No More Nowt, (formally East Durham Creates) has been a recipient of the Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places (CPP) funding since 2014. The CCP fund provides funding to parts of the country where involvement in creativity and culture is significantly below the national average. The intent is to empower local residents to determine the kind of creative activity they want to experience.
No More Nowt has delivered a wide range of arts, culture and heritage-focused projects with different groups and communities across Durham. Key focuses have been on how to tackle barriers to accessing arts and culture and increase community engagement across all ages and socio-economic categories, particularly more marginalised groups and communities. Wavehill has been working with the programme for over 8 years, undertaking a range of independent research and evaluation activities to assess the impacts these projects have had.
The programme has made a specific commitment to increase male participation with the programme to 25% by 2025 through a series of initiatives using art to support men’s mental health and wellbeing. We have developed a detailed case study that highlight personal accounts of transformation through the programme’s work to engage men. It tells the story of how improved access to the arts has enhanced individual wellbeing and strengthened community bonds. The case study also underscores the long-term benefits of sustained engagement in the arts.
By capturing data on both the impact and sustainability of the programme, our evaluation provides valuable insights for future arts initiatives, whilst our case studies have illustrated the personal impacts achieved. With the success of No More Nowt’s approach, the findings demonstrate how local organisations can play a pivotal role in fostering lasting cultural engagement.
For further information on the report and its key findings, or visit the No More Nowt website.
You can contact Andy Parkinson who has led our work on this project
Find out more about our work evaluating projects in the arts, culture and heritage sectors.
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