Self-diagnosis of cultural organisations

On the other hand, even where data does exist, the burden for many teams remains in how to work with it. Today, institutions need support in collecting and analysing data on their audiences – so that they can make more effective use of city-wide participation surveys, interpret them in relation to their own activities, and build flexible strategies on that basis.

Since 2024, we have been running the Warsaw Cultural Participation (WCP) research programme at WOK, as part of which we are implementing a pilot programme of self-diagnosis for cultural institutions – conducted through an annual audience survey run independently by the staff of Warsaw-based cultural institutions. The audience survey is carried out using a questionnaire that is standardised across all participating institutions. As part of the project, WOK is responsible for coordinating the process and – in collaboration with its partners – provides training and technical support, as well as analytical processing of the collected data.

We began the process of prototyping the self-diagnosis in autumn 2024, working in partnership with four cultural institutions that agreed to take a pioneering role in developing the tool and the diagnostic procedure: the Guliwer Puppet Theatre, the Museum of Warsaw, The Komedia Theatre and the Ochota Cultural Centre. This phase of the process was carried out in collaboration with Ośrodek Ewaluacji. The first phase of the pilot provided us with insights into the practical aspects of the research process within institutions; we also developed a research tool that will be used by all participating institutions.

In September 2025, in collaboration with the Shipyard Foundation, we launched the second phase of the self-diagnosis pilot scheme, involving 15 institutions which varied in terms of their activities and cultural offerings, the scale of their operations, and the size of the teams carrying out the survey. To date, we have collected over 7,000 questionnaires through our joint efforts.

We encourage you to check out the summary of the process available on our channels.

Currently, in spring 2026, we are conducting the final stage of the pilot scheme, involving 17 cultural institutions which took part in the first and second phases of the pilot. The following institutions are currently carrying out their self-diagnosis through audience research:

The final phase of the pilot project is slowly drawing to a close, which marks the conclusion of the research design process and the launch of an open call for cultural organisations wishing to participate in the main research project. We would like to encourage you to take part in the conference on self-diagnosis by Warsaw-based cultural organisations, which will take place on 23 June 2026. The conference is co-organised by the Warsaw Observatory of Culture and the Culture Department of the City of Warsaw. Please follow us on social media – the time and venue of the event will be announced closer to the date.

We are happy to share our experiences and the results of our work with cultural institutions and practitioners, the academic community, and the residents of Warsaw. That is why WCP is making its presence felt in various settings: on the radio, on local television, at sociology conferences, and at workshops for cultural institutions.

Later this year, you can find us at the 2nd Forum of the National Observatory of Culture (16-17 April in Wrocław) and the conference of the European Sociological Association which is held in Warsaw this year (25-28 August).

People invloved in the project: