Knowledge Bank : Research

Reaearsch Paper from the ATCM and The University of the Arts, London Light Night is a UK movement of an all night cultural festival which first started in Paris called Nuit Blanch (White Night). Nuit Blanche (literally White Night or All Nighter in French) is an annual all-night cultural festival. The festival lasts from sundown until sunrise, and since its debut in Paris in 2002, the popular concept has spread, with a number of variations to many other cities internationally, including Brussels, Madrid, Montreal, Rome, São Paulo, Skopje, Toronto amongst others. In 2007 Toronto Nuit Blanch had an estimated $4.9 million economic impact on the city and attracted 800,000 people (Toronto, 2008). This paper reviews the evolution of Nuit Blanch using a case study approach, and its interpretation in the UK through the Light Night initiative. It further explores the economic, cultural and social benefits of Light Nights and Nuit Blanch on community cohesion, tourism and regeneration.

A practical toolkit for using the arts to engage communities in neighbourhood renewal.

Earlier this year, along with the Home Office, ACPO and a number of local authorities and police forces, and the IDeA were involved with an organisation called The BRE Trust in producing a Safe and Secure Town Centres atNight Toolkit (Attached).The toolkit can help Local Authorities develop strategies to mitigate against alcohol-related town centre crime.

Arts & Business, Arts Council England and the Association of Town Centre Managers commissioned a piece of research to find out how Business Improvement Districts are using the arts to meet business objectives. This page sets out the summary of findings wth the full report available to download

Towns and city centres provide a range of services and facilities and are the central hub for the local community. For both customer and trader it is essential that they are clean, safe and easily accessible. However, the desire to be working, using or living in a centre which offers its own distinctive environment, creating a willingness to engage and a sense of place, is equally significant. In a global economy where we can research, view and order goods and services at the touch of a button we need to ensure that we are creating memorable spaces that people want to spend time in. We need to utilise our public spaces adding human creativity to deliver additional value and greater connectivity with the local community, which in turn brings economic well being and long term sustainability. The addition of arts in town and city centres is key to this approach and this toolkit brings together a wealth of information and guidance for partnerships wishing to introduce art projects. Jacquie Reilly Partnership Development and BIDs Director Association of Town Centre Management

The economic and social benefits of cultural festivals in the East Midlands: key findings from a study by De Montfort University, Leicester

Culture and sport are the glue that holds communities together. Local teams, theatres, festivals and galleries are all sources of interest, entertainment, income, and above all, local pride. People like to have a local cinema showing the latest films, theatres and galleries to visit, and buildings that capture the imagination. Parents want safe and exciting places close to home where their children can play. Fans want successful and entertaining local teams to follow and clubs with strong identities true to their roots. People feel better about themselves and where they live when they have these things. While culture and sport are valued highly by people for their own sakes, they have an even greater resonance for local authorities: they can contribute substantially to the local economy, to improving people?s health and wellbeing ? especially young people ? and to the strength and safety of communities in general. By making the most of sporting and cultural opportunities, local authorities can improve the quality of service to their local communities, and this strategy helps with that by weaving together three key developments.