Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund Great Place Programme Evaluation (England)

This document describes an evaluation of various cultural initiatives, including the Great Place scheme, aimed at embedding culture into local communities and policymaking. The Great Place scheme, evaluated by BOP Consulting, seeks to enhance cross-sector partnerships, community involvement, and economic outcomes through culture. Methodologies such as logic models, surveys, interviews, and case studies were used to assess the scheme's effectiveness. Challenges identified include sustaining ambitions and managing complex partnerships, with recommendations for strategic direction and long-term investment. Additionally, the document reviews cultural projects in Sunderland, Tees Valley, Herefordshire, Gloucester, Norfolk, and Salford, each with unique challenges such as capacity issues and the need for longer funding timescales. The initiatives aim to use culture for community cohesion, well-being, and economic development, with some focusing on health and social isolation. Despite successes in cultural-led regeneration and community engagement, financial constraints and the need for strategic partnerships are noted as areas for improvement. The evaluation underscores the importance of integrating culture into broader economic plans and the potential for cultural programs to address social and economic challenges. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: Arts Council England
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Impact evaluation; Process evaluation
• Impact methods: Theory-based methods
• Theory-based methods: Other
• Process methods: Case studies; Focus groups or group interviews; Individual interviews; Surveys and polling
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: October 2018

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes