Patchwork progress - my threads of interest

Throughout my work, I notice a few threads that pique my interest every time they come up. I thought I'd share them, in case anyone out there has similar interests they'd like to explore together.

Evaluation – How we can become better at routinely understanding the impact we’re having, and improve our evaluative skills as a sector? I’m not speaking here about ‘add on’ evaluation projects and external visitors, but how we can embed systems of evidence gathering and reflection into our work so that learning is happening consistently, particularly when working face-to-face. I think we’ve rested on our laurels for too long, and passed a lot off as ‘hard to do’.

Storytelling – How do we safely and authentically tell the story of the work we are delivering in learning/community spaces? It can be very tricky, with sensitivities and protections around the individuals and environments we’re engaging with, to find ways of spotlighting the monumental things that happen every day with those not already in ‘this world’. Press/PR typically aren’t interested unless there’s a clickbaity headline or a fireworks finish, and stretched marketing teams are often focused on bringing in important audiences and supporting income. Where are the spaces to celebrate our collective work more widely and how do we bring forward the human interest stories without exploiting those we work with or putting them at risk?

Development in adversity – There’s no denying it’s a dire time for the arts, with funding being slashed left, right and centre and everything becoming more competitive. With this in mind, what are our current benchmarks, and in what ways can we grow over the next 5-10 years, when ‘more more more’ might not be possible?

Charity / Corporate learning – Through my work with ASMF, I’ve been fortunate to connect with those who do ‘Purpose’ work for corporate brands. They use a totally different language to the arts/charity sector, but produce similarly impact-driven work, and share challenges with us too. What can be learned between the two sides, and how do we facilitate these partnerships?

Let me know if you’re interested in connecting on any of these subjects or have something interesting to share. I’d love to collaborate and learn!