Arts and Social Enterprise

Susan Aktemel

Founder, Impact Arts

Glasgow, Scotland

December2012

susan@impactarts.co.uk

Twitter: @susanaktemel

Impact Arts: Creative

Solutions

Every day, we use the

arts to change lives.

What is “social enterprise?”

Taking the best things

about private business

and using them to

maximise social impact

and benefit.

What is a “social entrepreneur?”

Someone who is able and is

motivated to successfully

create and run a business in

the private sector, but who

chooses to use those skills

for social benefit.

Glasgow....

• 2nd city in Scotland

• Population approx 600,000

• Heavy industrial city in19th and 20th Centuries

• Finance, culture, leisure, tourism – key 20th &

21st C industries

• High levels poverty - crime, alcohol, drugs,

unemployment, health

Glasgow and the arts.... • 1990 European City of Culture

• Glasgow School of Art & Visual Arts Scene

• Music scene – Deacon Blue, Simple Minds

• Home of Scottish Opera / Scottish Ballet

• Recent history of arts in communities

• £500K per year education / social work

culture programme

Where it started

Company Priorities

Access to the arts

Positive change in communities

Help people change their lives

Create employment for artists

Be a successful, sustainable business

Core Values

Customer and results focussed

Respond to need in communities

Self reliance / independence from grants

“Can do” approach

Excellence

Growth since 1994

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

3000000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Where we are today •National charitable business

•Working in 12 council areas

•42 full and part time staff

•40-50 freelance artists

•Approx £2.2 million turnover

•Working with approx 3000 people each year

Love Your Home.

The Future • To be the world’s leading community arts

organisation;

• A new chief executive;

• Work with partners across the UK ;

• Be a profitable business

Success in Arts & Soc Enterprise

• First, find the need in the market

• Understand environment

• Look after customers

• Be great at selling

• Always watch the money

• Innovation

• Tell your story, measure the social impact

Community Arts Think – “arts and...”

“...education”

“ ...drug and alcohol rehabilitation

“... health”

“...environment”

“...employment”

.....What difference will you make?

Community Engagement

Hillhead Arts Masterplan

A community needing to change

Poor housing

Alcohol/ drugs problems

Youth crime

High unemloyment

£25 million new housing to be built by 2015

Why Craft Café?

Rapidly increasing elderly population

Research linking social isolation to

depression

and ill health

Housing partners identified need

Human response – we wanted to change

this

• “

“Community is about the individual people, when we get together we are like a beating heart.

Craft Cafe is like that.”.”

The top 5 impacts 100 % Improved self-worth

95 % More positive outlook

90% More confident, independent, better

quality of life

90% More physical exercise

52% Reduction in symptoms of anxiety /

depression

The Social Return on Investment

Total investment : £84,219

For every £1 spent, £8.27 social value created

Average investment per individual: £1170

The cost of treating depression: £2085

Social Enterprise and Arts

Challenges

• Arts go first with when public money is cut

• Costs can be high

• People don’t understand it

• Artists willing to work for nothing

• Competition – not enough money

• Artists want to do their own thing

Social Enterprise and Arts

Opportunities

• Think all public spend as the market

• Create your own market and demand

• Bring old buildings back to life

• Use the arts and culture as a catalyst for

regeneration

• People love stories –win their hearts

• Measure your impact – very powerful

Every day, we use the arts to change lives.

susan@impactarts.co.uk

www. impactarts.co.uk

Tel: 0141 575 3001