Effective independent project evaluation can make a huge difference to your organisation. It provides honest feedback from visitors and participants, creates space for staff to reflect on lessons learned, helps you to improve, and shows the value of your work to stakeholders and funders. I offer a range of support, from working with you to think through your key questions and methodologies so that you can self-evaluate your project, to delivery of a fully outsourced research programme. Clients for evaluation projects have included National Museums Liverpool, Manchester Museum, Lancashire County Council, Daniel Adamson Preservation Society, Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, University of Leeds, Institute of Cultural Capital, North West Federation of Museums, and Port Sunlight Village Trust. Read further for examples of my evaluation work.
Community Arts and Heritage in Salford
I have worked closely with Salford Community Leisure Trust over a number of years, exploring the impact of their work with local communities. Evaluation projects have included Libraries Live, which programmes exciting arts events into local libraries, and the HLF funded Digital Salford, which trained volunteers to digitise more than 7000 photographs in the city’s collection. I’ve also evaluated the restoration of the spectacular Ordsall Hall; Salford’s First World War centenary remembrance programme; and projects themed around the history of Chat Moss and the Bridgewater Canal.
Norton Priory Museum and Gardens
Norton Priory Museum and Gardens re-opened in 2016 after a major capital project which involved rebuilding the museum and re-displaying their wonderful collection. I carried out a full evaluation of the impact of the new museum on visitors, local communities, schools and volunteers, using a mix of face to face visitor surveys, focus groups, analysis of online comments and reviews, and staff interviews.
Impacts 08/Institute of Cultural Capital
2008 was Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture. I worked as a research assistant with the Impacts 08 team at the University of Liverpool, and led four research projects: a longitudinal study of the impacts of 2008 on four local neighbourhoods; an investigation into the effect on artists and arts organisations; a study of the 08 Volunteers programme; and a pilot project looking at measuring the impact of arts participation on wellbeing. Since then, I have worked with the Institute of Cultural Capital on evaluations of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, and ACE’s Libraries Development Programme.
