Research collaboration to champion Scottish Outdoor Arts, Circus and Spectacle artforms

Articulation and Queen Margaret University are collaborating on a research study running between now and May exploring the current state of play for Outdoor Arts, Circus and Spectacle (OACS) in Scotland. The research will bring in a range of considerations from artists’ and practitioners’ experiences to infrastructure, funding and policy to build a current picture of the sector in Scotland. It will also profile supportive measures in the other UK nations and pull together case studies from comparator countries (for instance in Ireland, France, Belgium).
Findings from the research will be used to increase the visibility of OACS, position it in the policy framework and to champion the importance and impact of your artforms. Key messages will be presented and discussed at selected festivals this summer. The findings will also be published and made available online in May.

Rachel Blanche is the lead researcher for this project. Rachel is a Senior Lecturer in Arts Management and Cultural Policy at Queen Margaret University. Her research centres on cultural policy, participation and community arts and concepts of placemaking.
Of recent relevance to this study is her work on the National Evaluation of the Culture Collective programme: a 22 month research consultation and evaluation during 2022-2024, commissioned by Creative Scotland and undertaken with members of the arts management team in QMU. Culture Collective projects included outdoor arts and public art initiatives, including adaptations to mainstream activities responding to the requirements of Lockdown and social distancing. QMU’s evaluation reported powerful evidence of accessibility, community engagement and place-based cultural development as well as multiple narratives of increased agency for both artists and community participants. Rachel also carried out a study of Scotland’s Cultural Assets and Attributes on the international stage for British Council Scotland in 2022 which highlighted assets related to some of your areas of practice.
Assisting Rachel with the research is Trish O’Grady, a PhD candidate at QMU whose research focusses on how cultural activity is delivered by Scottish local authorities and culture trusts. Trish has a background in graphic design and marketing for cultural organisations.
