People come to sam-culture when they need:

  • To show that they’re making a positive difference to people, well-being, places, communities, culture, and the creative economy

  • Insightful evaluation, summative and formative, that shows if they’ve achieved what they intended; what’s worked, what might need to change, what has been the impact on audiences, communities and on the organisation itself

  • To capture different voices, experiences and perspectives and understand impacts on audiences, participants, volunteers, co-creators, and partners

  • To learn from what they do and uncover possibilities: new models of working, new attitudes and behaviours, new skills - through embedding reflection and evaluation

  • Robust evidence that creates confidence for advocacy and influencing stakeholder’s policy and strategy

  • To understand and prove how they create value and capital – social, economic, environmental, and cultural

We do this through:

  • Expertise in evaluation techniques

  • By making the complex simple, focusing on achieveable outcomes

  • Detailed planning and effective project delivery

  • Empathy, enthusiasm, enquiring minds and experience

'News' above has full details of all our recent projects.  Clients include: 

System change

  • Lankelly Chase Foundation (Stakeholder Insight on impacts)*        
  • Agenda Alliance ( justice for women and girls; perception analysis )
  • Clothworkers Foundation( impacts of investment in disadvantaged talented young people)

Audience resets and planning strategies

  • National Maritime Museum
  • Serpentine Gallery
  • Discover Story Centre  - inclusive business plan
  • Tower of London: Jubilee project community consultation re key messages
  • Birmingham Commonwealth Game: consultation to inform strategy

Organisational development

  • National Youth Theatre
  • Clore Leadership Foundation
  • National Lottery Heritage Fund Strategic Framework 4 Review
  • Jerwood Arts: evaluation of artists’ programmes to inform investment models

Historic parks, landscapes, sites: project evaluations

  • Brighton & Hove Council: Stanmer Park
  • Chelsea Physic Garden
  • NT Sheffield Park
  • Houghton Hall Park
  • NT Runnymede
  • Wandile Park Croydon
  • Victoria Park Ashford
  • Interreg: Changing Chalk – South Downs National Park
  • City of London Corporation: Kenley Airfield
  • Willesden Jewish Cemetery

Digital project evaluations

  • Institute of Historical Research: Layers of London
  • Arts Marketing Association/National Lottery Heritage Fund: Digital Heritage Lab
  • AMA Digital Marketing Academy
  • Girmit - indentured Indian labourers/intangible heritage

Diversity  

  • Open Up publication - diversifying museum visitors AIM: Museums Association, ACE
  • GLA Diversity Accelerator programme for National Museums
  • AMA Audience Diversity Academy and Breakthrough programmes
  • Synergi Collective (issues affecting global majority in mental health services)
  • Caribbean and African Health Network (evaluation of models of practice to address racism in healthcare)

Arts/ heritage/museums: evaluations and projects

  • National Maritime Museum: Endeavour Project
  • National Museum of the Royal Navy ( HMS Victory )
  • St Albans Museum + Gallery 
  • Fulham Palace Trust Bishop of London’s Palace
  • Whitehall Historic House
  • Croydon Council: input into London Borough of Culture 2023 bid
  • Croydon Council Cultural Strategy
  • Horizon – new models of performing arts showcases  Battersea Arts Centre (Arts Council England)
  • Brighton Dome and Festival Heritage Centre Stage evaluation
  • Performing Places, Bexleyheath, DCLG project to address racial tensions  

 

Current Projects

Jerwood Arts: Evaluation of Live Work Fund and Development Programme Fund

Jerwood Arts: Evaluation of Live Work Fund and Development Programme Fund

‘The money is important – but more so is the gift of time to pause and think, time the award makes possible.’

Jerwood Arts provides transformative opportunities for artists and arts organisations through producing and funding socially engaged projects.   Both programmes evaluated sought, in different ways, to enable artists to focus on the development of their practice.  By providing funding for outstanding artists at the start of their career, can this support make the greatest difference?   Our evaluation was also seen as a proactive resource for organisational development at Jerwood Arts, to inform future planning of investment programmes.

 
Serpentine Galleries: Audience Development Initiative

Serpentine Galleries: Audience Development Initiative

‘The arts inspire people, make communities more creative and strengthen economies.’

Serpentine Galleries believe there is significant potential to increase audience numbers, grow the diversify of their audiences and increase visitor engagement and retention.    Specific target audiences are non-vocational visitors, ethnically diverse populations, younger people and families with children.  Pam Jarvis and Mel Larsen have worked with the Serpentine team to build a realistic audience development strategy and create marketing and press opportunities to deliver the strategic aims. 

 
CAHN targeted health improvement programme evaluation

CAHN targeted health improvement programme evaluation

Caribbean and African targeted health improvement programme (CATHIP).  Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.

For decades, the Black community has suffered from disparities, poor outcomes, and inequalities in health provision.  CAHN, as a Black-led organisation, is working with the Black community and cross-sector organisations to reduce health inequalities and drive sustainable change to improve overall health outcomes.

sam-culture, working with Samina Zahar, will consider how the CATHIP initiative is enhancing the well-being of disadvantaged groups using established wellbeing frameworks that focus on individual and community responses.