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Spotlighting case studies of Community Arts and Cultural Development

In 2023, Patternmakers was commissioned by Creative Australia to develop a prototype for exploring case studies of Community Arts and Cultural Development. Explore the interactive digital resource ‘When Art Sparks Change’.

All around Australia, artists are sparking social change, working with communities to tell their stories, tackle big issues and create common ground.

Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD) is a specialist art form where professional artist facilitators work with communities to co-create projects with purpose. However, many Australians are not. Research shows that of all the artforms, our population has a particularly limited understanding of the benefits of CACD.

This new resource launching today collates a selection of local case studies to showcase the inspiring work led by CACD artists. As Australia grapples with a civic crisis, their work has never been more needed.

Click the button below to learn more about the project and scroll through the digital resource: 'When Art Sparks Change' or download the PDF detailing the web content.

Image Credit: Robert Catto, Milk Crate Theatre’s DUST.

 
 

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Audience Outlook Monitor — 2023

Patternmakers leads a major tracking study of audiences in partnership with US research agency WolfBrown.

Patternmakers led a major tracking study of audiences in partnership with US research agency WolfBrown.

Initiatied in the first weeks of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the study has evolved over time to explore topics like ticket-buying timelines, audience appetites for different content, and behavioural trends related to the cost-of-living crisis.

Patternmakers has partnered with Australia Council for the Arts, Create NSW, Creative Victoria, Arts Queensland, Department of the Premier and Cabinet (Arts SA), DLGSC WA and Arts ACT to deliver this project between 2020 and 2023.

Our 2020-2023 program of work helped artists and cultural organisations connect with audiences, tracking the way people engaged with arts, culture and creativity in the pandemic and post-pandemic landscape. Artists and cultural organisations needed to continually innovate the events they programmed, their marketing and their policies.

The work is regularly cited in the media and in major policy papers such as Revive, the Australia Government's National Cultural Policy. It is providing artists and cultural organisations with a resource to guide decision-making and forward planning, to help revitalise our communities.

Explore the Audience Outlook Monitor research launched in 2023:

 

Click below to view all of our past Audience Outlook Monitor publications:

Image Credit: Nicholas Smith, courtesy of Campbelltown Arts Centre.

 
 

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Evaluation of the Sydney Opera House's Centre for Creativity

In 2022, Sydney Opera House partnered with Patternmakers to create an Evaluation Framework for its new Centre for Creativity.

In 2022, Sydney Opera House partnered with Patternmakers to create an Evaluation Framework for its new Centre for Creativity (CFC), described as a ‘purpose-built home for hands-on creative experiences’.

The CFC aims to foster creativity, with the ultimate goals of improving wellbeing and cultivating creative citizenship. It also aligns with the SOH commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including quality education, climate action and reduced inequalities.

To track its progress towards these goals, it enlisted Patternmakers to establish an Evaluation Framework – which would ‘set the template’ for an annual evaluation of CFC activity.

Image Credit: www.sydneyoperahouse.com/visit/our-venues/centre-for-creativity

 
 

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Evaluation of the SongMakers program for APRA

In 2022 and 2023, Patternmakers is working with APRA/AMCOS to evaluate a new version of the celebrated SongMakers program.

In 2022 and 2023 we’re working with APRA/AMCOS to evaluate a new version of the celebrated SongMakers program.

SongMakers is a songwriting program for young people in secondary schools, that has kickstarted the careers of a number of emerging Australian musicians. The latest version adapts this program for a school holiday format for young people in regional NSW, with support from the NSW Government. 

This research involves surveying young people at the end of SongMakers workshops about the impacts of the program across domains including songwriting craft, participant wellbeing, and music industry knowledge. It also incorporates interviews with key stakeholders like program mentors and regional venue partners, and case studies with standout participants. 

To date we have delivered an interim report which has shown that the program is successfully cultivating technical skills, improved mood, ambition and passion for songwriting amongst participants, and identified a need for further extracurricular opportunities like SongMakers for young people in regional areas. At the end of the program, a final report will be produced based on further fieldwork, including a survey of all participants to explore their career trajectories since participating.

Image Credit: songmakers.com.au/holiday-sessions/

 
 

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Audience Outlook Monitor — 2022

Patternmakers leads a major tracking study of audiences in partnership with US research agency WolfBrown.

Patternmakers led a major tracking study of audiences in partnership with US research agency WolfBrown.

Initiatied in the first weeks of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the study has evolved over time to explore topics like ticket-buying timelines, audience appetites for different content, and behavioural trends related to the cost-of-living crisis.

Patternmakers has partnered with Australia Council for the Arts, Create NSW, Creative Victoria, Arts Queensland, Department of the Premier and Cabinet (Arts SA), DLGSC WA and Arts ACT to deliver this project between 2020 and 2023.

Our 2020-2023 program of work helped artists and cultural organisations connect with audiences, tracking the way people engaged with arts, culture and creativity in the pandemic and post-pandemic landscape. Artists and cultural organisations needed to continually innovate the events they programmed, their marketing and their policies.

The work is regularly cited in the media and in major policy papers such as Revive, the Australia Government's National Cultural Policy. It is providing artists and cultural organisations with a resource to guide decision-making and forward planning, to help revitalise our communities.

Explore the Audience Outlook Monitor research launched in 2022:

 
 
 

Click below to view all of our past Audience Outlook Monitor publications:

Image Credit: Nicholas Smith, courtesy of Campbelltown Arts Centre.

 
 

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The Power of Youth Arts

Patternmakers collaborated with ATYP to produce a new research resource that tells us about the benefits of performing arts participation for children and young people.

In 2022, the Patternmakers team collaborated with the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) to discover what the research tells us about the benefits of performing arts participation for children and young people.

We’ve created a research guide that aims to consolidate the wealth of existing research on the benefits of performing arts participation for children and young people, making this evidence-based resource accessible and able to be shared in numerous ways within the sector.

Click the button below for the full report, summary, and the 5 key messages we’ve identified about young people and arts, supported by the literature.

Image Credit: Brett Boardman, courtesy of ATYP.

 
 
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Audience Research for the National Library of Australia (NLA)

In 2021-22 we worked with the National Library of Australia on a follow-on project to a major program of audience research conducted in 2020-21.

In 2021-22 we worked with the Library on a follow-on project to a major program of research conducted in 2020-21.

The project aimed to track key indicators and explore the extent to which it had made progress on the recommendations related to current audiences and diverse segments including on-site visitors (intercepted) and diverse segments including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Australians and people living with a disability.

A nationally representative survey was undertaken, along with a series of focus groups and an on-site survey of visitors to the NLA's temporary exhibition, ‘On Stage: Spotlight on Our Performing Arts’.

Key insights and recommendations were identified in four areas, with the project culminating in a cross-Departmental workshop and report.

Image Credit: Prudence Upton

 
 

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Creating resources for sector-wide advocacy with the NYAC program

Patternmakers has partnered with ATYP and other Youth Performing Arts organisations to produce a set of advocacy assets for the National Youth Arts Connections (NYAC) program.

Patternmakers has partnered with ATYP and other Youth Performing Arts organisations to produce a set of advocacy assets for the National Youth Arts Connections (NYAC) program.

The NYAC program is designed to strengthen relationships between Youth Performing Arts organisations and communicate the importance of Youth Arts to funders and other stakeholders. Patternmakers‘ role is to review existing research about the impacts of Youth Arts and generate some key messages that can be shared by Youth Performing Arts organisations to advocate for the sector.

We’re looking forward to presenting our findings at the NYAC summit in July 2022.

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Proving the benefits of Gallery engagement for young people

Patternmakers worked with MCA to explore whether MCA’s GENEXT, a festival-style event for young people, had benefits for their mental health and wellbeing.

We worked with the Museum of Contemporary Art to evaluate their GENEXT Program, a festival-style event for people aged 12-18 years featuring live music, performances and art- making and interactive experiences.

We explored how GENEXT impacts individuals in real time and later in life through a series of interviews with key stakeholders, two focus groups, a series of observations, and a survey of over 1,000 past and present GENEXT attendees. We sought contributions from experts in mental health, government funding and the arts.

Our research proved that GENEXT positively impacts young people’s mental health and well-being while also helping them to cultivate their creativity and experience a sense of belonging.

The work has been used in conversations with funders and has been presented at conferences internationally, adding to the knowledge base in a growing field.

Visit out publications page to read the report.

Image credit: MCA, David Goldblatt

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The Impact of Youth Theatre on Mental Health

We worked with ATYP to explore the impact of youth theatre on mental health and launch the findings at the Arts & Health Conference.

We worked with ATYP to explore the impact of youth theatre on mental health and launch the findings at the Arts & Health Conference.

This project involved a review of existing research, and new qualitative and quantitative research including depth interviews, an online discussion board and a survey of 1,200 parents, participants and stakeholders. We also provided advice on an organisation-wide research framework.

The results demonstrated the positive impacts of participating in theatre for young people, and the importance of theatre skills in building self confidence, communications skills and resilience. The findings were published in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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Impact Evaluation for Terrapin Puppet Theatre’s Schools Touring Program

From 2019 - 2021, Patternmakers worked with Terrapin to evaluate the impact of its Schools Touring Program on Tasmanian students, teachers and communities.

We worked with Terrapin to evaluate the impact of its Schools Touring Program on Tasmanian students, teachers and communities.

We explored the impact of the program in delivering puppet theatre to Tasmanian children for over 35 years. The research was conducted in three phases: a teacher survey and depth interviews in 2019, classroom observations in 2020 and further fieldwork in 2021.

The results provided insights into the impact of the program on Tasmanian culture and communities, as well as identifed the program’s successes and opportunities for improvement. The research also assisted Terrapin to partner with Blundstone on delivering an access program which reached over 4,000 additional student attendances.

For more information, read the case study linked below:

Image Credit: Scaredy Cat in a Tasmanian primary school 2021, Peter Mathew

 
 

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Audience Outlook Monitor — 2021

Patternmakers leads a major tracking study of audiences in partnership with US research agency WolfBrown.

Patternmakers led a major tracking study of audiences in partnership with US research agency WolfBrown.

Initiatied in the first weeks of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the study has evolved over time to explore topics like ticket-buying timelines, audience appetites for different content, and behavioural trends related to the cost-of-living crisis.

Patternmakers has partnered with Australia Council for the Arts, Create NSW, Creative Victoria, Arts Queensland, Department of the Premier and Cabinet (Arts SA), DLGSC WA and Arts ACT to deliver this project between 2020 and 2023.

Our 2020-2023 program of work helped artists and cultural organisations connect with audiences, tracking the way people engaged with arts, culture and creativity in the pandemic and post-pandemic landscape. Artists and cultural organisations needed to continually innovate the events they programmed, their marketing and their policies.

The work is regularly cited in the media and in major policy papers such as Revive, the Australia Government's National Cultural Policy. It is providing artists and cultural organisations with a resource to guide decision-making and forward planning, to help revitalise our communities.

Explore the Audience Outlook Monitor research launched in 2021:

Click below to view all of our past Audience Outlook Monitor publications:

Image Credit: Nicholas Smith, courtesy of Campbelltown Arts Centre.

 
 

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Understanding community impact with Bundanon Local

Patternmakers worked with Bundanon Trust to evaluate the impact of its community-engaged art program, Bundanon Local.

We collaborated with Bundanon Trust to undertake an impact evaluation of its community engagement program, Bundanon Local in 2019.

The research involved a co-design process with the Trust’s staff, a series of depth interviews with artists and key stakeholders, as well as a survey of Bundanon’s networks.,

The findings highlighted that the program plays a vital role in the Shoalhaven community in providing access to Arthur Boyd’s legacy and facilitating a space for young and emerging artists to connect with professional practitioners and nurture their creativity.

The project helped to identify future opportunities for the Trust to expand the reach and impact of the program for more communities.

Read about and download the report:


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Digital Creative Learning Evaluation for Sydney Opera House

In 2019, we worked with the Sydney Opera House to evaluate the impact of its Digital Creative Learning Program.

We worked with the Sydney Opera House to evaluate the impact of its Digital Creative Learning Program.

In particular, we explored the impact of the Digital Creative Learning program on schools, students and teachers via a series of observations of classrooms participating in the program, depth interviews, focus groups and an online survey of past and current participants.

The findings shed light on the successes of the program, opportunities for improvement, barriers preventing access to the program as well as students’ and teachers’ experiences with the program.

Image Credit: https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/visit/our-venues/concert-hall

 
 

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Visitor Research for Science Gallery Melbourne

We worked with Science Gallery Melbourne to conduct audience research for its exhibitions, BLOOD and PERFECTION.

In 2017 and 2018, we worked with Science Gallery Melbourne to conduct audience research for its exhibitions, BLOOD and PERFECTION.

These projects involved designing questionnaires to measure satisfaction, visitation, awareness, motivations and attitudes. Our analysis identified themes and patterns to establish baseline data about and support future opportunities. We also developed data collection processes for Science Gallery Melbourne’s staff to conduct fieldwork going forward.

Image Credit: https://annatregloan.com.au/science-gallery-melbourne

 
 

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Audience Research for UTS ART

We worked with the UTS Sydney across two projects within UTS ART.

In 2017 and 2018, we worked with the UTS Sydney across two projects within UTS ART.

The first was to conduct audience research to identify opportunities to grow the contribution of art to the University. This involved qualitative research and an online survey to develop a quantitative profile of visitors. Over 500 people participated in the research. Our analysis identified themes and patterns in visitation and audience experiences, highlighting opportunities for art on campus.

The second was to conduct stakeholder research to help guide the strategic objectives of UTS ART. This involved conducting strategic workshops and consultations and identified priority opportunities for the new role of UTS ART.

Image Credit: https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/news/picture-health

 
 

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Evaluation of the GENEXT Program at the Museum of Contemporary Art

In 2018, we worked with the Museum of Contemporary Art to evaluate their GENEXT Program, a festival-style event for people aged 12-18 years featuring live music, performances and art-making and interactive experiences.

We worked with the Museum of Contemporary Art to evaluate their GENEXT Program, a festival-style event for people aged 12-18 years featuring live music, performances and art-making and interactive experiences.

We explored how GENEXT impacts individuals in real time and later in life through a series of interviews with key stakeholders, two focus groups, a series of observations, and a survey of over 1,000 past and present GENEXT attendees.

Our research showed important that GENEXT positively impacts young people’s mental health and well-being while also helping them to cultivate their creativity and experience a sense of belonging.

Read about or download the report below:

 
 

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Evaluation of the Barking Gecko Theatre Company

We worked with Barking Gecko Theatre Company in Perth to evaluate their Ensembles program.

In 2018, we worked with Barking Gecko Theatre Company in Perth to evaluate their Ensembles program.

We explored how the Barking Gecko Ensembles program impacts the social and emotional wellbeing of young people through depth interviews and an online survey of over 200 people.

The results showed that the Barking Gecko Ensembles program positively impacts the wellbeing of young people, with 9 in 10 agreeing that the program supports good mental health. We also found that confidence, working in a team, expressing creativity and being able to connect with others are significant outcomes for young people involved in the program.

Image Credit: https://www.artshub.com.au/news/features/born-from-chaos-barking-gecko-theatre-is-30-years-strong-259152-2365193/

 
 

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Impact Evaluation of Australian Theatre for Young People

In 2017, we worked with ATYP to explore the impact of youth theatre on mental health conditions and launch the findings at the Arts & Health Conference.

In 2017, we worked with ATYP to explore the impact of youth theatre on mental health conditions and launch the findings at the Arts & Health Conference.

This project involved a review of existing data & research, and new qualitative and quantitative research including depth interviews, an online discussion board and a survey of 1,200 parents, participants and stakeholders. We also provided advice on an organisation-wide research framework.

The results demonstrated the positive impacts of participating in theatre for young people, especially on young people’s mental health in both the long and short term. These important findings were then published in an article in the SMH which has a readership of around 633,000.

Read about or download the report:

Image Credit: https://atyp.com.au/

 
 

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