Evaluation
ixia and OPENspace* have created an Evaluation Toolkit for public art. The Toolkit will assist users to:
- carry out an appraisal of the feasibility of a public art commission;
- maximise the potential of a public art commission and identify different goals;
- identify and agree the outcome measures that are appropriate to assess impact;
- agree systems for collecting, storing, analysing and reporting on data gathered.
Two tools have been developed: the Matrix and Personal Project Analysis. Both are designed to be used at several stages in a project: at initiation, to identify objectives and approaches; during the life of the project, to evaluate process and outcome; and after completion of the project to assess impact. In addition, ixia has constructed a database to hold information about the public art commissions evaluated using the Toolkit. ixia will use this data to provide meaningful evidence to all those with an interest in public art.
ixia has produced Public Art: A Guide to Evaluation, a Guide to help users of the Toolkit evaluate their public art projects. It has been created based on OPENspace’s initial research: Assessing Impact and Quality. However, the Guide’s emphasis and content has also been shaped by feedback from ixia’s Evaluation Seminars and fieldwork conducted by ixia and consultants who have used ixia’s Evaluation Toolkit.
To find out the latest information regarding ixia’s Evaluation Toolkit Seminars, click here.
*OPENspace is the research centre for inclusive access to outdoor environments based at the Edinburgh College of Art and Heriot-Watt University.