks at best practice examples of sports and/or creative activities organisations engaging young people in the Greater Manchester area, to provide evidence about how these activities can benefit young people by increasing social inclusion. Jermyn’s Dance included: dance in social exclusion contexts (2006) explores the impact of six dance-led projects and offers an overarching evaluation of the Arts Council England initiative “Dance Included”.

Arts, Culture and Society Two studies address cultural participation in the USA. The National Endowment for the Arts (2006) has recently published a short research paper called The arts and civic engagement: involved in arts, involved in life, based on statistical data from a 2002 US Census Bureau survey of public participation in the arts. Miringoff & Opdycke (2005) have monitored the artistic and cultural experiences of Americans, the results of which were published in Arts, culture and the social health of the nation 2005. This report follows an earlier survey published in 2003, and is based on data gathered through the National Social Survey of the Institute for Innovation in Social Policy.

Two studies examine the social impact of theatre. Aylward (2005) specifically studies the impact youth theatres have on the communities in which they are located, while McDonnell & Shellard (2006) assess the overall social impact of theatre in the UK. This second study builds upon an earlier economic impact study carried out by Shellard (2004).

Wilson & Logan (2006) evaluate the diverse social effects of a prison gamelan project, specifically within the context of general prison education provision.

Wood & Thomas (2006), in their “Research note: measuring cultural values - the case of residents' attitudes to the Saltaire Festival” (Tourism Economics 12(1): 137-145), report on the development of an instrument to measure the non-economic impact of cultural events, and test its utility through a case study, examing the impact of the Saltaire Festival on local civic pride.

Arts, Culture and the Economy The Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (2006), in its Economic activity study of Metro Denver culture, has calculated the overall effects of cultural and scientific activities on the economy, community, and quality of life in the Denver metro area, analysing data from over 300 area-based non-profit organisations. In a more detailed case study, Miley, Gallo & Associates (2006) offer an estimate of the economic impact of the activities of the Columbia Museum of Art on the Columbia metropolitan regional economy.

KEA European Affairs, in a recently published study for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education and Culture, examine the direct and indirect socio-economic impact of the European cultural and creative sector, with a special focus on its contribution to the EU’s Lisbon agenda.

Clayton & Hepworth (2006), in a report for the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), provide evidence of the contribution of public libraries to economic vitality, and develop analytical tools for public libraries to assess their own impact on economic vitality.

International measurement of the economic and social importance of culture, a publication of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) by Gordon & Beilby-Orrin (2006), offers an approach to measuring the economic and social importance of culture through a review of earlier international measurement projects and the examination of existing data from a number of countries.

Major sporting events Blake (2005) has weighed the probable economic benefits of hosting the Olympic Games against possible negative consequences, in The economic impact of the London 2012 Olympics, a discussion paper published as part of the UK government funded Olympic Games Impact Project.