The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is to fund up to 40 projects that will look at ways to quantify the importance of culture to society.
The AHRC, which launched the two-year Cultural Value Project at London’s Southbank Centre on 29 March, said that recent attempts to capture cultural value have not gained widespread approval.
“Too often [in past research on culture value] the methods that have been used have been to find the evidence that it is believed will speak to government of the day and that has increasingly been an issue of economic impact,” said Geoffrey Crossick, the director of the Cultural Value Project.
“I think most people in the arts don’t believe that’s why they do it – I don’t know anyone in the arts who does it directly to have an economic impact. So let’s start somewhere else; let’s actually ask what are the fundamental effects of art and culture.”
Jude Kelly, the artistic director of the Southbank Centre, said at the launch: “When we talk about the importance of culture, I think sometimes in the sector we get can confused between longing for people to understand the fundamental requirement all humans have to express themselves and to throw a window open for people to look at us.
"But there is a difference between getting people to understand and believe that, then getting them to decide how much they want to spend on having it.”
The AHRC funds research on a wide range of subjects, including ancient history, archaeology and digital content. It will spend about £98m on research projects this financial year.
The closing date for funding applications to the Cultural Value Project is 16 April. For more details contact project researcher Patricia Kaszynska (email p.kaszynska@ahrc.ac.uk).
The AHRC, which launched the two-year Cultural Value Project at London’s Southbank Centre on 29 March, said that recent attempts to capture cultural value have not gained widespread approval.
“Too often [in past research on culture value] the methods that have been used have been to find the evidence that it is believed will speak to government of the day and that has increasingly been an issue of economic impact,” said Geoffrey Crossick, the director of the Cultural Value Project.
“I think most people in the arts don’t believe that’s why they do it – I don’t know anyone in the arts who does it directly to have an economic impact. So let’s start somewhere else; let’s actually ask what are the fundamental effects of art and culture.”
Jude Kelly, the artistic director of the Southbank Centre, said at the launch: “When we talk about the importance of culture, I think sometimes in the sector we get can confused between longing for people to understand the fundamental requirement all humans have to express themselves and to throw a window open for people to look at us.
"But there is a difference between getting people to understand and believe that, then getting them to decide how much they want to spend on having it.”
The AHRC funds research on a wide range of subjects, including ancient history, archaeology and digital content. It will spend about £98m on research projects this financial year.
The closing date for funding applications to the Cultural Value Project is 16 April. For more details contact project researcher Patricia Kaszynska (email p.kaszynska@ahrc.ac.uk).
