New study aims to aid recovery of culture and arts sector

MUSEUMS AND theatres in Sheffield will be the focus of a new research project that will play a key role in helping the arts and culture sector recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Researchers at the University of Sheffield will collect crucial data on audiences, venues and freelancers that could be fed directly into policies and economic recovery plans across the UK in the one- year study.

The university said the continued closure of a large proportion of the cultural and heritage sectors is having a “catastrophic” impact on the industry and endangering the future of many of its venues and workers in a sector that was worth £ 111bn to the UK’s economy.

While the true long- term economic impact is not yet known, researchers from the University’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning will help with economic recovery modelling, develop strategies for external funding priorities and provide a robust picture of the long- term support required.

Professor Vanessa Toulmin, director of city and culture at the university, said the project represented a “unique opportunity” to have an immediate impact.

She added: “As lovers of all of the wonderful things that make Sheffield such a great place to live, work, visit and study in, the impact of Covid- 19 is particularly devastating. Forty- nine per cent of leisure and cultural industries colleagues are still furloughed in the Sheffield City Region and the very things that make our city a fantastic place are under threat. We hope our research can make a difference.”