September 2020

Authors: Caroline Macfarland, Matilda Agace and Chris Hayes

For the arts and cultural sector, the initial months of the Covid-19 pandemic have been a time of deep instability and uncertainty, but also a time for collaboration, strategic thinking, and resetting values and priorities. Through interviews and focus groups, Common Vision spoke to over 100 cultural practitioners around the UK to understand how the new context has affected their work and future plans.

The research shines a light on the stories of creative solidarity, civic responsibility and public cultural value that arts organisations provide, contributing to vital social infrastructure and community resilience. They demonstrate that what matters in the arts are not objects, events, or activities in isolation, but the web of relationships between people that make culture happen.

The principles set out in the concluding chapter of this report help provide a useful template for ensuring a civic agenda is prioritised in the long term.