King’s launches key report on partnerships within the arts and cultural sector

Partnerships enable cultural organisations to reach broader audiences and increase the quality of their work, but there is a lack of coherence in what is understood by the term ‘partnership’ across the sector, according to The art of partnering, a new report published (13th October 2015) by King’s College London in collaboration with the BBC.

Deborah Bull, Assistant Principal, (Culture & Engagement), King’s College London, and Lord Hall, Director-General, BBC launched the report at a reception in Bush House, King’s College London’s new home on the Strand and for many years the home of the BBC World Service. Jane Ellison, Head of Creative Partnerships, BBC, directed the Enquiry and authored the report while on secondment to King’s from the BBC.

The report is the conclusion of an eight-month Cultural Enquiry, the third of its kind to be commissioned by King’s College London. The methodology for the Enquiry included detailed questionnaire responses from 94 organisations with 80% of responses coming from outside of London. These responses led the Enquiry to conduct 35 in-depth interviews, and three roundtable discussions, in Newcastle, Derby and Brighton, where 30 cultural managers and practitioners came together to discuss how partnerships had impacted on their activities.

While the term ‘partnership’ is widely used, no single model or clear consensus on what constitutes a partnership emerged, with respondents using different vocabulary to describe their partnering goals. The report shows that arts and cultural organisations use partnership as an umbrella term that shelters all manner of initiatives at a national, regional and local level.

A series of 10 snapshot case studies are published with the report, alongside eight ‘things to think about’ for organisations who are looking to reach out to new partners. The report also presents a new taxonomy of relationships that tries to capture the intricate ecology of partnership. Together these provide a practical framework for cultural organisations seeking to maximise the successes of existing or future partnerships.

Speaking about the launch of the report, Deborah Bull said, ‘This Enquiry was inspired by what appears to be a growing focus on partnership in and across the cultural sector, as policy makers emphasise the importance of partnership in maximising the value of ever-scarcer resources, and organisations are turning to partnership to realise ideas and connect with new audiences. It represents perhaps the most comprehensive overview to date of partnership in the arts and cultural sector and will, I hope, help to generate a deeper understanding of the nature, practice and complexities that make partnering, at its best, an art.’

The launch of the report comes at a time when King’s is increasingly recognised for its innovative partnerships with artists and cultural organisations, which enrich the King’s experience for academics and students and ensure that the new knowledge generated at King’s has impact in the cultural sector.

King’s College London’s programme of Cultural Enquiries was established in 2013 to provide a neutral space in which the cultural sector can address shared questions, opportunities and challenges, as well as access to the academic analysis that can inform debate.

The full report is available to download via the King’s College London website.