Theory of Change – Collecting Data on the WdW

Since October 2025, WORM and Kunstinstituut Melly have been jointly collecting audience data during Kunstavond, the weekly Friday evening when Melly, WORM, V2, and MaMA open their doors free of charge. This initiative forms part of a broader impact research trajectory supported by the Ministry of OCW. Here, we explore how cultural institutions generate impact in the city and how this impact can be meaningfully and fruitfully measured and made visible.

The audience survey is specifically designed not to evaluate specific exhibitions, artworks, or programs. Instead, it focuses on the relationships among visitors, institutions, and the street as a shared cultural environment. The questions address topics such as: why people visit Witte de Withstraat, how they navigate between institutions, and how they perceive Melly, WORM, and their neighbours as part of a collective cultural ecosystem, rather than as isolated venues.

By gathering this type of data, WORM and Melly aim to develop qualitative and quantitative indicators that reflect our joint impact, both within the street and in the wider context of Rotterdam’s cultural landscape. Currently, the number of completed surveys remains too limited to draw robust conclusions. To address this, WORM and Melly will deploy dedicated survey facilitators to actively invite visitors to participate on-site. This more “concentrated” approach will be tested during the three upcoming Kunstavonden, as well as during Kunstavond XL in March, which takes place as part of Rotterdam Art Week. This period is traditionally one of the busiest periods of the year for both institutions.

By increasing the number and diversity of respondents during these peak moments, we aim to strengthen the dataset and move towards a clearer, shared understanding of how our presence, collaboration, and programming resonate with audiences, and how the street itself continues to shape who we are and how we work.