Transdisciplinary Impact Assessment in the Arts and Culture Sector: A Key to Strategic and Operational Development

Abstract

The discourse surrounding impact research in the publicly funded arts and culture sector fluctuates between the legitimisation and criticism of instrumentalisation. When impact analyses are viewed as an integral component of a cultural production ecosystem, it emphasises the interdependent relationship between funding recipients and providers, necessitating collaboration. The potential of impact analyses for organisational and cultural policy governance is realised primarily in collaborative processes. The essay uses the example of an impact analysis conducted by the authors with an Austrian film festival to reflect on the importance of collaborative governance and transdisciplinary methodology for consensual dynamics. The essay provides a methodological impetus for impact analysis, advocating an awareness of the transformative power of impact research within the Austrian arts and culture sector.