A collaboration between Orchestras Live and East Riding of Yorkshire Council has pioneered a new method of quantifying the social impact of arts projects, transforming how cultural initiatives secure funding and demonstrate community benefits.
For many arts groups, the hardest part is not proving that the work is good, but explaining why it matters in terms that persuade councils, health bodies and other non-arts funders. That challenge sat at the heart of a collaboration between Orchestras Live and East Riding of Yorkshire Council, which have spent years building Classically Yours, a programme launched in 2016 to bring live orchestral music into places where cultural participation has traditionally been low and concert venues are scarce.
The scheme is not limited to performances. According to Orchestras Live, it has brought together professional musicians, schools, care homes, youth ensembles, community choirs and other local groups in creative projects, children’s programmes, health and wellbeing work, and community concerts. The partnership won a Royal Philharmonic Society award in 2018 for audiences and engagement, but by 2022 the organisers wanted something more than anecdotal praise: they needed a simple, credible way to show the wider public benefit in a form that could support investment and long-term planning.
That led the partners to the Social Value Engine, a tool co-developed and co-owned by East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Rose Regeneration and built to measure social return on investment, or SROI. Using a framework linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the system translates outcomes such as better wellbeing, stronger community ties and improved confidence into financial terms that public bodies and other partners can use more easily. Nicola Dixon, creative programmes manager at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “Measuring social value helps us understand our impact, improve our work and speak a shared language across the Council. It also strengthens the case for inclusive, high-quality cultural programmes and helps unlock investment from partners beyond the arts.”
The pilot began with training for the council’s arts team and an introduction for Orchestras Live before being tested through a 2023 project in Withernsea. Data from the organisations show that the approach was then extended across Classically Yours, with survey responses gathered between January 2023 and October 2024 from 838 participants across 30 community groups and 1,874 audience members at 14 concerts. Rather than creating a separate reporting burden, the team used information it was already collecting for Arts Council England and other requirements, then mapped it into the new framework.
The findings gave the programme a much firmer evidence base. On £230,357 of investment, the partners calculated £1,357,128 in social value, or £5.69 for every £1 spent. The strongest gains were linked to health and wellbeing, reduced inequalities and more sustainable communities, alongside greater appetite for arts participation, stronger connection to other people and improved confidence, self-esteem and mental wellbeing. The evidence is now being used in policy conversations, funding bids and local regeneration discussions, and the approach was recognised by the Institute of Economic Development for outstanding impact in empowering communities through social value.
For Orchestras Live, the work also shaped a new service offer. Its Impact and Evaluation Services, launched in November 2024, aim to help orchestras, music education hubs and other cultural organisations explain the difference their work makes in clearer, more financially grounded terms. Sarah Derbyshire, chief executive of Orchestras Live, said: “We’re embedding the Social Value Engine into our business model and supporting a growing cohort of organisations to apply it to arts and cultural activity. By sharing that knowledge, we can create value not only for our partners, but for the wider sector.”
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
