We know the arts can engage people but we wanted to know how and why the arts can have such an impact. So in April 2004 darts was commissioned by Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and supported by Arts Council England, to deliver an Action Research programme to demonstrate that the arts could add value to service delivery in Doncaster. Over two years we delivered programmes in the areas of employability, substance misuse and offending behaviour.
As a result darts published 'Breaking the Cycle of Failure' which features the Engagement Matrix which helps us measure changes in behaviour of excluded pupils and we were surprised and encouraged by the interest it raised. We could now take the opportunity to rework the matrix and trial it in other contexts.
Working with Ethnographer Anita Wilson, Linguistic Anthropologist Shirley Brice Heath, a small team of experienced artists and seven trusting, imaginative services we experimented with a different approach to setting up and running a programme of work and implemented rigorous methods of making confident observations of change.
Our new approach contributed to the success of EPIC (Engaging People in Change) and introduced us to fresh ways of thinking about measuring change in participants and designing programmes that support, encourage and engage hard to reach groups.
Refugees created a map of Africa through AIMS (Advice, Information and Multicultural Service); participants at Stainforth Substance Misuse Service established the Republic of Stainforth Film Company and an invited audience at darts were treated to an emotional, highly charged and professional solo performance by a young actor from the Prolific Offenders Programme. These are among many other achievements for the participants and services involved.
The artwork created was a rich backdrop to the small & monumental changes in individuals that were observed by the artists, project manager and ethnographer. The outcomes of the research was published in 2006.