Research

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has announced the third phase of a programme funding research into the use of community assets including museums and galleries to tackle health inequalities.

The total funding available in this phase is £25m and it will mark the final batch of applications for the programme, which is supported by a partnership with the National Centre for Creative Health (NCCH). 

Applicants are invited to apply for funding to create and test collaborative models for the integration of cultural, community and natural environment assets into health and care systems.

Examples of community assets included in the research programme include artists and arts organisations, libraries, museums and heritage sites, as well as parks, public spaces, community gardens, farms, sports-related assets and housing, legal debt and advice services.

Applicants must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding and applications must be interdisciplinary and include non-academic partners and co-investigators. 

The funding will back successful projects estimated to cost between £625,000 and £2.5m for 36 months, providing 80% of the full economic cost.

Applications for funding are expected to open later this month and close in June. Researchers who were funded during phase one and phase two of the programme are encouraged to apply.

Latest data from The Audience Agency (TAA) suggests a “long shadow” from the Covid pandemic is still affecting the sector.

The charity published its findings from its Cultural Participation Monitor on Tuesday (28 March), which found that more than a quarter of the population are attending arts and culture less than before the pandemic.

More than a third (37%) said they were attending less, compared with 12% who said they were attending more. These results were largely in line with those from a year ago, when 31% said they were attending less, compared with 12% more.

TAA says the pandemic has “receded as a perceived risk,” but added that it “remains a key factor for between a fifth and a quarter of people across a range of measures”.

Those attending cultural destinations less appear most influenced by the cost-of-living crisis, with 56% stating that their reduced attendance was because of money.

Elsewhere, TAA’s findings suggest that venues are reporting higher levels of late bookings – with 41% of audience members saying they tend to book last minute.

People are also planning to donate less, with 50% of those who currently donate to cultural organisations saying they plan to donate less across the next year.

TAA Chief Executive Anne Torreggiani says the new evidence confirms arts and cultural organisations are suffering a “double whammy” right now.

“Trying to navigate these complex reasons for income being down is very challenging for organisations,” she said.

“Developing a really deep understanding of your audience is going to make a big difference because what's working for a peer organisation in a different place with a different audience won’t necessarily work in your community.”