Final evaluation of Art at the Centre Phase I (6) confirmed the
positive impact of the scheme, including its role in facilitating
change and attracting additional funding from across local authority
departments.
Evaluation of Phase II will go further, gathering qualitative
as well as quantitative evidence, and injecting creativity into
the evaluation process itself. This approach is being developed
in collaboration with the General
Public Agency who will be tracking the progress of all three
Art at the Centre projects through to 2008.
This will involve artists in helping to capture some of the ‘essence’
of the project; it will involve communities in the identification
of key themes; it will develop tools to enable a deeper understanding
of those themes; and it will provide mechanisms to share learning
outcomes from the start.
A key challenge for Art at the Centre, and a common theme for
all its project partners, is the need to create a sense of unity
and identity within areas undergoing rapid change. We believe
that this unity should be evident not only in the physical environment
but also on a social level within communities.
We will be following the experiences of a number of people touched
by Art at the Centre Phase II as part of an innovative evaluation
process led by the General
Public Agency. This will provide robust evidence of the real
impact of placing art at the heart of regeneration activities
across the south east.
Coming soon…clear explanations of key terms and concepts
identified through Art at the Centre and illustrated through reference
to case studies. A useful aid for all those involved in regeneration
projects or wishing to share the lessons emerging from projects
such as this.
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