On 14 September, the Rothko Museum hosted a professional development seminar devoted to “Art Works for Change,” a toolkit developed within the Horizon Europe project “Cultural Literacies’ Value in Europe” (CLiViE). The seminar brought together 14 museum employees, who explored practical approaches to identifying and assessing the changes generated by cultural and artistic activities.

The seminar was led by Alīna Romanovska, Associate Professor at Daugavpils University and CLiViE Project Leader at DU. She presented the case study “The Other in Art and Life,” implemented at the Rothko Museum, describing its activities and key findings. The study demonstrates that museum-based activities generate not only social value but also measurable economic value. Within the project, this value was assessed using the Theory of Change (ToC) and Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis.

The SROI method attracted particular interest among the participants, as it makes it possible not only to describe the changes created by cultural activities but also to express them through specific, evidence-based indicators. During the practical part of the seminar, museum employees analysed the benefits and changes generated through the museum’s everyday work.

The museum’s management was also interested in the findings of similar case studies conducted in other CLiViE project countries. Learning that all 28 project case studies had produced positive SROI results gave the museum representatives greater confidence in the practical value of this method. SROI calculations can become a valuable tool in discussions with policymakers at both municipal and national levels, helping cultural institutions demonstrate the value of cultural literacy and provide evidence-based justification for increased funding for the cultural sector.

The seminar encouraged participants to view the museum’s work from a different perspective: its social and economic value cannot be measured solely by visitor numbers. It is also reflected in people’s experiences, newly acquired knowledge, emotional well-being, and ability to understand themselves and others more deeply.

Further information about the event:
IHSS Assoc. Prof. and leading reseacher Alīna Romanovska
e-mail: alina.romanovska@du.lv

Further information about the CLiViE project:
IHSS Assoc. Prof. and leading reseacher Alīna Romanovska
e-mail: alina.romanovska@du.lv

The project has received funding from the European Union’s “Horizon Europe” Research and Innovation programme under the grant agreement No. 101132285.