Annual Funding Programme clients of the Arts Council Northern Ireland (ACNI) have been informed of a mandatory piece of new research – the IMPACT research programme run by the Belfast-based organisation thrive, the only audience development organisation on the island of Ireland. 

IMPACT stands for Impact Measurement of People Attending Culture Today. The research programme, designed and delivered by thrive, has been growing solidly since it began five years ago. The research uses a core survey to gather data on audiences following their event or venue visit. The questions cover attendance, behaviour, demographics and experience. Optional modules can be added to provide data on specific requirements for funder or organisation concerns such as local economic spend, ‘bednights’ or more in-depth social outcomes. 

Thrive’s Head of Sector Development Dr Verity Peet, who is responsible for the IMPACT programme, said “We are delighted with this vote of confidence from the Arts Council. The importance of having a standardised system of data collection for arts engagement has now been formally recognised. Not only does IMPACT enable individual organisations to better understand their audiences, this research gives all of us – the sector as a whole – robust evidence of the reality of arts engagement. We are looking forward to contacting arts organisations who will be joining IMPACT soon.” 

More than 60 cultural organisations have already signed up to IMPACT and are benefitting from the insights the data brings. Each year, thrive delivers a range of reports, insights and snapshots from the research findings to support organisations and provide analysis of the whole sector. Thrive is subsidised by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. 

Javier Stanziola, Director of Strategic Development and Partnerships, at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said, “Our vision is for a society where all people can experience a thriving arts sector that is recognised as essential to creativity, well-being, and social and economic prosperity.  What gives the arts their energy is the coming together of audiences, participants and artists with different perspectives, ideas, and ways of seeing the world. Understanding who our audiences are is essential if we want the sector to remain open, relevant, and genuinely inclusive and reflective of society. We are looking forward to working with Thrive on data collection this year and encourage our awardees to give their fullest response possible to the IMPACT survey.” 

For more information on IMPACT or to read previous reports or case studies please visit thrive’s website at wewillthrive.co.uk. If you would like to discuss the possibility of your organisation joining IMPACT, please contact verity@wewillthrive.co.uk