Shared measurement pilot shows cultural programs boost empathy, creative confidence and job skills, panelists say

Columbus — Arts leaders at a Columbus Metropolitan Club forum on creative capital on (date not specified) said a year-long pilot using shared, scientifically validated survey tools produced measurable human outcomes that organizations can use to make the case for sustained funding and cross-sector partnership.

Angela Malacca, who organized the Collaborative Arts Impact pilot, said the initiative grew out of pandemic-era advocacy and a desire to move discussion of arts impact beyond ticket sales to outcomes such as reduced loneliness and improved workforce readiness. "This was a selfish endeavor," Malacca said, explaining she wanted tools that would let arts organizations show, with data, how their work affects mental health, belonging and job skills.

The pilot — which Malacca and moderator Sherry Chaney Jones said included about 20 arts organizations and technical partners such as Measurement Resources and student interns from Miami University — reported several headline results.…