In 2020, Ellen O’Hara was commissioned by the British Council to map creative hubs across England. The purpose of the study was to provide a better understanding of the profile of creative hubs, who their members and beneficiaries are, as well as their role and impact in their community.
The two intended outputs of the study were a database of creative hubs and a report summarising the findings of the mapping exercise. A succinct and focused literature review was undertaken to provide contextual knowledge, identify gaps, patterns and key insights on which to build. Fieldwork included a targeted survey issued digitally and circulated via direct emails, a social media campaign and sector specific mailing lists. Survey questions were tested and iterated with the British Council’s Creative Hubs Advisory Board. A series of case studies were produced drawing on both survey results and interviews with selected hub leaders. Rather than random sampling, case studies were selected to illustrate the depth and breadth of hub models, scales and impacts.
