About the project: stories of engagement with culture and creativity during the pandemic
Valuing Culture is a free, welcoming space for individuals to come together to share stories of their cultural and creative experiences during the pandemic. It has been developed by the Centre for Cultural Value as part of a national research project exploring the impacts of Covid-19 on the UK cultural sector.
Our research project, "Impacts of Covid-19 on the cultural sector" is examining how the cultural sector has been affected by the pandemic and the ways in which individuals and communities have engaged with culture and creativity throughout this period.
The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the cultural sector, with the closure of cultural spaces, loss of jobs, cancellation of cultural events, and restrictions on many community-based activities. It is predicted that these impacts will have long-lasting effects on the cultural sector and may change cultural practice and the ways that people experience and engage with culture and creativity in the future.
Many cultural organisations and practitioners have responded to the pandemic by creating opportunities for cultural engagement within the digital space. Many communities and individuals have also developed their own opportunities to enjoy and benefit from cultural and creative activities. We want to hear and share those stories and make sure they are a key part of the research data.
We are sharing the findings of the research with cultural sector organisations, and policy makers so it can inform what policy decisions are made in response to the crisis.
© Socially distanced visitors at the Hebrew Manuscripts exhibition at the British Library St Pancras, Photo: David Jensen
We hope Valuing Culture will become a living archive of people's cultural and creative experiences. The stories shared here can help us to deepen understanding of how and why individuals and communities engage with culture and creativity and the value of those experiences to people's lives.
This project is led by the Centre for Cultural Value in collaboration with The Audience Agency, the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre and a national consortium of academic researchers. We are funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) through UK Research and Innovation’s Covid-19 rapid rolling call.