Independent Evaluation of Liverpool Biennial 2021 released

New report released on the impact of the 11th edition

BOP Consulting were commissioned to assess the cultural, social and economic impact of Liverpool Biennial 2021: The Stomach and the Port (20 March – 27 June 2021).

Key findings included that our hybrid 11th edition was successful in engaging audiences nationally and internationally, attracting 164,730 visits as well as strong online engagement. Of those who accessed the digital programme, more than 70% agreed that it provided rich, engaging, and complementary content.

After 18 months of “feeling a bit culturally deprived”, audiences saw the Biennial as an opportunity to engage with arts and culture. 95% of visitors rated their experience as good or very good and nearly half indicated that it had a positive impact on their well-being.

Alongside this, we raised the city’s profile and made residents proud to celebrate the city’s assets across a host of new locations. 92% of visitors said the Biennial was the main or partial motive for visiting and many visitors from outside of the city used our programme to discover new places in Liverpool.

Research around our broader role revealed that our collaborative working drives and contributes to initiatives that benefit the local arts sector and wider community.

Image credit: Jadé Fadojutimi and Roland Persson installation view at Bluecoat, Liverpool Biennial 2021. Documented works: Jadé Fadojutimi, Let’s take a walk in a tangent, 2018. Roland Persson, Mouth of Medusa, 2018. Desire (Of a thoughtful kind), 2018. Photography Mark McNulty