National sector body Future Arts Centres has launched Creating the Conditions for Change: How arts centres create change with communities through culture and creativity.

It identifies and evidences how arts centres – and the creative and cultural experiences they provide to local people – deliver real societal change. Artistic work, creative activities and culture in all forms are identified in the research by hundreds of people across the UK as not just the setting, but also the means through which change happens.

Ben Anderson, Director at Lincoln Arts Centre, said: “This is a really important moment for us in showing the wider value of what we do. For the first time, a huge volume of real-world experiences, research and data has been brought together to understand and explain the breadth of impact arts centres have for local communities – and how they do it.

“The report evidences that arts, culture and creative experiences in the unique welcoming and accessible setting of an arts centre drives change. That’s why arts centres are different from traditional services.

“It’s a chance for us to showcase how we can further help deliver the ambitions of policymakers, public services and local people for our area. Whether that’s in health and well-being, education, employment, economic growth, community empowerment and cohesion, or many more areas, arts centres are proven to connect with all parts of communities. Through this huge bank of evidence, people have identified how the connection has changed their lives and outcomes.”

The report evidences how arts centres’ unique Model creates the conditions for change: providing the environment; opportunity for artistic, creative and culture experiences; and repeated engagement, which enables individual-level and wider community and place-level change.

Nationally, arts centres already contribute significantly to local economic growth, policy goals, increasing opportunities and local partnership working. They are core to the UK’s £130bn+ creative industries sector. This work further evidences their role as place-based anchor institutions, the breadth of what they deliver and the wider value.”

You can read Creating the Conditions for Change: How arts centres create change with communities through culture and creativity by clicking the link below.