COVID-19 Fallout: Cultural Sectors' Struggles and Policy Considerations
We've joined forces with the Centre for Cultural Value on a 15-month research project
We're buckling down with the Centre for Cultural Value on a 15-month research extravaganza! This national research bash is examining the influence of COVID-19 on the cultural sector across the UK and shedding light on the implications for policy making.
What's this research project all about?
This high-energy, 15-month national research party is co-organized with the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) and The Audience Agency. Kicking off on September 1st, 2020, this study will investigate the impacts of COVID-19 on cultural organizations, practitioners, and audiences across the nation.
Led by Centre for Cultural Value Director, Professor Ben Walmsley, a national consortium of researchers and cultural sector partners will delve into existing datasets and conduct targeted research on the pandemic's impacts on the cultural world.
With a significant portion of the funds coming from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Covid rolling call, issued through the Arts and Humanities Research Council, this investigation is a powerhouse collaboration aiming to provide a national picture and identify immediate and longer-term implications for policy and practice.
The Lowdown on the Investigation
The social distancing measures enacted worldwide to slow the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in the closure of cultural spaces, cancellations of cultural events, and a suspension of community-based cultural practice for practitioners. COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the cultural sector, with jobs disappearing, and audiences hesitant to return. Many fear the lasting impacts of COVID-19 on cultural practices and engagement, as we know it.
Sensing an urgent need for understanding the demand for digital cultural activity during the crisis, the study will scrutinize the supply and demand of cultural activity in the digital space, and investigate whether the crisis might replicate, worsen, or tone down existing inequalities in cultural production and consumption.
Although attempts have been made to assess the effects of COVID-19 on the cultural sector, they have lacked comprehensiveness and consistency. This study aims to fill these gaps by providing a detailed, mixed-methods analysis of the short, medium, and long-term effects of COVID-19 on the cultural industries and their audiences and the implications for national and regional policymaking.
The investigation's overarching value lies in revealing the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the cultural sectors in a thoughtful and nuanced way, spotlighting the hurdles faced by cultural practitioners, organizations, and audiences from diverse backgrounds, regions, and artistic domains. The research will consider a representative range of organizations representing different sizes, scales, geographies, and sub-sectors.
Through a rigorous mixed-methods approach, the research team will produce an impartial overview of the impacts and implications of the current crisis – a resource that can be used to offer robust and reliable evidence to inform policy planning and decision making in the short and long run.
Key activities will include scoping, synthesizing, and appraising existing and emerging data, longitudinal tracking of the cultural sector for 15 months, case studies, and policy engagement to influence policy and help DCMS deliver timely interventions to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on the cultural sector.
Top Research Questions
- What are the short, medium, and long-term impacts of COVID-19 across different subsectors of the cultural industries?
- How has cultural consumption and consumer behavior shifted due to social distancing measures and the closure of cultural spaces during the pandemic?
- To what extent will the COVID-crisis perpetuate, exacerbate, or alleviate inequalities concerning cultural production and consumption, and how will this reshape how the cultural industries engage with audiences in the short, medium, and long term?
- What have been the drivers and effects of the immediate policy responses to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the cultural industries, and how will the crisis influence policymaking as the sector emerges from lockdown? What are the implications of COVID-19 for future cultural policymaking and the broader creative economy?
The Brains Behind the Research
- Dr Maria Barrett, University of Warwick
- Dr Danni Child, Manchester Metropolitan University
- John Davies, Nesta
- Dr Abigail Gilmore, University of Manchester
- Dr Karen Gray, University of Leeds
- Sue Hayton FRSA, University of Leeds
- Dr Jenny Kidd, Cardiff University
- Dr Siobhan McAndrew, University of Bristol
- Dr Eva Nieto McAvoy, Cardiff University
- Dr Dave O'Brien, University of Edinburgh
- Dr Gwilym Owen, University of Sheffield
- Dr Mark Taylor, University of Sheffield
- Professor Ben Walmsley, University of Leeds
- Dr Harry Weeks, Newcastle University
- Dr John Wright, University of Leeds
Stay Tuned
Just like a new blockbuster movie, this research exploration is unfolding, promising captivating findings and concrete recommendations for policy insights. Keep your eyes peeled for updates!
- This 15-month research project, in collaboration with the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) and The Audience Agency, will delve into the impacts of COVID-19 on the cultural sector and its implications for policy making.
- Led by Centre for Cultural Value Director, Professor Ben Walmsley, a national consortium of researchers and cultural sector partners will gather evidence to provide a national picture of the short, medium, and long-term effects of COVID-19 on the cultural industries.
- The investigation aims to identify immediate and longer-term implications for policy and practice, using mixed-methods analysis and a comprehensive approach to fill gaps in previously conducted assessments.
- As part of the UKRI Covid rolling call, the study aims to reveal the hurdles faced by cultural practitioners, organizations, and audiences from diverse backgrounds, regions, and artistic domains.
- Key activities include scoping, synthesizing, and appraising existing and emerging data, longitudinal tracking of the cultural sector for 15 months, case studies, and policy engagement to influence decision making in the short and long run.
- The research will explore the shift in cultural consumption and consumer behavior due to social distancing measures, as well as the implications of COVID-19 for future cultural policymaking and the broader creative economy.
- The study will also investigate whether the crisis might replicate, worsen, or tone down existing inequalities in cultural production and consumption.
- John Davies, Nesta, and Dr Maria Barrett, University of Warwick, are among the brains behind this research endeavor, working together to produce an impartial overview of the impacts of the current crisis on the cultural sector.
- Keep your eyes peeled for updates as this 15-month national research project unfolds, promising captivating findings and concrete recommendations for policy insights.
- The insights gained from this research may inform policymakers, strengthen the cultural sector's resilience in the face of unexpected challenges, and ultimately lead to a more robust and sustainable cultural ecosystem in the UK.
