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For Art’s Sake? Society and the Arts in the 21st Century
Ed Jamie Cowling
Pub Institute for Public Policy Research 2004 ISBN 1860302335 £9.95 [£13.02 inc p&p]
An important publication that tackles the questions of the impact of the arts on wider social goals in education, mental health, community cohersion and offender rehabilitation. Is our evaluation at present more advocacy than evidence? Do we need to be more rigorous? Can we focus on outcome measures? Authors of Chapters include Peter Hewitt, Chief Executive of Arts Council England; Dr Gerald Lidstone of Goldsmith's College; and Dr Andrew Miles, Research Consultant for the Unit for Arts and Offenders. Lots of useful information on various evaluation schemes and much food for thought.

Recognising Culture: A series of briefing papers on culture and development
Edited by Francois Matarasso
Pub: Comedia, the Department of Canadian Heritage and UNESCO, 2001, ISBN 1 873667 03 5 £10 [£13.24 including p&p] last few copies available then out of print
Another title from the Comedia team and Matarasso. A series of essays gathered as a contribution to the thinking that if we are to meet the challenges of the new century, we will have to engage with development in the context of, and through the medium, of human culture. Written for people working in development, it is described as a basic introduction to some of the connections between culture and development, opening up questions and debates without providing final answers. Review

Partnerships for Learning: A guide to evaluating arts education projects
By Felicity Woolf
Pub: Arts Council England, 2nd edition 2004 (Revised & Updated) free ISBN 0 72870791 8
Written to assist people involved in arts education projects understand evaluation clearly and to evaluate effectively, according to their particular needs. It divides evaluation into 5 stages - planning, collecting evidence, assembling and interpreting, reflecting and moving forward, reporting and sharing. Well-designed and with useful summaries, much of the information here could be very useful in other contexts too. There are reminders of pros and cons of various methods, and mini case studies of good practice. Excellent as an introduction or a refresher on the subject, this is a useful addition to the material available on evaluation, and particularly good on its respect for partners' differing measures of success. Recommended.

The Search for Meaning: The London International Festival of Theatre Lecture
by Charles Handy
Pub: Lemos Crane 1996 £8.99 ISBN 1 898001 22 7
A beautifully produced little book, that captures Charles Handy's address given in the 1995 LIFT Festival. Handy is reflecting on life as we live it now, and exploring the value of the arts, and theatre in particular as a place to think and a means of bringing some sense to bear on the current world. Refreshing, thought-provoking, challenging. Highly recommended.

Taliruni's Travellers: An arts worker's view of evaluation
by Gerri Moriarty
Pub: Comedia Working paper 7 in the Social Impact of the Arts series. 1997 £5 out of print ISBN: 1 873 667 37 X
An important contribution to the debate on how to evaluate and measure the impact of arts programmes. Working from the premise that evaluation is a normal every-day activity of processing what has been learnt and moving on to do things better, the author explores shared methods of evaluation, evaluation as evidence, and evaluation as advocacy. She draws on her experience as a community artist and arts consultant, using powerful real life examples and making links to learning theory.

Use or Ornament? The Social Impact of Participation in the Arts
by François Matarasso
Pub: Comedia 1997 out of print ISBN 1 87 3667 57 4
Powerful stuff and highly recommended. Based on case studies, this report takes evaluation of the arts beyond the aesthetic and financial. Of great interest to all those involved in participatory arts work and those who need to make the case for the arts. Chapters cover personal development, social cohesion, community empowerment and self-determination, local image and identity, imagination and vision, health and well-being. (And the answer is use and ornament).
downloadable summary available from Comedia website www.comedia.org.uk under publications, then Use or Ornament

Vital Signs: Mapping Community Arts in Belfast
by Francois Matarasso
Pub: Comedia 1998 £10.00 ISBN 1873667620
This study of the value of participation in the arts takes the evaluation model from 'Use or Ornament' and develops it a stage further. It is the first comprehensive attempt to describe the scale and impact of a city's local cultural activity undertaken in the UK or Ireland. It looks at the impact of participation in the arts on the community and concludes that it is a significant force in community development, urban regeneration and personal change. The study also considers the impact of the arts on individuals - enhancing employability through skills development and confidence-building. It includes statistics on the groups involved and is an important baseline study for benchmarking and helps translate the value of the arts into policy makers terms. Recommended.

Poverty and Oysters : The Social Impact of local arts development in Portsmouth
by Francois Matarasso
Pub: Comedia 1998 last few copies available then out of print ISBN 1 873667671
Another valuable report that builds on 'Use or Ornament'. Arts projects undertaken by City Arts in Portsmouth are described, and the report presents the findings of the research into their social impact. It looks at their contribution to individual lives and to community development. There is a particular focus on the contribution of the arts to the city's anti-poverty strategy. Recommended.

Magic, Myths and Money : The Impact of the English National Ballet on Tour
by Francois Matarasso
Pub: Comedia 1999 £10.00 ISBN 1 873667 779
Continuing the Social Impact series, this is a study of the impact of a week's residency by English National Ballet in Manchester in November 1998. It looks at the impact of the company's work on audiences, on participants in education work and on the city as a whole. Its concern is with outcomes and how to measure them. The report also looks at broader implications for cultural policy.

Best Value and the Arts: A Guidance pack
Pub: Arts Council of England 1999 £5.00
All that you need to know about the new Local Authorities evaluation system that will be a requirement of their funding in the future. Benchmarking and other elements are all explained. Necessary reading for many of us. Review

Joining In: An Investigation into participatory music
by Anthony Everitt
Pub: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation £10.00 ISBN 0 903319 76 4
A fascinating read - for the descriptions given of a huge variety of forms of music-making in Britain today, for the case made for why music is good for us, and recommendations for the way forward, including the funding systems, community music, amateurs, professional orchestras, new technology - it is all here, with a bit of history and context, some interesting statistics and a 'selective glossary of acronyms'.

Measuring the Economic and Social Impact of the Arts
By Michelle Reeves
Pub Arts Council of England 2002 £10 [£13.48 inc p&p]
This is a review of existing research on the economic and social impact of the arts in the UK, with some references to work from elsewhere.  It addresses concepts and definitions of impact, different models and methods of measuring it, and key issues raised by the research and their implications for future research and policy development.  It is thorough, well-presented, and has an excellent bibliography and an appendix of performance indicators.  Also downloadable from the Arts Council's website www.artscouncil.org.uk/news/publications.index.html
Review

Creative Regeneration - lessons from ten community arts projects
By Tim Dwelly
Pub: Joseph Rowntree Foundation 2001 £12.95 ISBN 1 85935 065 8
This report shows how ten arts projects in Wales have made a major impact in their communities. It provides examples for other agencies across the UK to follow, by demonstrating that creative regeneration really does work. Review

In Our Neighbourhood - A regional theatre and its local community
By Dick Downing
Pub: Joseph Rowntree Foundation 2001 £13.95 ISBN 1 85935 064 X
Recent amendments to the funding of local theatres reflect the importance of their role in community development. In Our Neighbourhood examines a project by a major regional theatre that undertook to become more involved with its local residential community, and to explore new ways of working in partnership. It offers a revealing portrait of the reality of community involvement. Review

Turning Points: the impact of participation in community theatre
by Neil Beddow, ed Mary Shwarz
Pub: South West Arts 2001 ISBN 1 874396 29 9 £5 [incl p&p £7.72]
An interesting and useful study of the effects that community theatre has on the people who take part. It is enthusiastically descriptive and then analytical. The results of the evaluation studies include both delightful direct quotations and lists of percentages. Review

How the Arts Measure Up: Australian Research into social impact
by Deidre Williams
Pub: Comedia 1997 £5
Deidre Williams is a former community arts worker and now an arts consultant, and she conducted the only substantial research into the social impact of community arts projects at the time. In this paper she draws on and updates this unique Australian research to make a powerful case for recognition of the diverse benefits arising from community art, and the factors on which they depend.

Creative Accounting: Beyond the Bottom Line
by Lingayah, MacGillivray and Raynard
Pub: Comedia 1997 £5
Using their knowledge of the indicators and social auditing programmes of the New Economics Foundation, the authors offer a critique of conventional economic indicators from the national to the organisational level, and look at how cost/benefit analysis has been used at project level. They explore new approaches to expressing changes in quality of life at each level, and look at how these might be used in arts assessment.

Creative Bits: the Social Impact of the Arts using Digital Technology
By Kelly, Wojdat and Khan
Pub: Comedia 1997
£10 1 873667523
One of Comedia's individual case studies that contributed to 'Use or Ornament' Digital technology has revolutionised our working lives and offers new means of expression or communication - it also challenges us to cope with, even embrace, change and uncertainty.  This report examines the specific factors governing the work and explores the impacts created by the work of a growing cross-section of gropus and individuals operating in the new and expanding areas of digital creativity - using computers, CD Roms and the Internet.  It covers a wide range of projects:- community-based training; community-based publication; innovative social uses of the Internet; and innovative social uses of digital technology.

Capturing Cultural Value: How culture has become a tool of government policy
By John Holden
Pub Demos 2004 ISBN 1841801399 £10 [£12.64 inc p&p]
An important new essay to add to the debate.  In John Holden’s view, there is a danger in talking in functional terms about the value of culture as arts and cultural organisations have lost the ability to describe their real purpose – producing good work that enriches people’s lives.  He also considers that there is a difficulty in talking about “art for art’s sake”.  The report shows how alternative ways of valuing culture are possible.

As Broadcast in Beijing Merseyside ACME: A Social Impact Study
By Roger Hill and Gerri Moriarty
Pub: Merseyside ACME 2001 £12.00 Not available from SAM's Books ISBN 0 953825418

The Art of Inclusion
By Helen Jermyn
Pub Arts Council of England 2004 ISBN 0728710420 £10 [£14.38 inc p&p]
This report presents the findings of a three-year research project to explore social inclusion in the arts. Twenty eight arts organisations took part in the research, which was funded by Arts Council England.
In addition to the report, 15 detailed case studies are available online.

Low Flying Heroes: Micro-Social Enterprise Below the Radar Screen
By Alex McGillivray, Pat Conaty & Chris Wadhams (New Economics Foundation, 2001, ISBN 1 899407 36 7 £7.95 [£10.67 inc p&p])
A book about people who make things happen in local communities. This fascinating study covers a wide range of examples of small, energetic, informal outfits.
Review

Managing and Measuring Social Enterprises
By Rob Paton
Pub Sage Publications 2003 ISBN 0761973656 £22.99 [£26.49 inc p&p]
This book looks at the challenges of running a social enterprise, ways to improve performance  and to measure success.  Rob Paton identifies the common threads of improving performance from within the private sector and how these can be applied equally to not-for-profit organisations.
Rob Paton examines what has actually happened when performance improvement techniques originating in the private sector have been applied in public and non-profit organizations.  He provides well grounded and theoretically informed guidance on the problem of performance management outside the private sector.  The Excellence Model, Quality and TQM, Best Practice, kite-marking, Balanced Scorecard, Dashboards and PQASSO are all covered.  Lots of food for thought.  Particularly interesting to those studying non-profit or public management.

Did it Make a Difference?
Pub: Arts & Business  £10
A guide to evaluating community based business/arts partnerships. The first in a set of three evaluation guides.

Did it Deliver?
Pub: Arts & Business £10
A guide to evaluating arts-based training inside business.

Did it Work for You?
Pub: Arts & Business £10
Not available from SAM - order directly from Arts & Business at: http://www.aandb.org.uk/content/1/page_65.shtml
A guide to evaluating business sponsorship of the arts.

A Creative Education
Pub: Arts & Business  £10
Not available from SAM - order directly from Arts & Business at: http://www.aandb.org.uk/content/1/page_65.shtml
How creativity and the arts enhance MBA and executive development programmes.

Creative Connections: Business and the arts working together to create a more inclusive society
By Phyllida Shaw
Pub Art & Business 2001 ISBN 09540568809 £15 [£18.15 inc p&p]
This report is for anyone interested in partnerships.  Itself, a result of effective partnership between Marks and Spencer, DCMS and A and B it explains why businesses become involved in social enterprises and the arts. Phyllida Shaw uses her own extensive knowledge of successful collaborations to demonstrate the potential benefit for all parties in pooling skills and resources.  Using a range of case studies which provide examples from all perspectives this will provide ideas and first hand examples of joined-up projects.

For an interesting study of evaluation of Sponsorship see Building Creative Partnerships in Funding, Fund Raising, Sponsorship and Trading section.

For Best Value and Charter Mark information www.servicefirst.gov.uk For Social Exclusion Unit www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/seu/index-htm Creative Exchange An international partnership learning resource involving people and organisations working with arts and culture to achieve sustainable social change. Creative Exchange is a new international alliance for culture and development. It was launched in May 1997. It is a UK-based, international NGO serving people working with Culture and Development. It is a registered charity in the UK, with the objective of promoting public education in the arts and culture for the relief of need. We are bringing people together who use culture and creativity in development, empowerment and many different agendas for change - from governance and democracy to environmental awareness and human rights. http://www.creativexchange.org/ The following statement comes from the DCMS website (downloaded September 03) Arts and social policy The arts, in all their rich variety, belong to everyone, regardless of race, class, culture, age, sex, disability or sexuality. The arts can offer innovative solutions, build bridges and express differences positively, not just for the individual but for whole communities. They can break boundaries. This is why the arts have so much to contribute to wider social issues. From neighbourhood renewal to health, and from the criminal justice system to employment, the arts has something to offer. There are some who argue that the arts used in these ways inevitably lead to a 'dumbing down' of the artistic experience. These same people insist that quality art cannot possibly come out of programmes with social aims. The Government believes that the arts in social contexts can demonstrate excellence and that these two need not be mutually exclusive. http://www.culture.gov.uk/arts/arts_and_social_policy/default.htm

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