Evaluation Report Creating the Past: An Evaluation of Cultural Programming Inspired by Heritage within Hull UK City of Culture 2017 Hull UK City of Culture 2017 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 SUMMARY 1. USING ART TO EXPLORE HERITAGE 33 2. MOMENTS OF CELEBRATION 76 3. USING MUSEUMS, GALLERIES AND ARCHIVES 122 4. ROOTED IN PLACE 155 5. PROCESS LEARNING 193 6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 207 In 2017, OVER THREE-QUARTERS of local residents attended a museum, gallery or other historic attraction INTRODUCTION ART & HERITAGE IN NUMBERS As holders of the UK City of Culture title in 2017, Hull • 365 days of transformative culture • 70% of residents agreed or strongly agreed rose to the challenge, using art to explore history, that Hull’s year as the UK City of Culture 2017 heritage and untold stories within its 365 day • Presenting the city’s heritage from the 18th was having a positive impact on the lives of programme of transformative culture. Century to the present day local people • 93% of audiences agreed using art-based Levels of participation amongst residents reached • 94% of audience members agreed or approaches to present the history and strongly agreed that they had an enjoyable 95% through attendance at over 2,000 events and heritage of Hull made it more interesting activities at 250 venues. Between 2013 and 2017, the experience and 84% of participants reported feeling happier as a result of their percentage of local people who were proud to live in • 66% of Hull residents and 74% of East Riding participation. the city rose by 66% to an all time high. residents said their knowledge of the history and heritage of Hull had increased Heritage was positioned as a cornerstone of the year with museums, galleries, archives and historic • 95% of residents attended or experienced a buildings playing a crucial role in achieving the wider cultural event or activity as part of the UK’s aims and ambitions. City of Culture 2017 • By the end of 2017 there had been over 2,000 The evaluation of activities inspired by and involving activities at over 250 venues the history and heritage of the city demonstrates the successful delivery of key outcomes for heritage, for people and for communities. 4 HERITAGE EVALUATION REPORT EVALUATION REPORT 5 PURPOSE & OUTCOMES HULL 2017 OVERARCHING AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This report summarises the key outcomes from the full Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Evaluation Report, which provides objective analysis and evaluation of how the HULL 2017 AIM 1 Hull UK City of Culture 2017 programme delivered Objective 1: 365 day programme that is 'of the city' yet against 10 HLF outcomes: outward looking and includes 60 commissions High quality programme of arts, culture and heritage Objective 2: Improve understanding of Hull's heritage Outcomes for heritage Heritage will be: • Better interpreted and explained Objective 3: Increase total audiences for Hull's arts, • Identified and recorded HULL 2017 AIM 2 cultural and heritage offer Outcomes for people Develop audiences Objective 4: Increase engagement and participation amongst Hull's residents People will have: Objective 5: Increase diversity of audience for Hull's art and heritage offer • Learnt about heritage • Changed their attitudes and behaviours • Developed skills • Had an enjoyable experience • Volunteered their time HULL 2017 AIM 3 Objective 6: Develop the city's cultural infrastructure Outcomes for communities through capacity building and collaborative work Develop the cultural sector undertaken by/with Hull 2017 and its partners • More people and a wider range of people will have engaged with heritage • Local areas/communities will be better places Aim 7: Improve wellbeing through engagement to live, work or visit and participation • The local economy will be boosted Objective 7: Enhance positive media coverage of Hull's Objectives: HULL 2017 AIM 4 arts and heritage offer Each of these 10 outcomes can be demonstrated to • Engage volunteers from Hull and beyond through Improve perceptions of Hull both Objective 8: Increase in Hull residents who are proud varying extents across 14 case studies: three on art the Volunteering Programme internally and externally to live in Hull and who would speak positively about forms, four on major Hull 2017 projects, three from the • Increase levels of happiness and enjoyment as a the city to others city’s museums, galleries and archives and four taking result of engaging with the arts and culture place-based themes highlighting key elements of • Increase levels of confidence and community Objective 9: Improve positive attitudes towards Hull as Hull’s heritage. cohesion among local audiences and participants1 a place to live, study, visit and do business These projects were designed to contribute to Hull Aim 9: Demonstrate exemplar programme 2017’s overarching strategic aims and objectives (see delivery and partnerships, establishing Hull 2017 page 5 opposite) including a number which include a as a blueprint for successful delivery focus on heritage. HULL 2017 AIM 5 Objective 10: Increase visitor numbers to Hull Objectives: The insights from the full report will be used to Strengthen Hull and East Riding Objective 11: Delivering economic benefits for the city improve and enhance future project planning and • Demonstrate Hull is a best practice exemplar of economy and the city region delivery for the company which will continue from Hull how to successfully deliver a UK City of Culture 2017, as well as future UK City of Culture title holders. • Ensure partners are satisfied with their Hull 2017 In addition, there are plans to share key findings, partnership experience. conclusions, lessons learned and recommendations with other cultural organisations (both locally and HULL 2017 AIM 6 nationally), so they can benefit from knowledge Objective 12: Support new investment and 1 Aims 6 and 8 of the overarching strategic aims were not applicable transfer. to this specific project. Increase investment and regeneration in the city regeneration 6 HERITAGE EVALUATION REPORT EVALUATION REPORT 7 HULL 2017 OVERARCHING AIMS AND OBJECTIVES (CONTINUED) HOW WE EVALUATED MADE IN HULL The evaluation included desk research, supplemented by primary data collection with a range of project stakeholders at different points within the lifecycle of individual projects and the programme as a whole. This HULL 2017 AIM 7 Objective 13: Engage volunteers from Hull and beyond enabled expectations and intentions to be measured, as well as the outputs and outcomes of the Hull UK City of through the Volunteering Programme Culture 2017 programme. Mixed methods were used, as shown in Table 1. Improve wellbeing through Objective 14: Increase levels of happiness and Table 1: Methods used to evaluate projects featured in case studies engagement and participation enjoyment as a result of engaging with the arts and culture Stakeholders consulted Research methodology applied Projects using method Objective 15: Increase levels of confidence and community cohesion among local audiences and Pre-event online survey 3 / 19 participants Core Project Team (CPT) Post-event online survey 7 / 19 Post-event depth interviews 14 / 19 Pre-event online survey 2 / 19 HULL 2017 AIM 8 Objective 16: Engage with all Hull-based primary and Artists Post-event online survey 4 / 19 secondary schools, providing all school age children Post-event depth interviews 9 / 19 Increase aspirations, abilities with the opportunity to engage with arts and culture Pre-event online survey 5 / 19 and knowledge of residents Objective 17: Delivery of training and development Peer Assessors Post-event online survey 5 / 19 opportunities to local residents through arts and culture initiatives Post-event CATI1 surveys 6 / 19 Post-event online survey 18 / 19 Audiences and Participants Walk and talk groups 2 / 19 Focus groups 19 / 19* HULL 2017 AIM 9 Objective 18: Demonstrate Hull is a best practice exemplar of how to successfully deliver a UK City of Delivery Partners Post-event online survey 3 / 19 Demonstrate exemplar Culture programme delivery and Objective 19: Ensure partners are satisfied with their partnerships, establishing Hull 2017 partnership experience. Hull 2017 as a blueprint *One focus group included audience members from across all case study projects, in addition to six project for successful delivery specific focus groups involving audiences and participants. All the data collected was analysed for these 19 artistic projects and used to create the 14 case studies presented in this report. The evaluation focuses on both process and outcomes, measuring impact, capturing learning, and building understanding of what worked well and where improvements can be made. 8 HERITAGE EVALUATION REPORT EVALUATION REPORT 9 DELIVERY OF HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND OUTCOMES OUTCOMES FOR HERITAGE 93% of audiences agreed that using art based Hull’s year as the UK City of Culture 2017 saw the approaches to present the history and heritage of Hull involvement of museums, galleries and archives, made it more interesting and 94% stated it made it each utilising new approaches to interpretation. The easier to understand. Maritime Museum challenged itself to go beyond its comfort zone through new forms of exhibition. Ferens Art Gallery reopened following a refurbishment at the start of the year and utilised loans and temporary ATTITUDES AND exhibitions co-located alongside their permanent BEHAVIOURS collection to offer new interpretations. And, as well as proving to be a rich resource for artists' research CHANGED IN 2017 People are prouder to live for their new commissions, Hull History Centre P in Hull responded to the themes of the year and seasons in its programming, whilst also collaborating with Hull 2017 to archive the year and ensure this part of the city’s heritage can be well interpreted in years to come. Hull Truck Theatre has been able to better interpret and explain Hull’s heritage through its ‘Year of Four place-based narratives have been amplified Exceptional Drama’ including: the exploration of through the arts.