The Social Impact of the Arts in Liverpool 2015/16 report looks at 36 cultural organisations in the city which are funded through the city council’s Culture Liverpool Investment Programme (CLIP).

It found that:

  • Arts organisations generated £27million into the city from a wide variety of local, national and international sources. This includes attracting millions of visitors and inward investment.
  • An impressive 29,840 cultural activities took place in the city from 2015/16, with 66% of this activity targeted at special groups – young people, homeless, veterans etc.
  • At least 4.6 million people attended funded events and festivals (broken down as 2,916,331 for events and 1,748,942 for festivals).
  • More than 258,000 people took part in cultural activities.
  • The funding enabled the organisations to raise an additional £15,140,917 from public and private sources.
  • Organisations reported their activities achieved a huge array of social impacts and benefits – for example improving the lives of those experiencing homelessness, worklessness, long-term health issues or poor mental health. Young people with experience of the criminal justice system showed that those taking part in cultural events became more engaged in community, school and home life.

The report provides case studies giving evidence of cultural activities which have taken place and the impact of these activities. These include:

  • Transitions – a programme by Collective Encounters, which used theatre to enable 55 adults with experience of homelessness, mental health challenges and addictions to achieve nationally recognised qualifications.
  • The Comedy Trust’s Stand up to Stigma gave people accessing mental health services the opportunity to hone their comedy skills and developed their confidence to perform in front of an audience.
  • Metal’s Meanwhile Space helped improve both the community spirit and physical environment of Liverpool’s Picton ward by engaging residents of all ages and backgrounds to make a decision on the future of a disused green space.
  • Around 250 disabled young people took part in Young DaDa Fest – a weekly theatre and music workshop developing their creative and artistic skills. The sessions gave young disabled people the opportunity to socialise and take part in art which was relevant to them. As a result, some of the young people involved began to work directly with the council’s Children’s and Young People’s service to advise on issues such as marketing campaigns.
  • Fact’s Veterans in Practice saw veterans meet every week to work on film, web, app or performance projects. This was accessed by 40 veterans ranging from 20-90 years old, developing their skills and giving them the confidence and self-esteem to take on new challenges. The programme also fostered a greater understanding and inclusion of veterans in the local community.

 

The full report can be found at www.cultureliverpool.co.uk/impactreport.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said:

“This report acts as a reminder of the hugely important role culture and the arts plays in the life of this city, both for residents and visitors.

“We know about the economic boost generated by the sector, but what’s more important is the positive, priceless impact on the day-to-day life of residents and their communities shown in this report.

“Here are 36 examples of how continually investing in culture can result in unparalleled improvements in people’s health and wellbeing.  At the same time it succeeds in generating pride among those who live here and showing the world that we are an ambitious, creative city which will always push boundaries and always have social justice at our heart.”

 

The 36 funded organisations are:

20 Stories High, Africa Oye, Black-E, Bluecoat, Bluecoat Display Centre, Brouhaha, Collective Encounters, The Comedy Trust, DaDa Fest, Fact, First Take, Homotopia, Hope Street Ltd, Lantern Company, Liverpool Arab Arts Festival, Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art, Liverpool Carnival Company, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, Liverpool Irish Festival, Liverpool Philharmonic, Liverpool Pride, LOOK, Merseyside Dance Initiative, Metal Culture, Milapfest, Open Culture, Open Eye Limited, Pagoda Arts, Positive Impact, Squash Nutrition, Tate Liverpool, Royal Court Theatre, Tmesis, Unity Theatre, Windows Project, Writing on the Wall.

The report has been commissioned by Liverpool City Council and researched and written by Collective Encounters, one of the organisations who are nationally recognised for their cultural achievements.

Liverpool City Council works with Arts Council England to support the city’s cultural organisations.

Categories: 2017 | Archive | News

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