Your June Research Round Up

Better data on the cultural economy: scoping study
DCMS, MyCake & The Audience Agency, May 2022

Coronavirus (COVID-19) exposed the need for the government to have access to better data about the cultural economy. This study was commissioned by DCMS to develop an understanding of possible ways forward to strengthen data on the cultural sector in order to better understand its value and contribution to the UK economy and to enable more effective policy development.

The report sets out a number of short, medium and longer term recommendations for relevant stakeholders to progress discussions on how to create a better evidence base for England’s cultural economy in a collaborative way.

Culture in Crisis: Recommendations For Policymakers
Centre for Cultural Value, May 2022

In February 2022 The Audience Agency, Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, and Centre for Cultural Value published the landmark Culture in Crisis report, which summarised findings from a two-year long investigation into the impact of COVID-19 on the creative and cultural sectors.

Culture in Crisis: Recommendations for Policy Makers builds on the findings of the original report to set out 12 new interventions that UK Government, devolved administrations, and local authorities could make to support the rebuilding of the UK’s creative and cultural sectors in the wake of the devastating impact of Covid-19. The recommendations address three key areas: Workforce and Skills; Purpose and Place; and Innovation and Sustainability.

Cultural Participation Monitor - Wave 6
Centre for Cultural Value in collaboration with the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre and The Audience Agency, Spring 2022

Initial findings from the April 2022 wave of the Cultural Participation Monitor look at how attitudes towards audience safety, home working, local attendance, and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis are shifting as the pandemic moves into its latest phase. Key insights from the survey responses include:

A much-increased willingness to attend events and optimism about future attendance.
Venue safety measures rated as less important than they have been previously.
Working from home is still prevalent, preferred and expected to continue for most, which may contribute to the geographical spread of cultural attendance.

The cost-of-living crisis emerging as a barrier to engagement which is particularly likely to affect frequency of attendance.

At the Heart of Economic Transformation
Scottish Government, Scottish Cities Alliance, April 2022

The City Centre Recovery Task Force (a collaboration of the Scottish Government and Scottish Cities Alliance) have published a new report that sets out the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on city centres and identifies priorities to support city centre recovery.

It includes recommendations to increase the cultural offer of city centres, and increase creative, entrepreneurial and start-up activity. Public health measures during the pandemic reduced city centre footfall to historically low levels. This change raised questions about who city centres are for, and how to bring people back into them.

This report aims to identify priorities for city centre recovery that will empower communities and places, and support inclusive and sustainable economic development.

Creative Industries

Sustaining Curatorial Careers Research
Craft Scotland, Dr Stacey Hunter, April 2022

This research project was commissioned to better understand how independent craft curators can be supported in their vital role within the craft ecosystem. It provides examples of best practice and fresh ideas that expand on the role of the craft curator and identifies UK and international models of support which have helped to create curatorial career pathways. The report also makes recommendations as to how the right conditions could be created which would ensure that independent curators in Scotland can have sustainable, valued careers.

Make Learn: Craft and Making Education in Scotland Today
Creative Scotland, Craft Scotland, MAKE, March 2022

This report maps craft and making education happening across Scotland in primary schools, secondary schools, and beyond. From this, it identifies the key issues and makes recommendations to: best tackle inequality in craft education; change perceptions of craft; identify career paths; and facilitate new experiences and opportunities for all of Scotland’s young people.

The MAKE Learn project is designed to strengthen Scotland’s craft sector, raise the profile of Scotland’s craft sector, and develop engagement with Scotland’s craft sector by a diverse audience and user group. It has been developed within the framework of MAKE, a manifesto for craft and a collective call for change, which sets out action points and recommendations that directly reflect the issues of makers living and working in Scotland.

Music

Mental Health and Wellbeing in Music and Live Performing Arts Survey May 2022
Support Act, May 2022

This report presents a summary of findings from research into the mental health and wellbeing of people working in music and live performing arts in Australia. The report contains content relating to demographics, employment and income, psychological distress, mental health conditions, working conditions, safety and negative experiences related to work. It also discusses what people working in music and live performing arts have found supportive of their mental health and wellbeing, and what changes people would like to see in future to support the mental health and wellbeing of people in music and live performing arts.

Power of Music: A plan for harnessing music to improve our health, wellbeing and communities
Music for Dementia and UK Music, April 2022

Music played a pivotal role during the pandemic in supporting people through the daily challenges of isolation, loneliness, uncertainty, loss and stressors that could not have been predicted. This report sets out a fundamental repositioning of music in our collective consciousness as a public health tool and a community asset. This is alongside a bold set of practical, actionable recommendations that position music as a necessity and an essential part of our public health strategy, to use music to help build communities, giving people greater access to musical opportunities.

Performing Arts

Research into Theatre, Dance and Drama Use in Schools
Creative Scotland, Imaginate, Wellside Research Ltd, April 2022

This research, commissioned by Creative Scotland and carried out between Oct 2021 and Feb 2022, aims to understand how primary schools in Scotland engage with theatre, dance and drama, and also provides data to improve the access and quality of expressive arts experiences for school learners.

The report found that 81% of schools had taken part in theatre, dance or drama with the main benefits including: building confidence; learning new skills and being exposed to new experiences; developing both academic and cultural engagement; developing personal and inter-personal skills; developing interests and widening horizons; and promoting inclusion.

Stop AI Stealing the Show Report
Equity, April 2022

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the audio and audio-visual sector has advanced significantly in recent years. This new report from Equity notes that from automated audiobooks to digital avatars, AI systems are now replacing skilled professional performers often due to the perception of being cheaper and more convenient. This report presents a series of recommendations which call on policymakers to modernise copyright law and strengthen rights for creatives.

Screen

Privatising Channel 4: The evidence behind the debate
Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre, April 2022

Last year, the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre (PEC) submitted its analysis on the potential impact of a change in Channel 4’s ownership to both the government and House of Lords committees. The submission argued that privatisation would risk reducing the range and choice of content available for UK audiences, threaten Channel 4’s substantial investment in the UK’s world-leading independent production sector, and weaken the public value created by the UK’s wider (PSB) ecology.

As Parliament and the public consider the government’s plans, this blog post illustrates four key findings to help inform an evidence-led debate on the future of Channel 4.

The BBC 50:50 Impact Report
BBC, May 2022

50:50 The Equality Project supports the BBC in fulfilling its responsibility to reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities across the UK. Its continued expansion within the organisation and externally evidences the ongoing commitment of the BBC and 50:50 partner organisations worldwide to improve representation across the creative industries and beyond.

Female audiovisual professionals in European TV fiction production
European Audiovisual Observatory, April 2022

This report analyses the composition of key positions in over 37 000 TV films and TV series episodes produced between 2015 and 2020: directors, writers, producers, directors of photography, composers and lead roles.

[Institutional Log-in Required] "‘Nation shall speak peace unto nation’? The BBC and the nations.”
Jamie Medhurst, Critical Studies in Television 17.1 (2022): 8-23.

This article will take an historical view on the BBC's relationship with the nations, beginning with a discussion of the pre-television era, and then considering how the Corporation introduced television to the 'national regions' in the post-war period.

"Seeing our language: The effects of media representation on Scottish Gaelic learners."
Kendell Fitzgerald, Dalhousie University, April 2022

What narratives remain associated with Scottish Gaelic today in film? Do these portrayals affect or influence Gaelic learners? Has film representation had an impact on Gaelic learning methods? Is media in demand by this community, and is it accessible to learners? This dissertation addresses these questions through a thematic analysis of recent film and television depictions of Gaelic.