Images courtesy of: Earthen Lamp

Great Place Coventry evaluation and impact study

About

In 2017, Coventry was selected as one of 16 pilot areas to be funded by the Great Place scheme – a joint funding programme from Arts Council England and National Lottery Heritage Fund. Coventry City of Culture Trust bid successfully for £1.5 million to invest in arts and heritage projects across the city and grow the cultural infrastructure.

Great Place Coventry has seen a wide variety of projects and performances across the city, fitting within four programme strands:

• Embedding culture in place policy
• Diversity engagement
• Art, architecture and civic pride
• The city is the festival

To date the scheme has included a Shop Front Festival in the City Centre, workplace choirs performing at the Albany Theatre, dance and theatre performances in the former Coventry Telegraph building, outdoor light installation in the Cathedral ruins, vertical dance performances high up in the air … and so much more!

Type of work

Evaluation

Date

From 2017

The brief

Earthen Lamp was commissioned to deliver the on-going evaluation of the scheme working alongside producing organisations and artists to assess the impact and reach of events and projects taking place in the city.

The evaluation has also had a firm focus on learning from the experience and building the cultural infrastructure of the city looking towards Coventry City of Culture 2021.

The activity

The evaluation has used both qualitative and quantitative research methods, collecting data from organisers, project partners and audiences.

Working together with cultural partners and project leads we have collected and analysed feedback from over 1,200 individuals.

The outcome

The overall evaluation has helped to build a picture of cultural participation in Coventry and has fed into future planning for Coventry City of Culture 2021

Earthen Lamp’s evaluation of projects in Coventry has also contributed to the national evaluation of Arts Council England’s Great Place Scheme.