Latest Seminar

The seminar was chaired by Sally Thomas, a director of Social Regeneration Consultants Limited. In her opening remarks, she outlined her perspective on the use of longitudinal research in social regeneration, a field that often includes a cultural dimension.

Arts Research Seminars

Arts Research Limited is currently running a programme of seminars to facilitate
debate and discussion about research in the arts and cultural sector.

The amount of research in the arts and cultural sector is growing at an increasing pace.
The seminars, which are focused, affordable and incisive, are designed to provide
an opportunity for researchers and others to meet and exchange views about current
research, to learn from one another and develop new contacts.

In particular, the seminars explore the extent to which practice in different parts
of the cultural sector is being influenced by research findings.

The seminars take the form of working parties. All participants receive a briefing
pack beforehand, containing short papers on the subject and/or a literature review
of relevant research. The pack and format of the day are designed to enable
everyone, whatever their previous knowledge or experience of the subject,
to consider the issues and contribute to the debate.






Seminar 01
Measuring the Impact of Culture?
June 2000, University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne

This seminar examined the different methods used to measure the social and
economic impact of the arts, particularly at local level.

The morning sessions concentrated on the social impact of the arts and the
afternoon sessions on their economic impact. It was felt that measuring the impacts
of the arts in these ways was still relatively new and that a definitive methodology
had not yet been developed. There was a need to develop mechanisms for
measuring the cultural impacts of arts activities.

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Seminar 02
The Impact of Education Work on Artists' Practice
May 2001, Tate Britain, London

This seminar looked at the extent to which research into the arts and education is
influencing the practice of artists, educationalists, arts managers, policy makers
and funders.

The focus of most research into the role of artists in education has been on the
educational benefits for children of working with artists. But what does research
tell us about the impact of education work on artists' own practice?

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Seminar 03
Action Research in the Arts: Current and Future Uses
September 2001, University of Sussex, Brighton

Action research bridges the traditional gap between theory and practice and draws
on intuition and experience to develop solutions for problems. It is a style of research
that empowers people and makes researcher and researched more equal.

The aim of the seminar was to consider to what extent action research is used across
participatory arts, audience development and cultural policy work. How applicable
is action research across the whole arts and cultural sector?

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Seminar 04
The Use and Abuse of Comparative Research in the Arts and Cultural Sectors
5 July 2002, Royal Society of Edinburgh Scotland Foundation, Edinburgh

This seminar will explore what we have learned from past research about when and
how to embark on comparative studies. It will consider the motivation for comparative
studies and the different methodologies that can be used in making comparisons
whether between countries, or different regions of a country, or between sectors.

The seminar will ask two fundamental questions: why are we so interested in making
comparisons in the cultural sector? and what can commissioners of research
and researchers themselves do to ensure that the results are meaningful and
therefore useful?

To receive details about this seminar please complete and send the form below.

Please send me details
of the Arts Research Seminar:
The Use and Abuse of Comparative Research in the Arts and Cultural Sectors

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Seminar 05
The use of longitudinal approaches in researching the long-term impact of the arts on people and places.

The fifth and final in the series of Arts Research Seminars took place at the Lipman Theatre, University of Northumbria, in late April. The theme of the seminar was the use of longitudinal approaches in researching the long-term impact of the arts on people and places.

The seminar was chaired by Sally Thomas, a director of Social Regeneration Consultants Limited. In her opening remarks, she outlined her perspective on the use of longitudinal research in social regeneration, a field that often includes a cultural dimension.

Click here to download Seminar Report 05