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Tomaz, E., Costa, Pedro Seco de, Perestrelo, Margarida & Lopes, R., V. (2025). From Participation to Evaluation within the Framework of the Stronger Peripheries Project. ENCATC Congress 2025: The Future Is Cultural: Policy, Practice, and Education.

E. C. Tomaz et al.,  "From Participation to Evaluation within the Framework of the Stronger Peripheries Project", in ENCATC Congr. 2025: The Future Is Cultural: Policy, Practice, and Education, Barcelona, 2025

@misc{tomaz2025_1781750516656,
	author = "Tomaz, E. and Costa, Pedro Seco de and Perestrelo, Margarida and Lopes, R., V.",
	title = "From Participation to Evaluation within the Framework of the Stronger Peripheries Project",
	year = "2025",
	howpublished = "Digital"
}

TY  - CPAPER
TI  - From Participation to Evaluation within the Framework of the Stronger Peripheries Project
T2  - ENCATC Congress 2025: The Future Is Cultural: Policy, Practice, and Education
AU  - Tomaz, E.
AU  - Costa, Pedro Seco de
AU  - Perestrelo, Margarida
AU  - Lopes, R., V.
PY  - 2025
CY  - Barcelona
AB  - This paper introduces the participatory evaluation approach that was created and tested during the Creative Europe project, Stronger Peripheries: A Southern Coalition (2020–2024). This initiative brought together 14 cultural and research institutions across 10 European countries, implementing a transdisciplinary framework that integrated artistic co-creation with policy experimentation in peripheral regions. Three interconnected tools were used to measure and evaluate audience engagement, the quality of participation, and the multidimensional impact.
First, the Audiences Analysis Toolkit was co-constructed with cultural partners to collect quantitative data on public profiles, motivations, and value perceptions. Deployed during Tandem premieres across several countries, it surveyed over 330 audience members. Findings confirmed the affective and social relevance of cultural experiences and revealed varying levels of engagement and accessibility across different demographic groups.
Second, the Quality of Participation Toolkit provided a qualitative framework to assess the ethics, depth, and contextual relevance of artistic co-creation processes. Grounded in focus groups, interviews, and synthesis grids, the toolkit evaluated participation from four perspectives: participants, artists, institutions, and cultural policies. Its application in several Tandems revealed tensions between artistic autonomy and collaborative responsibilities, as well as the role of mediators in sustaining meaningful engagement.
Third, the paper links to the Self-Assessment Impact Toolkit, which measures the multidimensional value of cultural practices in cultural, social, economic, environmental, and participatory dimensions. This tool aids in visualizing and contemplating both the intended and unforeseen impacts of cultural activities, promoting dialogue among funders, practitioners, and communities. It features 75 indicators across 15 sub-dimensions of value and supports both internal reflection and sector benchmarking.
These tools together produce data and insights that impact current debates on audience development and cultural policy. Overall, this research underlines the importance of value-sensitive evaluation practices and highlights how co-created tools enhance cultural ecosystems in marginalized areas.
This paper also examines the policy implications of embracing such tools, focusing on their role in promoting transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in cultural governance. It illustrates how participatory evaluation practices enhance democratic policy-making by elevating marginalized voices, contextualizing success metrics, and encouraging collective ownership of cultural outcomes. This work contributes to both theoretical and practical discussions on cultural policy evaluation, advocating for a transition from compliance-oriented models to collaborative governance founded on shared values and local realities.
Ultimately, the paper presents evaluation not just as a mechanism for accountability, but also as a constructive process for cultural organizations to define their missions, sharpen their strategies, and advocate for the relevance of their efforts within increasingly intricate policy environments.
ER  -