Hi Tom,

Thanks for your further comments - really interesting and important questions, and ones that occupy me a lot in my work, but I can't say I've found the answers! Demonstrating the outcomes and understanding how to capture meaningful information about them is an ongoing and important debate in community arts. A lot of my work touches on that in some way or other.

For the healthy,social,creative project I wrote a couple of articles, one which was published in a nursing journal and had to go through a number of rigorous checks and redrafts for that reason, and largely to do with trying to demonstrate cause-effect: which is just too simplistic a way to measure/understand the value of creativity/arts. I have various articles I could post and/or point people too where they're not mine.

Mike White's work at the Centre for Medical Humanities is really interesting in this context, and would be of interest to this community as he focuses on the importance of social connectedness aspect of arts/creativity.

Some important research on the subject was 'Use or Ornament?' the social impact of participation in the arts by Francois Matarasso of Comedia published in 1997. There are gazillions of evaluation reports conducted by arts organisations, and a good few guidance books/documents published by eg the various Arts Councils (and of course non-arts funding bodies), and various organisations representing different parts of the arts sector but  not really one form of evaluation guidance/toolkit that's a 'must-read' for community arts.

Not so long ago, in working on a business plan for a community centre's befriending scheme, I found the evaluation resource pack produced by the Scottish befriending network really useful, and it could be applied to a range of contexts: http://www.evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/article.asp?id=20

Hope that's all helpful. I'd be interested to hear others views/insights as I'm by no means an expert on evaluation.

All the best

Anita

Hi Tom

Just back at the Carnegie office today after being away for a few days - I've added Andy's poster now to the front page and am able to do more if it's helpful today - just let me know

Best

Nick

I should also mention that Voluntary Arts does some valuable work in supporting non-professional/self-supporting arts groups (from quilters to choirs) in the community - www.voluntaryarts.org. I worked with them last year on an arts in health project - www.healthysocialcreative.org.uk. For me, creativity and culture / creative processes are essential to the health/wellbeing and development of individuals and communities.

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your comment. I'm interested in this area simply for my own learning/professional development - although I have no specific involvement in such a process at the moment, it's something that is/will affect the way arts/music/culture in general is delivered.

Your question "I'd be keen to hear your thoughts about how creative processes can help develop rural communities." is a big one! For me, the most powerful work in this area takes place in community arts and that can range from a short-term large scale community drama like Port Talbot and Michael Sheen's The Passion - http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/04/25/the-passion-of-port-talbot-leaves-crowds-enthralled-91466-28577785/ to a longer term (two year) community project like this one: http://www.valleyandvalecommunityarts.co.uk/2011/07/celebrating-community-spirit/ . There are lots of really good examples! Paul Hamlyn Foundation are exploring some of the practices in an initiative called http://www.artworksphf.org.uk/

I'm always working on exciting projects - thanks for asking. In the last 6 months they've ranged from (currently) helping a music service with a funding bid for a music education hub (heralding massive change in the way music education is delivered - emphasising partnership working across sectors) to a profile-raising campaign for a community dance organisation to a funding bid for a befriending scheme for rurally isolated older people.

I'm happy to contribute to this forum from a comms/marketing and arts/creative sector perspective, as well as learn from it.

All the best,

Anita

"It must be a double edged sword being part of the programme; on the one hand receiving valuable support, whilst on the other having to deliver results quickly.  I guess when you're trying to build trust/reciprocal relationships you can't rush things?"

Twas ever thus though eh?  There's always SOMEBODY expecting SOMETHING!  It just needs some careful handling....I find predicting benefits of a co-prduced services that doesnt even exist somewhat of a challenge, but I constantly make the case to the funder the picture will evolve...

"What i find interesting about your Stockport project is it seems a genuinely cross-sector endeavour - about more than just generating cost savings for public purse. This is often the starting point for service transfers.  I wonder how the public providers are adapting to this much more equitable partnership approach?"

I think it is service transfer of sorts.  It might not have a name or a building, but we are giving folk an oportunity to devise some of their own solutions and negotate for power over their own recovery.  I think everyone is clear that to co-produce a solution with people with mental health needs, it has to be wide and cross sectoral...that's ceryainly what people with those need say adamanetly!  It cheered me know end that that was clear from the start...

"I think your commissioning example was great.  Lots of questions. How did you convince senior managers to move to 3 year contracts? How did you help get community groups ready for more formal contract arrangements etc?"

Re managers:  It wasnt't easey.  I cited the COMPACT (remeber that??) and did a speal about lowering the risk (of groups going under + increased quality) and increasing the effciency (less faffing about!)  In the end our accountant basically said "we can end these anytime anyway" and we ploughed on regardless!  Took adantage of his harshness, knowing he'd only get invloved if there was a problem...

Re the groups:  That was the most suprising.  The folk who put themselves forward to help draw up the arrangemnet were admament about demonstrating quality.  They felt it was a matter of pride, so were firmer about the standards that I had orginaly proposed.    I also took a long view though;  we teired our "hands on" support for groups (to suite their abilities and reslienace) and looked for incremenatal change over time.  This was backed by training, so it was a full on approach...

The problem wih applying this to "transfer" is often one of "lead in".   I've come across a couple of transfer cases (not personaly invloved - watching from a far) and it's all been a bit sudden!  Finicial risks are often too high to "suck it and see"....

Thanks Tom for your comments. I clicked on reply back and obviously ended up in the wrong place.

Hi Tom

I was interested in the transfer process because I am currently researching a project for my Masters' thesis, which is Wild boar: Friend or Foe? Examining the conflict of wild boar management in Erglu Novads (which is a region in Latvia where I live). The topic may seem unconnected but one of the problems highlighted in my research was the lack of State Forest workers due to cuts which makes many aspects of policing any new policies introduced with regards to wild boar management difficult. Wild boar have become a pest in our area. 

The financial constraints are unlikely to go away and so the only option I can see is getting local communities on board to help. The very big problem is that there is very little in the way of voluntary cooperation with the State expected to run any monitoring activity and so there is a big cultural problem. People are also suspicious of working together and so building trust is extremely important. Transferring responsibilities to communities therefore is both necessary and challenging. Hope that helps to set the context.

Joanna