About the Centre for Cultural Value: Understanding the difference culture makes
The Centre for Cultural Value is a national research centre based at the University of Leeds. We are building a shared understanding of the differences that arts, culture, heritage and screen make to people’s lives and to society.
Our core partners are The Audience Agency, The University of Liverpool, The University of Sheffield and Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. We are funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council, Arts Council England and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
© To the Beat of a Different Drum, co-produced by RJC Dance and Yorkshire Dance. Photography: David Lindsay
Everyone values culture: human beings have told stories, danced, sung, played music and made art since the beginning of time. Many people argue that art and culture define what it means to be human. But this doesn’t mean that everyone shares the same idea of what culture is, nor that we all value in the same way the things that different forms of art and culture bring to our lives. The Centre for Cultural Value recognises that there are diverse perspectives about culture and cultural values. We believe that everyone values culture of one kind or another, even if they don’t always have equal opportunities to take part in the sort of cultural activities that they value the most.
We are committed to diversifying the voices and viewpoints heard in discussions about cultural value. Our research draws on a rich range of insights, evidence and practice from cultural practitioners, academics, audiences and communities. We can only achieve our work by collaborating with and listening to a range of people with different ideas, knowledge, skills and experiences.
Two female dancers perform as part of Yorkshire Dance's Dance On programme.
© Dance On, Yorkshire Dance. Photo: Sara Teresa
We work in partnership with national organisations, networks and research institutions, so that collectively we we can:
-Advance understanding of cultural value
-Make research about cultural value more accessible and relevant to cultural sector practitioners and policy makers
-Support the cultural sector to develop skills in research, evaluation and reflective practice
-Shape policy development.
