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Art for All: Inspiring, Learning and Transforming

Giving Compass' Take: • In this post from The Philanthropy Workshop, Dr. Helen Bowcock discusses the Watts Gallery in the UK and how it has engaged with the community for greater impact. • This is a good example of how creative endeavors intersect with social justice — and why telling the narrative of philanthropy matters. How can we use the Watts Gallery to inspire others? • Here's why arts educators can be agents of transformation. One of the lessons that I took away from The Philanthropy Workshop (TPW) back in 2009: to be an effective philanthropist you need to have a sharp focus on impact. But how often are the organizations we support so busy delivering services that they take some of their own value for granted and do not have the resources to report on it? When Watts Gallery prepared to bid for a significant piece of public funding it was apparent that this was a story that needs and deserves to be told and, with a doctorate in Sociology, I undertook to write something that could do justice to what the organization does and why it matters. Having started with a clean slate, I took guidance from [UK innovation foundation] NESTA’s "Standards of Evidence," taking the perspective of a critical friend as I interviewed staff and sat in on workshops. TPW taught the importance of looking for a theory of change; and, it became clear, through many discussions, that the staff at Watts Gallery has a well-rehearsed series of steps to engage, inspire and, quite often, transform through art. It has now provided key evidence not only for the public funding bid but also for numerous applications to other philanthropists and foundations. I hope that it will serve as a framework for impact reporting going forward and will provide the basis for defining a theory of change. Read the full article about art for all and impact by Dr. Helen Bowcock at The Philanthropy Workshop.