Component 2, Relative Values II: Research Process

RELATIVE VALUES II (2019): Adapting methodologies for use at a micro scale in fragile urban territories subject to multiple stress-factors (socio-economic exclusion, high levels of violence, etc) in Brazil.

LINK TO OVERALL INVESTIGATION ON RELATIVE VALUES: In component two HERITAGE and VALIATI undertook a programme of work to understand how the Relative Values methodologies could be adapted by young artists and cultural producers working in urban territories subject to multiple stress factors including high levels of violence and socio-economic exclusion. The ambition was to understand how methodologies could be used at a micro scale to produce quantifiable socio-economic evidence about cultural value.

2.1 Research Process

Agência and Maré Development Networks support a wide network of young artists and producers undertaking their own creative projects in vulnerable peripheral communities in Rio de Janeiro. Following the success of the initial Relative Values research project, and with AHRC Follow-On funding under the 2018 Development Highlight, [AH/S00582X/1], HERITAGE and VALIATI created a second stage of the programme by adapting the methodologies to enable emerging artists/producers to understand and produce evidence about the socio-economic impacts of their own creative interventions. The primary research question was: how can emerging cultural agents, with limited institutional and financial infrastructure - as well as little access to formal creative networks and funding outside of their communities - build their capacity, confidence and begin to own the discourse around research and access to creative networks and funding outside of their community?

2.1.1 Three-day immersive residency

Research Output

An immersive residential training course for 40 young cultural agents in the background and theory of the Relative Values research methodologies. Once skilled in the research methodologies for identifying the indicators, data collection and analysis, the cultural agents were set to undertake a six-month research investigation into the socio-economic value of their own cultural initiatives in twenty fragile urban communities in Rio de Janeiro, supported by four local facilitators from Agência and Maré Development Networks.

2.1.1.1 Residency training programme

Contextual Material

2.1.1.2 Residency

Contextual Material

Live illustrations of the residency training programme by artist Ellen Rose

2.1.1.3 Training materials for residency

Research Output (Physical Item)

2.1.2. Preparing for data collection

Research Output

The cohort of 40 cultural agents was divided into four sub-groups, each focusing on a specific theme: city, narrative, image and body. Via monthly meetings, over a three-month period with each of the four sub-groups, the research team refined the Relative Values research instruments to reflect each groups’ needs and expectations of the research. The outcome was four separate questionnaires, each focusing on one of the themes.