Even better if: Developing a quality framework for participatory arts
Director of Helix Arts, Cheryl Gavin, shares her insight into the development of a quality framework for participatory arts over the organisation’s almost 40-year history; iterations, viewpoints and pivots that led to how it is embedded into the organisation now.
Listen to an audio version of this case study read by Cheryl Gavin
Even better if…
It is inevitable we focus on things that don’t go as we planned. Less about how brilliant we are or how things went well. At Helix Arts we talk about quality a fair bit. In particular: it would be even better if…
Failure isn’t the nemesis, we see it as trying, learning and growing. I don’t believe things have to be bad to want to make them better or change how we do things either.
Approaching our 40th year in 2023, we have a decent track record in understanding ‘what is good’ or ‘what is not so good’ within participatory arts. Especially, how to co-create and how we work with socially engaged artists.
At the heart of our work, we consider the role of participants, authorship of the work and the ethics of participation. This supports collaboration with partners and communities outside the arts sector.
With this thinking in mind, a set of quality principles has emerged over our time, now visible as our quality framework for participatory arts - Momentum.
This is a tool with markers for quality. We use it to reflect and focus our thinking. It highlights our impact and how we measure our process and outcomes in the future. It has flex, and is not a list to tick off.
Explaining the ‘magic’
Understanding the ‘magic’ of the arts comes up in conversations with partners. Explaining the ‘magic’ or translating the unique set of ingredients our specialist producers and artists possess isn’t always as simple.
Our intentions around reviewing quality in participatory arts originated as a conceptual framework that was refined after a series of ‘critical conversations’ with artists. We explored what was important to artists, community partners and audiences.
We originally did this because we needed to develop a common language about socially engaged arts. It included listening to artists who understand the communities they work with and ‘get’ how to co-produce with communities.
When you make time to think about the impact of your work in a team it can reap its rewards in the long run
We wanted to explain the power artists have when reconstructing personal narratives or limiting labels too.
We shared and reflected about the detail of artists’ practice and the decisions that they make, and revealed that to others, in order to make it the subject of critical reflection.
A set of common themes were drawn out; context, relevance, choice, relationships, support, progression and legacy. This has continued to inform our framework.
Why though?
We knew endorsing how artists work with participants was vital to respecting and understanding the role of the artist, their unique skills and knowledge and how it can lead to high-quality participatory art experiences.
Alongside this, we had a really well-honed project management toolkit, including practical guides for planning, development, self-reflection, participant progression and so on. In fact, our flagship programme Make it Happen is now based on our robust systems and approach to planning and developing projects with communities.
Momentum reflects the combination of this; our history, our experience and ambition for quality in participatory arts. It is a mechanism to measure impact holistically. Discreetly it is an ethos that helps everybody involved to understand our process and the indicators for co-production too.
Trust the process
Targets from funders are often around evidencing value for money, but we don’t continue to develop our quality framework for this reason. It is about working ‘even better’ with people which in turn results in improved experiences for partners, artists and participants.
We carve out time to reflect in numerous ways. Upon establishing a project our quality principles shape those conversations, particularly the expectations against original ambitions, giving space for change and breakpoints. These feature in partnership agreements and monitoring frameworks more formally.
Internally, we use the framework in team meetings, 1:1s reviews, focus groups, board development, project evaluations and more. We find the right place for it throughout the project lifecycle and critically how we learn from each other across projects and inform our next steps for the wider programme and business going forward.
Momentum is embedded across our work. It is a driver to ensure socially engaged artists thrive and therefore communities thrive too
I know how hard it can be to make time to not only think about quality and then even more time to do something about it. It takes energy and capacity - it sometimes feels like just another thing to try and do.
I am the first person to say, this could be seen as especially difficult in a smaller organisation like Helix Arts. But, when you do make time to think about the impact of your work in a team it can reap its rewards in the long run.
I find it also improves relationships, avoids troubleshooting, informs decisions and encourages exceptional partnership working - a level and shared playing field.
Change
The Helix Arts team, inside and out really care how everything progresses through the life of a project. How it pushes our limits and extends the diversity of our work.
Momentum is used discreetly on a daily basis, before, during and at the end of projects, from working with trustees, updating our business plan, when deciding on the legacy for our priority groups or future partnerships.
It helps us to renew our views, systems and our work with communities, underpinning our creative programmes and informing how we support socially engaged artists.
Recently it has meant exploring and understanding artists’ livelihoods post-Covid and how this impacts how we co-produce with communities.
Momentum is embedded across our work. It is a driver to ensure socially engaged artists thrive and therefore communities thrive too.
What about you?
We use our framework explicitly as a tool for improvement, and we always enjoy working with other organisations to help them adapt it to their own needs.
If you’re looking to develop your own quality framework and would be interested in having a chat about it, make sure to check out our website and give us a shout.
More about Ambition & Quality
Find out more about our Ambition & Quality investment principle:
Read the blog from John Knell >
