Recent work with a small group looking at performance indicators to measure culture across Europe resulted in some sensible proposals for an index based on existing national data collection practices.  We had the opportunity to explore how meaningful the results may be at meetings of Compendium Experts and CultureWatchEurope in Helsinki.

The need for evidence based policy in the Creative and Cultural Industries was recently restated by Aviva Silver in Creative Europe briefings, but the issue of the relative values of quantitative and qualitative data needs more work.  The even trickier question of how it then translates into policy and investment decision making  is complicated by two contradictory discourses: creative entrepreneurship as economic engine and culture as as an important human right.

We have the theoretical frame and research tools to sort this out, but they need to pulled together.  Drew Wylie’s full presentation can be found at:www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/cwe/Helsinki_en.asp