Tag Archive for: project evaluation

New Return Client: Arts for wellbeing

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The Evaluator is delighted to be working with a return client; Pendle Leisure Trust on the project evaluation for Arts for Wellbeing.

We’ve been longstanding fans of how art can make you feel better. In fact, Kirsty Rose, Director of The Evaluator, spent almost ten years as a project manager in arts and health.

The arts are great for wellbeing because they help us to relax and express ourselves. Whether it’s painting, dancing, or playing music, getting creative lets us switch off from stress and focus on something fun. It’s a break from everyday worries and a chance to enjoy the moment. Plus, creating art can boost confidence, especially when we see our skills improving over time. Even just listening to music or watching a play can lift our mood and help us to feel more connected to the world around us.

Being creative also helps with mental health by giving us a way to process emotions. Sometimes, it’s hard to put feelings into words, but drawing, writing, or even acting them out can make it easier. The arts also bring people together, whether through a community choir, a book club, or a dance class. Sharing creative experiences with others helps us feel less alone and more supported. It’s a great way to meet new people, have fun, and feel a sense of achievement.

We’re delighted to have the chance to work with Pendle Leisure Trust again to help them tell their story of impact through this project.

Evaluation Services that Drive Impact, Insight and Innovation – The Evaluator UK

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At The Evaluator, we offer a comprehensive suite of evaluation services tailored to the needs of UK organisations across the cultural, community, and public sectors. From project evaluation and social return on investment to bespoke evaluation frameworks and digital tools, our work is designed to generate actionable insights and support real-world impact. Whether you’re measuring change, improving delivery, or strengthening your case to funders, we help you tell your story with clarity, confidence, and evidence. Explore our services to see how evaluation can drive your mission forward.

Our services

Project Evaluation

The Evaluator takes a strategic and insightful approach to project evaluation, ensuring that data collection is not just a process but a tool for real impact. We go beyond ticking boxes, focusing on gathering meaningful insights that help shape and strengthen organisations. By balancing efficiency with depth, we ensure that every piece of data serves a clear purpose—helping organisations to understand their audiences, measure success, and identify opportunities for growth. Our evaluations are not just about reporting results; they are about guiding future decisions, making sure that each project reaches its full potential.

At the core of our approach is a commitment to making evaluation both practical and powerful. We recognise common challenges, such as time constraints and survey fatigue, and address them with streamlined, intelligent methods that prioritise quality over quantity. Our focus is not on overwhelming organisations with data but on ensuring that insights are actionable and drive meaningful change. Crucially, we believe that data should never sit unused in reports—it should actively shape the future. Through our work, we help organisations remain relevant, responsive, and ready to grow, turning evaluation into a dynamic force for progression.

Evaluation Frameworks

At The Evaluator, we create evaluation frameworks that are clear, strategic, and designed for real-world impact. Our frameworks are not just documents—they are roadmaps that guide organisations in measuring success effectively and meaningfully. We take a tailored approach, ensuring each framework aligns with an organisation’s goals, values, and ambitions. By identifying the right metrics and methods, we help organisations track progress, demonstrate value, and make informed decisions. Our focus is always on creating frameworks that are practical, easy to use, and capable of driving real learning and improvement.

What sets our evaluation frameworks apart is our ability to balance rigour with usability. We strip away unnecessary complexity and provide structured, accessible tools that make data collection and analysis seamless. We ensure that organisations don’t just gather data but use it to reflect, adapt, and grow. Our frameworks give teams the confidence to evaluate their work effectively, turning insights into action. By embedding evaluation at the heart of a project, we empower organisations to make a lasting impact, proving not just what they have achieved but how they can achieve even more.

Social Return on Investment

At The Evaluator, we design Social Return on Investment (SROI) projects that go beyond the numbers, capturing the full impact of an organisation’s work. We take a rigorous yet accessible approach, translating complex data into clear, compelling insights that showcase both financial and social value. Our method goes beyond traditional reporting, helping organisations quantify the wider benefits they create—whether that’s improving wellbeing, increasing opportunities, or strengthening communities. By working closely with organisations, we ensure that our SROI projects reflect their unique impact, providing the evidence they need to demonstrate their value with confidence.

Our expertise lies in making SROI both meaningful and actionable. We don’t just calculate figures; we tell the story behind them, ensuring that social impact is fully recognised and understood. Our process helps organisations to identify where they are making the biggest difference and where they can maximise their impact even further. With a focus on clarity and strategic insight, we provide organisations with the tools needed to communicate their value to funders, stakeholders, and communities. Through our SROI projects, we empower organisations to strengthen their case for support, enhance decision-making, and drive lasting, positive change.

Impact Evaluation

At The Evaluator, we deliver impact evaluations that go beyond surface-level reporting to uncover the true effects of a project or programme. Our approach is rooted in clarity, relevance, and depth, ensuring that organisations can confidently demonstrate the differences they are making. We design evaluations that capture both the tangible and intangible outcomes—whether it’s shifts in attitudes, improvements in wellbeing, or long-term societal benefits. By using robust methods tailored to each organisation’s needs, we provide meaningful insights that highlight successes, identify areas for growth, and support future planning.

What sets our impact evaluations apart is our ability to turn data into compelling narratives that resonate with stakeholders. We go beyond simply measuring change; we help organisations to understand why and how change happens. Our evaluations provide actionable insights, helping teams refine their strategies and amplify their impact. With a focus on practical recommendations, we ensure that evaluation is not just a retrospective exercise but a forward-thinking tool for learning and development. Through our work, we help organisations strengthen their impact, communicate their value effectively, and drive meaningful, lasting change.

Process Evaluation

At The Evaluator, we specialise in process evaluations that provide organisations with a clear understanding of how their work is being delivered and where it can be optimised. Our approach focuses on uncovering what’s working well, identifying challenges, and refining processes to maximise effectiveness. By examining implementation, decision-making, and operational dynamics, we help organisations strengthen their approach in real-time rather than waiting until a project’s end. Our evaluations are designed to be practical and insightful, offering clear recommendations that enhance efficiency, improve delivery, and ensure resources are being used to their full potential.

What makes our process evaluations stand out is our commitment to making them both reflective and action-driven. We don’t just map out workflows—we identify opportunities for streamlining, innovation, and growth. We work closely with organisations to ensure that their processes are not only effective but also sustainable and scalable. By embedding evaluation within delivery, we enable teams to adapt quickly, build resilience, and drive continuous improvement. Our evaluations turn operational insights into strategic advantages, helping organisations refine their work, strengthen their impact, and deliver with even greater confidence.

The Returns Recipe – NPO Data Return Service

 

The Evaluator’s NPO Return Process is a game-changing solution for National Portfolio Organisations navigating the complexity of Arts Council reporting. Designed specifically to reduce stress, save time, and boost confidence, this tailored service transforms data return from a chore into a powerful planning tool. By blending clarity, consistency, and deep understanding of the sector, The Evaluator ensures that your data returns and submissions not only meet compliance but also tell a compelling story about your impact, reach, and growth. From audience figures to workforce data, every part of the process is handled with care, strategic insight, and a sharp eye for detail.

What sets this service apart is our personal touch and sector-savvy approach. The Evaluator doesn’t just process your data—we help you make sense of it. This hands-on support includes clear templates, one-to-one advice, and optional additional analysis that turns raw numbers into meaningful insights for funders, boards, and teams alike. Whether you’re a seasoned NPO or new to the process, this service empowers you to submit with confidence, learn from your data, and use it to shape your future. It’s not just about returns—it’s about unlocking your organisation’s potential.

72 Seasons

72 Seasons is a beautifully creative project designed to deepen our connection with nature while enhancing wellbeing. Originally conceived as a research initiative by Kirsty Rose, founder of The Evaluator, it began as an exploration of how noticing small, seasonal changes can positively impact how we feel. Inspired by the ancient Japanese natural calendar of 72 micro-seasons, the project now presents a uniquely British take on these ever-shifting cycles of nature. Every four to five days, a new “season” emerges, inviting people to slow down, observe, and appreciate the subtle transformations happening all around them. Through social media, storytelling, and creative prompts, 72 Seasons encourages participants to engage with the world in a mindful, immersive way—whether that’s through photography, drawing, journaling, or simply taking a moment to notice.

At its heart, 72 Seasons is a co-created experience, shaped by the insights and observations of a dedicated community of seasonal seekers. This collaborative spirit has been integral from the start, with volunteers helping to define and refine the seasons through shared experiences and reflections. The project has evolved to be both a personal and collective journey, sparking curiosity and creativity in those who take part. People engage with it in different ways—some following along online, others using it as a guide for personal exploration or research into climate patterns. It’s a celebration of creativity, connection, and nature’s rhythms, offering a fresh perspective on the changing world around us. More than just a calendar, 72 Seasons is a movement—one that invites people to pause, notice, and find joy in the beauty of everyday nature.

Volunteer App

In 2024 we have been working on a co-created volunteer app, developed in collaboration with a volunteer in a professional capacity. Inspired by the Wilder Walkmill project and the historical Miners’ Tally Check System, this app modernises an age-old safety and tracking method. Just as colliers once checked in and out with pit checks, volunteers now create a virtual ‘tag’, recording their time and experiences on-site. This ensures project staff can keep track of volunteers for safety, support, and engagement, while also capturing rich qualitative data about their experiences. More than just a digital tool, this app is a testament to co-creation, heritage, and innovation, demonstrating how past practices can inspire future solutions. By integrating real-time feedback, this app enhances volunteer experience, strengthens project evaluation, and provides funders with invaluable insights, making it a game-changer for future community-led projects.

Miners’ tally checks were an essential safety system used in coal mines to track which workers were underground at any given time. Each miner had two identical checks—often made of brass, zinc, or aluminium—one handed in at the start of a shift in exchange for a lamp, and the other kept with them. This system ensured that in the event of an accident, supervisors could quickly identify who was still inside the mine. The checks came in various shapes and designs, sometimes featuring the miner’s number or the colliery’s name, making them a practical yet deeply personal part of mining history.

Data Dashboards and Organisational Evaluation – (coming soon)

Process evaluation

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Process Evaluation

At The Evaluator, we specialise in process evaluations that provide organisations with a clear understanding of how their work is being delivered and where it can be optimised. Our approach focuses on uncovering what’s working well, identifying challenges, and refining processes to maximise effectiveness. By examining implementation, decision-making, and operational dynamics, we help organisations strengthen their approach in real-time rather than waiting until a project’s end. Our evaluations are designed to be practical and insightful, offering clear recommendations that enhance efficiency, improve delivery, and ensure resources are being used to their full potential.

What makes our process evaluations stand out is our commitment to making them both reflective and action-driven. We don’t just map out workflows—we identify opportunities for streamlining, innovation, and growth. We work closely with organisations to ensure that their processes are not only effective but also sustainable and scalable. By embedding evaluation within delivery, we enable teams to adapt quickly, build resilience, and drive continuous improvement. Our evaluations turn operational insights into strategic advantages, helping organisations refine their work, strengthen their impact, and deliver with even greater confidence.

We know that setting up new teams can be tricky at first, and have developed tools which not only evaluate projects, but also help you during the project itself. We offer the following, in larger projects, to keep you on track:

Monitoring support and tools

Monitoring your activity is essential because it ensures that your efforts are making an impact and that you’re using your resources effectively. Without a clear way to track progress, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s working well and where adjustments are needed. That’s why we provide monitoring spreadsheets that offer a quick, at-a-glance overview of key metrics, making it simple to see trends, spot challenges, and identify opportunities for growth. These tools help you stay focused, prioritise your time and energy, and make informed decisions based on real data. Whether it’s tracking outputs, engagement, or project milestones, our monitoring systems empower you to stay on course, adapt when needed, and ultimately achieve greater success.

Innovative process measurement

The Reflex Survey system designed by The Evaluator is a brilliantly simple yet highly effective way to track team progress in real-time. By implementing regular self-assessment measures, the programme team can quickly reflect on their work, providing a gut-reaction assessment rather than an over-analysed response. This allows for a more accurate and honest snapshot of how the project is evolving. The inclusion of the Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing (FSNP) framework ensures that team dynamics and project challenges are recognised, allowing leadership to identify patterns, pinpoint challenges, and celebrate progress. By aligning these team insights with feedback from the board and steering group, the Reflex Survey ensures a balanced, multi-level perspective on the programme’s development.

One of the most powerful aspects of this system is its flexibility and responsiveness. Unlike traditional assessments that assume linear progress, the Reflex Survey acknowledges that teams may move back and forth between phases, adapting to new challenges as they arise. The data from the team’s assessments demonstrates this in action – here is an example “an initial dip in scores reflects the complexity of external challenges, while the sharp rise to ‘norming’ in January highlights the team’s resilience and adaptability.” This real-time insight allows for targeted support, proactive problem-solving, and a deeper understanding of team dynamics, making it an invaluable tool for monitoring project health and guiding strategic decisions.

 

 

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to strengthen an existing project, our process evaluation tools are designed to support you every step of the way. We bring clarity, insight, and momentum—helping your team stay aligned, adapt quickly, and deliver impact with confidence. If you’re ready to gain a deeper understanding of how your work is unfolding and how it can be even more effective, we’d love to talk. Get in touch with us today – info@theevaluator.co.uk or call 01756 532 538, to explore how we can tailor our approach to fit your needs and elevate your project from the inside out.

 

Recent Client Feedback: Full Project Evaluation

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Recent Client Feedback: Full Project Evaluation

The Evaluator takes pride in delivering insightful, formative evaluations that not only assess progress but also foster learning and reflection. We recently had the pleasure of working with David Coughlin, Programme Manager at the Urban Forest Accelerator, National Trust, who shared his thoughts on our evaluation process:

“Working with The Evaluator was a joy.”

“As promised, the evaluation was really formative, giving us regular feedback on how things were going, and how our wider team saw progress. Our regular check-ins were invaluable in terms of creating a space to be reflective and helped us develop a culture of honest learning in the project.”

— David Coughlin, Programme Manager, Urban Forest Accelerator, National Trust

By providing structured feedback and facilitating regular check-ins, we help project teams develop a culture of continuous learning, honest reflection, and informed decision-making. This approach ensures that every project we support has the tools and insights needed to maximize its impact.

💬 Interested in an evaluation that creates real change? Email us now on info@theevaluator.co.uk or call 01756 532 538.

New Client: Heritage Crafts

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The Evaluator is delighted to be working with a new client, Heritage Crafts.

Heritage Crafts is the national charity for traditional heritage crafts in the UK. Working in partnership with the government and key agencies, they provide a focus for craftspeople, groups, societies and guilds – as well as individuals who care about the loss of traditional crafts skills. They work towards a healthy and sustainable framework for the future.

Heritage Craft’s charitable purpose is to advance public knowledge and appreciation of traditional and heritage crafts in particular, but not exclusively, through education, advice and training.

They describe themselves as:

“Heritage Crafts is the national charity for traditional heritage crafts. Working in partnership with Government and key agencies, we provide a focus for craftspeople, groups, societies and guilds, as well as individuals who care about the loss of traditional crafts skills, and work towards a healthy and sustainable framework for the future.

We are a UNESCO accredited NGO for Intangible Cultural Heritage and advocated for UK ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention of the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which was announced by the UK Government in December 2023.”

Shaping a Resilient Future for Heritage Crafts is a project designed to build the resilience of the organisation. Heritage Crafts has grown rapidly over the last four years and is also at the end of a period of change – moving from trustee led to having paid staff.

This project will run for two years and is funded through the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It will focus on governance, fundraising and broadening the offer of support to a wider range of people, including under-represented communities.

The Evaluator is looking forward to working with and evaluating the Shaping a Resilient Future for Heritage Crafts project.

You can find out more about the organisation here https://www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/

Capturing impact in people’s own words

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At The Evaluator we recognise the value of collecting qualitative information for our evaluations. We take pride in capturing the genuine impact our projects or organisations have on individuals through hearing about their experiences in their own words.

The questions we ask are often simple and open to encourage individuals to speak honestly and let their stories unfold naturally. We feel privileged to get to hear about the amazing feedback and stories from people, and we love to share these stories with our clients.

We would also like to share some genuine quotes with you, spoken by real people who have experienced the impact from some of our clients:

We have heard from volunteers

“I truly appreciate everything the team does throughout the year to keep things moving forward. Thank you for helping to make so many people feel empowered, and seeing all of the work being done leaves me feeling so much hope for the future. Thank you for shining a light on all that can be done to make live music more accessible and equitable!” – Volunteer

“That was the biggest opportunity I’ve been given and that changed my life” – Volunteer

“It is such a joy and has made a really positive impact on my life. It has even changed the direction of my career” – Volunteer

 

We have also heard from participants

 

“For my general health I consider [client] more important than the NHS” – Participant of a wellbeing service

“[Client] has just been a godsend for me. Absolute Godsend” – Participant of a wellbeing service

“I really enjoyed the course as I love art and it also gave me a push to get out of the home and socialise more thus contributing to my wellbeing. Thank you”  – Participant of an Arts project

Thank you for the opportunity. Since starting with [project] I’m growing in self confidence and feel like I’m getting my life in order again. I’m putting plans in place and I’m more optimistic for my future.” – Participant of an Arts project

 

If you’re interested in learning more about our evaluation processes or exploring how we can help your organisation measure its impact, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to chat!

Successful Client: The £1.6 million Climate FORTH project gets the go ahead

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Earlier this year, The Evaluator worked with Climate FORTH (Furthering Our Resilience Through Heritage) on their application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, where we developed an evaluation framework for the whole project. They have just announced they were successful. That’s always a lovely day, sharing in the success of our clients.
The details are below:
A new £1.6million project in the Inner Forth has been granted just over £1million by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to boost the area’s climate resilience through the promotion and enhancement of local heritage.
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Climate FORTH is the latest project from Inner Forth Futures, a landscape-scale partnership which has been operating across the coastal areas of Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Falkirk and Fife since 2012. Since the partnership’s inception, it has delivered both the Inner Forth Landscape Initiative (IFLI) and Wanderings and Windings projects, enhancing and celebrating the local area’s heritage while improving access through a series of waymarked walking and cycling trails.

The new Climate FORTH project will build on these successes by piloting methods of increasing resilience to climate and other changes in the local area’s natural and built heritage, and in its most at-risk communities.

The River Forth at Kinneil Lagoons_Falkirk_Chloe Wells_RSPB.jpg
The project will soon begin work on the delivery of several new initiatives, including green skill training for young people and community groups, enhancement of sustainable travel options around the local area, and capital works at four locations across the project area. The works will improve the climate resilience of greenspaces at Glendevon Drive in Stirling and Rannoch Park in Falkirk, as well as an important community building, Cochrane Hall in Alva, Clackmannanshire and the Gardener’s Cottage ruin at Valleyfield Estate in Fife.
One of the first activities to get underway will be a rebranding of sections of the National Cycle Network which pass through the Inner Forth. Supported by Sustrans, this work will encourage more people to make use of the network and help establish the landscape as a destination for sustainable tourism.
A key aim of Climate FORTH is to pilot new techniques that can be shared with other initiatives and policymakers to inspire further action. The pioneering work of the project will be closely monitored so the knowledge obtained can support Scotland’s aim of achieving net zero emissions by 2045 and help communities move towards a just transition.
Four communities in particular have been identified as being key to the project’s goals, with members playing an active role in decisions involving their local area through the co-design of local resilience plans. They are Hawkhill in Clackmannanshire, Fallin in Stirling, Bainsford & Langlees in Falkirk and Kincardine in Fife.
Climate FORTH Project Manager, Kate Fuller, said, “We’re delighted to have been awarded this Heritage Fund support that will allow us to show how the diverse natural and cultural assets of the Inner Forth can be adapted to tackle the threats of climate change. We’ve seen through our previous work just how special this part of Scotland is. Thanks to National Lottery players, Climate FORTH will enable us to re-invigorate our work with the amazing communities that live here and support them to lead by example as Scotland moves towards achieving net-zero.”
Dave Beaumont, Operations Director for RSPB Scotland said, “We are in a nature and climate emergency and the only way we can meet this challenge is by facing it together. Estuaries such as the Forth are where we are seeing impacts from climate change right now – as sea levels rise, storm intensities increase and rivers flowing into our seas are carrying floodwaters much more frequently. The communities and the incredible wildlife found in and around our estuaries are more fragile than ever and this project will continue our efforts to make them more resilient to the changes ahead.”
Cosmo Blake, Network Engagement Manager for Sustrans Scotland, said, “We are delighted to work with Inner Forth Futures to create a new brand identity and better signage along sections of The National Cycle Network. As well as creating a new brand identity, we are also developing eight new day trips with maps, directional signage and additional bike parking and maintenance stations at local heritage sites and transport hubs. We hope this will encourage more people to walk, wheel and cycle and make sustainable choices when visiting the Inner Forth.”
Heather Macnaughton, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Historic Environment Scotland said, “This funding will build on the exciting work our partnership has already undertaken in the area to help protect this heritage rich estuary from the impact of climate change. Working with the local community, Climate FORTH will shine a light on the area’s natural and built heritage and the important part it can play in improving climate resilience and biodiversity. By working closely with our partners and communities, Historic Environment Scotland looks forward to developing solutions for future resilience and moving together towards a just transition.”
Caroline Clark, Director for Scotland, The National Lottery Heritage Fund said, “This is such an important project for our times – Climate FORTH will enable communities to take the lead in developing their own local responses to the challenges of climate change and Net Zero. What makes this project even more significant is that it will then create templates that can be adapted for use by other communities across Scotland and beyond.”
Inner Forth Futures is a partnership between RSPB Scotland, Clackmannanshire Council, Falkirk Council, Fife Council, Green Action Trust, Historic Environment Scotland, NatureScot, Stirling Council and Sustrans. Climate FORTH is partly funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with additional funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, the Crown Estate, IFF members and the Scottish Government through Sustrans Scotland’s Network Engagement Programme. The project will be running from August 2023 – July 2026.
For more information, visit innerforthlandscape.co.uk.

New Project: Urban Forest Accelerator

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The Evaluator is delighted to be starting a new project with National Trust, the Urban Forest Accelerator. We are excited to be working on measuring concepts of urban tree cover, tree equity, environmental justice and developing a new approach to measuring connections. Just as joined up canopies can be more that the sum of their parts, we believe our work relationships can also mirror this and aim to develop a new way to track this over time.

Along the way, we are lucky enough to get to work with inspirational people who want to transform and green our urban areas. We get to have discussions around who should decide what is best for urban trees, to look at tree cover metric developmental work and to use words like arboriculture career pathways and knowledge. Plus, we love trees!

The Urban Forest Accelerator is part of the Future Parks Accelerator and aims to address concepts including; partnership, urban forest capacity, sustainable finance, tree equity, community engagement and learning and scaling.

 

 

Recent Client Feedback

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At The Evaluator, we are committed to learning and improving our work over time. To make sure we achieve this we do evaluate ourselves and ask our clients to give us feedback. Here are some recent results.

 

And let’s end on a detailed client testimonial, from when The Evaluator worked in partnership with Simon Lees from Countryside Training Partnership to create an evaluation framework.

“Kirsty from The Evaluator and Simon from Countryside Training Partnership have challenged and encouraged the Climate FORTH project team and Board to think about monitoring and evaluation in a holistic way, right from this project development stage. The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework created will support our application to NLHF for delivery phase funding and show how we wish to go beyond monitoring outputs to considering the wider impact of National Lottery and other investment through our project. Communication was excellent throughout this contract and an extension was kindly accommodated when our timelines were delayed. The final report is clear, concise and well considered – spot on – we hope that we get an opportunity to enact it! The Evaluator & Countryside Training Partnership have proposed workable and proportional monitoring and evaluation methods to follow in a project delivery phase, identified suitable baseline data and provided friendly advice as we move through our project development phase. I would be pleased to recommend both parties to other organisations and partnerships looking for a personalised professional approach to this type of work.” Kate Fuller, Climate FORTH Project Manager, Inner Forth Futures.

New Client; Attitude is Everything

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We are delighted to be working with a new client, Attitude is Everything, evaluating Beyond the Music. Beyond the Music is an ambitious programme, funded by Reaching Communities from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to encourage more Deaf and disabled people to work in the music industry.

Here is an extract from the Attitude is Everything website. You can see the website directly by clicking here. 

“Attitude is Everything is pleased to announce Beyond the Music, a new three-year programme that aims to boost employment opportunities for Deaf and disabled people in the commercial music sector.

Findings from Arts Council England show just 4% of staff at National Portfolio Organisations, and just 1.8% of staff at music industry organisations, consider themselves to be disabled. This is a significant disparity from the UK’s general population, where 19% of working adults are considered disabled under the Equality Act.

Such a disconnect may be the result of barriers and discrimination, but our own research suggests that many Deaf and disabled people in the industry may also lack confidence to make their impairment known. Last year we revealed that that 70% of disabled musicians hid details of their impairment for fear of losing opportunities, and that two-thirds had compromised their health to perform in inaccessible conditions.

Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, Beyond The Music will look to explore these issues and employment gaps, while taking a two-pronged approach to identify solutions: supporting Deaf and disabled people to gain the necessary skills, experience, support and contacts they require to work or volunteer in the music industry, while providing training, resources and guidance to help music businesses build a truly inclusive work environment.

The project launches with a new survey, open to any Deaf or disabled person who works or is aspiring to work in the industry. Their responses will play a key part in shaping the programme over the next three years.

Over that period, we are aiming to create:

  1. A Beyond The Music Network – a place for Deaf and disabled people working or seeking to work in the industry to meet, network, share ideas and find support around navigating the industry.
  2. Structured opportunities for Deaf and disabled people to develop their skills through training, mentoring, shadowing and skilled employment and volunteering opportunities.
  3. Accessible Creative Environments training – a new training course tailored to support companies within in the industry to create a truly inclusive workplace culture.
  4. An Accessible Employment and Volunteering Toolkit
  5. A Future Leaders programme – a year long skills development programme designed to help talented Deaf and disabled people develop the skills to lead the industry in the future.

Head of Volunteering and Skills Development for Attitude is Everything Paul Hawkins said

“This is a challenging time for everyone in the music business, especially within live events. The industry’s #LetTheMusicPlay campaign has highlighted the gravity of the situation, but, as we plot a pathway back from coronavirus, Attitude is Everything believes it is crucial that Deaf and disabled people have full and equal access to any employment opportunities on offer.”

Beyond The Music will allow us to try and identify why Deaf and disabled workers are so underrepresented in the sector, and to take positive action to implement change. The first step towards that goal is the survey we are launching today. We are enormously grateful to the National Lottery for funding this project, and also for support we’ve received from venues and others in the business. More will be needed on the road ahead as we strive for equality and inclusivity.

A number of music industry organisations are already backing Beyond The Music, with The Barbican, the Brighton Centre, Manchester Arena, the SEC, the South Bank Centre and Norwich Arts Centre all offering expertise to a Venues Advisory Group that will help formulate a strategy around the survey findings. Further support has been confirmed by Sony Music and Youth Music.

Industry umbrella body UK Music have also invited Attitude is Everything to join their Diversity Taskforce to help ensure access for Deaf and disabled people is high on their agenda. UK Music Acting CEO Tom Kiehl said:

“For a number of years UK Music has been a proud supporter of Attitude is Everything’s great work to improve access to music and the music industry for Deaf and disabled people. Beyond The Music is an exciting new initiative that everyone must now get behind. We look forward to working with Attitude is Everything on this and welcoming them to the UK Music Diversity Taskforce.”

Alongside the initiative, we are pleased to announce a new role within the Attitude is Everything team. The Skills Development Manager will lead on our work with Deaf and disabled people aspiring to work in music by helping them to access training, advice and guidance and brokering placements with music industry partners.

To find out more about Beyond the Music and how you can support it, please contact Paul Hawkins via paul@attitudeiseverything.org.uk.

The Evaluator is looking forward to helping this organisation to measure the impact of it’s work, on individuals and on the music industry too. As part of this project we are looking into concepts including ambition, what holds people back, and how industry can change attitudes over time.