Bright Culture were commissioned in 2023 to lead on the evaluation of the Lockdown Landscapes project for the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
The National Memorial Arboretum is a UK registered charity and 150-acre visitor site on the edge of the National Forest in Staffordshire. The Arboretum welcomes over 300,000 visitors to the site each year, to explore the memorials and woodland, and to participate in activities, talks and tours.
In partnership with the National Forest Company, Westminster Abbey and Sampad, the National Memorial Arboretum produced a nationwide programme Lockdown Landscapes exploring communities’ engagement with local outdoor heritage during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bright Culture undertook the evaluation of the project which recorded stories of the Covid-19 pandemic through art and community projects and was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Bright Culture worked closely with the NMA to create a dynamic Evaluation Plan and Framework that allowed us to capture the impact of this multi-faceted, multi-partner project, which combined community arts commissions, an exhibition, a national engagement programme and the creation of an oral history archive.
The evaluation involved ongoing reflection with the wider Project Team, on-site observations, visitor interviews and participant feedback through surveys and virtual reflection walls. Concluding with a final report summarising the project’s achievements.