Recent projects:

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Cultural Champions
Evaluation Partner

Brennan Research is the lead evaluation partner for the Royal Ballet & Opera’s Cultural Champions programme — a national professional development initiative for middle leaders in primary education. Now in its second decade, the programme supports over 500 teachers each year to become cultural leaders and advocates for the arts. Our evaluation combines entry and exit data analysis, module debriefs, and interviews/focus groups to assess impact and provide learning for future delivery.

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National Picture Theatre

Evaluation Partner

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This critical project, funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund and Hull City Council, aims to restore and celebrate the National Picture Theatre, the last remaining civilian bomb ruin in the UK, having been damaged during the Blitz in 1941. As evaluation partner, we are measuring the impact of the restoration and identifying learning and insights into the restoration process. A particular focus is on the effects on visitors, community stakeholders, residents, and the broader community.​​​​

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​Here & Now
Evaluation Partner

Commissioned by McNicol Ballet Collective, we carried out an in-depth evaluation of Here & Now, a national touring production with a major community engagement strand in Hull. Using surveys, interviews, observations, and creative feedback tools, we assessed artistic, social, audience development, and legacy outcomes, with particular attention to disadvantaged young people and mentoring for local artists.

 

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Kirklees Year of Music
Evaluation Lead

Kirklees Year of Music 2023 celebrated the area’s musical heritage through a year-long programme of events, festivals, and community projects. Working closely with stakeholders, we developed a monitoring system and evaluation toolkit, using surveys, artist journals, postcards, and creative prompts to capture insight. Our work included regular funder reports, in-depth project evaluations, and a comprehensive final report highlighting achievements, community impact, and growth within the local creative sector.

 

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HEY! Volunteering
Evaluation Partner
 

As evaluation partner for Hull’s flagship volunteer programme, we deliver impact studies, performance reviews, and funder reports for organisations such as Spirit of 2012 and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

 

In 2023, we conducted insight research for the Heritage Lottery Innovation Fund to explore opportunities for expanding the programme into a Coastal Heritage Volunteer Programme. This led to HEY! Brid, a pilot project we evaluated through interviews with volunteers, council staff, and local host organisations, generating valuable recommendations for future development.

 

 

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Hull Guildhall Time Ball
Evaluation Partner
 

The Guildhall Greenwich Time Ball — a restored 19th-century maritime time-signalling device — reopened in Hull with National Lottery Heritage Fund support after more than 100 years. We evaluated the project’s public engagement programme across schools, libraries, museums, and community venues. Despite pandemic disruption, the evaluation demonstrated how the project achieved its aims and strengthened public perceptions of Hull’s maritime heritage.

 

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Football Foundation PlayZones
Research & Consultation Lead
 

To support an application to the Football Foundation’s PlayZone Programme, we led extensive consultation with local residents, charities, religious organisations, and community stakeholders. Focusing on areas of high deprivation and four audience priority groups, we captured feedback on sports participation and demand for community-based facilities, helping to shape future investment in local physical activity infrastructure.