Civic Engagement/Community Development
By more fully understanding the dynamics between space and arts
engagement, and by rethinking the role of place, arts organizations can open up new opportunities for themselves and for the people they want to engage.
Measuring Cultural Engagement: A Quest for New Terms, Tools, and Techniques
This report summarizes a June 2014 symposium held at the Gallup Headquarters in Washington, DC, in partnership with the UK’s Arts & Humanities Research Council. Cultural researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from the U.S., the UK, and other countries met to review common assumptions, techniques, and challenges in measuring cultural engagement. The report offers expert guidance on how those measurements can be refined and made more relevant to different stakeholder groups.
When Going Gets Tough: Barriers and Motivations Affecting Arts Attendance
This report examines demographic and socio-economic characteristics of adults who attended visual and performing arts activities in 2012, but unlike prior NEA research it offers in-depth perspectives on attitudes, motivations, and barriers concerning arts attendance.
The Validating Arts & Livability Indicators (VALI) Study: Results and Recommendations
This report presents the findings of an effort undertaken by the Urban Institute to validate a set of candidate indicators for creative placemaking initiatives.
Arts and business: partnerships that work
This collaboration between AbaF and the Australia Council investigated the various dimensions of corporate support for the arts. The overarching aim of the project was to gather a descriptive account of trends regarding the decision-making and strategies of sponsorship and relationship managers. AbaF has conducted extensive industry research; such as the Arts Sponsorship Outlook Survey (2009) and the annual AbaF Survey of Private Sector Support for the Arts. This is the first study that directly focuses on the attitudes of corporate decision makers towards arts sponsorships and partnerships in Australia.
California Prison Arts: A Quantitative Evaluation
A one-year study of inmates in four California correctional institutions revealed that arts programs improve prisoners’ behavior and their attitudes about themselves. A significant majority of inmates attribute their greater confidence, self-discipline, and pursuit of other academic and vocational opportunities to their participation in arts programs. These benefits signal a pathway for overall personal growth

