I'm off to the National Association of Local Government Arts Officers Conference on Monday. They must feel like an endangered species. Indeed, a planned vote on changing the organisation's name that would remove the term 'Local Government' signals how significant the crisis is.
At the same time we hear that the cultural data was being used to populate the National Indicator Set has stopped being collected (Sport England is continuing to invest in collecting the sport data). And with the demise of the Place Survey, years of data collection on satisfaction with local cultural provision will come to an end.
What worries me is the number of conversations I've been having with people who don't think having access to quality data at a local level matters anymore. ‘The days of targets have come to an end’, they say. That's true, but we are moving into a time of greater accountability and an increased need to demonstrate value. Without robust data you can't do this credibly.
You can't create a 'Happiness Index' without data. We know engagement in high quality arts and cultural activities brings a range of benefits that increase well-being for individual and cohesion in communities. I will be responding to the Government's consultation saying that culture makes a huge difference to my happiness and that cultural data should be included in the index.
What makes me very unhappy is the plight of colleagues in Local Government, trying valiantly to open up arts and cultural opportunities to new individuals and communities. They need effective tools to help them demonstrate their impact, and these tools will need robust local data.
David Brownlee, Chief Executive, Audiences UK
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