Image credit: Aranxa Esteve
Jonathan Todd
Chief Economist
Jonathan is an economist with over a decade’s experience in impact assessment and evaluation, and high-level policy experience, particularly within the cultural and creative sectors.
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LOCATION
Europe
CLIENT
Edinburgh International Festival
SECTOR
Projects Sectors
EXPERTISE
Edinburgh is the world's leading festival city, with a range of major annual festivals bringing talents from more than a third of the world's countries to its streets and stages.
Building on a culture of collaborative working the Directors of Edinburgh’s leading Festivals came together in 2007 to formally establish Festivals Edinburgh with a mission to maintain and develop the value of the Festivals’ and the Festival City’s position locally and globally.
BOP Consulting was commissioned to conduct an impact assessment of the twelve Festivals represented by Festivals Edinburgh. It builds on the Edinburgh Festivals Economic Impact Study conducted by SQW in 2004/05, which assessed Edinburgh’s Festivals in terms of their collective economic impact. It also responds to some of the issues identified in the Thundering Hooves report in 2006, which looked at the competitive global position of Edinburgh’s Festivals.
The study shows that Edinburgh’s Festivals together provide an incredibly rich and varied cultural offer.
While audiences in the UK and internationally may initially associate Edinburgh with larger Festivals like the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, or Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, it is the diversity and quality of experiences offered throughout the year-round Festival season that makes Edinburgh truly distinctive. Our research confirms that the Festivals together have positive impacts that span an enormous range of cultural, social and economic areas. This year has also seen the Festivals taking a leadership role by taking the first collective steps towards measuring the impact that they have on the environment.
The full report can be downloaded below.
Project Report
ABOUT US
EXPERTISE
A global research and consulting practice for culture and the creative economy
The report outlines the findings from a major study into the international activity of the Arts Council England-supported cultural ecosystem.
International Activity Report
Arts Council England
BOP Consulting was appointed to outline a pilot for a Creative Worker Income Guarantee for Brighton & Hove, working on behalf of the University of Sussex and the ABCD Cultural Recovery Programme.
Cultural, Creative and Collective Recovery: Exploring a Creative Worker Income Guarantee
University of Sussex
The report on how global cities tackle climate change with cultural policies and programmes. Insights from the World Cities Culture Forum's latest report.
The Green World Cities of Tomorrow: Culture and Sustainability – Special Report Prepared for WCCF Global Conversation
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
Unique case guide is co-produced with the participating cities of WCCF, highlighting city examples and a global cities approach to evidenced-based policymaking.
Culture Counts: New Approaches to Evidence Based Cultural Policymaking in World Cities
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
Working alongside CRAIC, a new research and collaboration centre at Loughborough University, we conducted an extensive survey of virtual production assets throughout the United Kingdom to map the country’s growing ecosystem.
Mapping the UK's Virtual Production Ecosystem
Loughborough University
The World Cities Culture Report (WCCR) 2022 builds on the ground-breaking 2018 and 2015 Reports. It gives insights on the major challenges world cities facing.
World Cities Culture Report 2022
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
BOP's contribution to the 2nd edition of the report UNESCO's Global Creativity Report, examining policies safeguarding the creative and cultural sectors.
UNESCO's Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity Report – Addressing culture as a global public good
UNESCO
BOP’s updated Handbook for the Inter-American Development Bank sets out strategies for sustainability and urban resilience
Creative and Cultural Industries and Urban Revitalisation in the post-COVID era
Inter-American Development Bank - IDB
We investigated the potential impact of AI for European cultural and creative businesses. Explore the transformative opportunities AI brings to industries.
Opportunities and Challenges of AI for the Cultural and Creative Industries
European Commission
Research in the Gulf Co-operation Council States in collaboration with British Council and BOP Consulting helps identify opportunities for festival development.
An evidence-base for the growing Gulf festivals sector
British Council
BOP’s report on creating a healthy night-time economy for the Nanjing City Government demonstrates the importance of cross-cutting policies.
Creating Healthy Night-time Economies in World Cities
Nanjing Creative Center
Findings from our work at Great Ormond Street Hospital reveals how visual arts enhance the patient, visitor, and staff experience.
Creativity in health settings
GOSH Arts
Our new report for UNESCO sets out the huge global impact of COVID-19 on the cultural sector. We estimate $750 billion lost for the CCI and 10 million job cuts.
Economic impact of COVID-19 on the Cultural and Creative Industries
UNESCO
New handbook 'Making Space for Culture' explores how world cities address the challenge of preserving cultural infrastructure while promoting growth.
How can cities make space for culture?
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
Our research for the National Trust suggests approximately 3,000 Grade II buildings at risk in urban areas and discusses the impact on heritage and communities.
Protect urban heritage to prevent growth in inequality
National Trust
Our review of the Scottish Animation Sector, commissioned by Creative Scotland, has just been published
Review of the Scottish Animation Sector
Creative Scotland
UK-wide study of visitor experience practice provides new benchmarks for cultural and visitor attractions
Sharing Operations and Visitor Experience insight
VE:Forum
Our ‘blueprint for growth’ strategy has just been published for the video games sector in the West Midlands.
What's next for a video games cluster?
ukie
The World Cities Culture Report 2018 explores the evolving role of culture in global cities. The report provides a view of the state of culture in our cities.
World Cities Culture Report 2018
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)