June 2023

Author: Mark Robinson (Thinking Practice)

This learning report tells the story of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s Civic Role of Arts Organisations programme in the UK. It explores the impact made since 2016 and makes observations on the current state and needs of this field of practice.

The Civic Role of Arts Organisations programme at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has supported publicly funded arts organisations in the UK to better fulfil their civic role by renewing relationships with the public and contributing to solutions for a better future.

With an investment totalling £3.4 million since 2016, the programme has sought to influence change at policy, practice, leadership and network levels. Initiatives such as the Co-creating Change Network, the Creative Civic Change programme and the Foundation’s Award for Civic Arts Organisations have spotlighted and supported the growing movement of organisations embracing a civic role, with often transformational impact in the communities they serve.

In this learning report, Mark Robinson, the programme’s evaluator, gives an overview of the work supported, analyses the impact made and makes observations on how the civic role movement can evolve.