For a world where decision-making is evidence-led and citizens, customers and communities are empowered

For Changemakers

Placeshapers

Start-ups and scale-ups

Creative and cultural organisations

Policy makers and influencers

We listen, create and inspire…

We deliver impactful and creative research and writing projects for values-led businesses, social & community enterprises, and policymakers.

We have a unique track record of working at the crossroads of research insight, strategy, and great storytelling. We bring the strategic awareness of an agency with the attentiveness and flexibility of freelance.

 

SMEs

Agile market research, insight and strategy support for start-ups and scale-ups. Market testing ideas and opportunities. Interviewing and case studies to help businesses tell their story powerfully.

Culture

Audience and community projects to support culture and heritage-led growth. Research and strategy support for creative and community organisations. Local storytelling to communicate impact.

Policy

Policy research projects and support for policy influencers, giving a voice to people and communities on the issues and causes that matter.

Project update: Creative evaluation and storytelling for Wandsworth Arts Fringe

Wandsworth Arts Fringe bursts into life for 17 brilliant days each June, shaking up South West London with an eclectic programme of arts & culture that thrills, moves and inspires audiences from across the city. We are delighted to be working with the inspiring WAF team, helping to tell the story of this year’s Fringe, and providing comprehensive research and evaluation support. This page gives a project update.

Creative research, evaluation and storytelling for the Barbican’s community programmes in the City and East London
The Barbican’s inspiring Communities and Neighbourhoods Team nurtures relationships with the arts venue’s local communities to improve everyone's access to the arts. Creative Neighbourhoods is the team’s work with the Barbican’s neighbours, ensuring the arts venue...
Project update: evaluation support and mentoring to Creative Youth and Kingston’s heritage funded Arts, Music and Pop Fashion project
Creative Youth is a charity based in Kingston, London, born out of an ambition to encourage and celebrate the creativity of young people. The charity enables young people to get involved in innovative, original and ambitious creative projects. CY held the first...
Project update: evaluation partner to Oxford House and their NHLF Funded Project Through the Lens
Oxford House is a multipurpose community arts centre in Bethnal Green and home to a theatre, dance studio, gallery, and café. It was established in 1884 as the first Settlement House where students and graduates from Keble College, Oxford lived and volunteered their...
Project update: Evaluation partner to The Line
The Line is an ambitious public art project in East London that connects Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and The O2, following the waterways and the line of the Greenwich Meridian. Its outdoor exhibition programme offers a journey through a dynamic urban landscape where...
Collaborating with The People Speak to connect people to discuss health and community issues in Southwark
The People Speak (TPS) is a group of international artists based in London. TPS has 25 years of expertise in helping people understand each other and collectively process the world's complexity. The team creates fun, interactive, participatory formats and...
Project update: evaluation partner to Universty of the Arts London’s Creative Exchanges Programme
University of the Arts London is a world Top 2 university for art and design and Europe's largest specialist university for art and design. The University’s Community Exchanges programme is a paid 8-month programme for emerging artists, designers, and cultural...
Project update: research and evaluation support to Foundation for Future London and the Connecting People and Places Fund
Foundation for Future London is an independent charity established in 2015 created to connect communities, the new East Bank and its globally renowned arts, innovation and cultural partners. FFL’s Connecting People & Places Fund was set up to support local East...
Research and evaluation support to the Fusion Futures Programme in London
Fusion Futures is a 5-week programme for Key Stage 5 students to support young Londoners to find their creative voice and collaborate with others to share ideas and tackle challenges. The programme helps students develop their communication, teamwork and...
Call Out: Creative London Solutions Writers
Calling all London-based writers and impact journalists (aged 18-30) with an interest in spotlighting hidden stories of creative and cultural innovation and oneness in diversity in the city’s neighbourhoods and communities. London-based research bureau Live Projects...
Business and marketing support to Future Makers – a new art and design studio in Nottingham for circular economy-based collaborations
Future Makers is the brainchild of Nottingham-based creative Tristan Hessing; a 9,000 sq ft art and design studio in Nottingham for circular economy-based collaborations and innovations, events, markets, workshops & exhibitions. We were thrilled to work with...
Case study: Agile Market Research to The Friendly CFO
Suzie Campbell, founder of The Friendly CFO, helps purpose-driven founders create thriving businesses so that they can focus on the things that matter. Through a people first approach, Suzie demystifies the complex and technical world of finance into easily digestible...
Research support to Women Over 50 Film Festival
Women Over 50 Film Festival (WOFFF) champions and showcases the work of older women on screen and behind the camera with an annual short film festival and year-round events and film screenings. WOFFF started in 2015 and are proud to have created a film community...
Case study: Kent Foundation Members Survey and Research
The Kent Foundation is an essential part of the local business community helping young entrepreneurs in Kent start and grow businesses, create employment opportunities, and contribute to the County's economic well-being. The charity provides vital business support to...
Across the Road: Examining the impact and relationship of developments in Paddington Green/Hall Place Estate in the context of the Church Street Regeneration scheme in Westminster
A Civic Design CPD Project with UCL Bartlett School of Planning). In 2021/22 Live Projects' Chris Hayes worked as part of a student design team and with creatives with embedded community working in London Paddington’s Church Street estate to co-design solutions for...
Project page: COVID-19 and the cultural sector
COVID-19 and the cultural sector Our COVID-19 insight work. Signposting to briefings and think pieces looking at the impact of COVID-19 on the cultural sector, how the sector has responded, and the strategic issues ahead. LGiU Briefings August (2020) Public libraries...
COVID-19 and the Arts Project
A research project led by Common Vision and supported by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is telling the story of the civic role of arts and cultural organisations and their response to the challenges of Covid-19. The importance of facilitating local relationships and...
Millennials and Money
We provided research support to Common Vision for the Millennials and Money project. The project seeks to understand millennial money habits, financial trust and what younger generations need to become more financially resilient. The project examines what millennials...
Brexit Watch: How can the millennials participate in the politics and process of Brexit?
Reserach support for Common Vision's Brexit Watch programme. Brexit Watch is a project aiming to build bridges between policy makers and young people around the politics and process of leaving the EU. The project has three main aims: To educate and inform young people...
Public Libraries Universal Culture Offer
MetaValue Project: Research and strategy development of the national public libraries culture offer to promote exploration, creativity and participation in and through our libraries. Libraries Connected: "Through the Culture and Creativity Offer, libraries work with...
Evaluation of the Liverpool Cultural Education Partnership
MetaValue Project: Local impact evaluation of an arts partnership. Liverpool established its Cultural Education Partnership (CEP) in March 2016. It has developed its own website to help teachers and other professionals find and connect young people to local art and...
Single Sign On: Access to eResources for libraries
MetaValue Project: Evaluation of the public libraries single sign on pilot. Here, John Garland, working with Jisc on the Single Sign On project, shares how the idea came about, and reports progress. The evaluation report in 2018 can be downloaded here:...

Thanks for all your amazing work on this project! Seriously impressive and makes us feel very proud to work with a team of such calibre.

Suzie Campbell, Director, MetaValue and The White Space Collective

Chris is an excellent researcher and writer and delivers work to a high quality and standard. I am happy to recommend him.

Janet Sillett, Local Government Information Unit

Chris is a remarkable business consultant. He has provided me with invaluable strategies to grow my business. I am extremely grateful to him for his expertise, professionalism and encouragement.

Gail Kuppan, Director, Boutique Law Services and Founder, Ginosko Academy of Inspired Learning

Chris is adept at thinking strategically and planning what needs to be tackled. He delivered the work to high quality and is always willing to offer support in whatever way he is able.

Holly Beaman, then Commissioning Manager at Surrey County Council

MetaValue Project: We were in safe hands with Chris Hayes from MetaValue who went through a huge amount of data and planned a realistic timetable to consult our stakeholders. He ensured that every sector we support – from schools, arts and cultural partners, local authorities and our multi-agency steering group – was included.

He gathered evidence of people’s experience of being part of the partnership, and the impact this is having, meeting the deadline for the final report. It has been incredibly useful to have a set of case studies and a summary of clear, realistic recommendations to act upon as we’ve begun our next phase of development.

Alice Demba, Liverpool Cultural Education Partnership (LCEP) Co-Ordinator

Brilliant presentation in aiding evaluation of business ideas strategically. Pitch feedback was great. Helped me to explore new business areas and opportunities. […] Chris was very approachable and supportive.

Workshop participant.

Chris’ thorough and sensitive analysis of a huge tranche of qualitative data was both impressive and highly useful. Chris has the ability to absorb and reflect a nuanced position while remaining clear and concise in his findings.

Ben Wilson, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Goldsmiths, University of London.

I have found Chris: Reliable: when he says he will do something he does it to the agreed timetable; he has a high standard of English language usage: he writes in an easy to read and engaging style, his writing is balanced, taking account of all important views of a subject, is accurate, he researches thoroughly topics he writes about, and is also passionate, he believes he what he does.

John Fowler, Policy Manager, LGiU

I am most grateful for your services in preparing speeches for me. Having a professional draft the wording gave me confidence in the delivery and it was great not having the extra pressure at these times. I found you totally reliable and professional at all times. I would not hesitate to use your services in the future.

Chris helped us to take a look out how we could position ourselves and demonstrate the social impact of our work. Through his in depth analysis, research, advice, and presentation skills, he helped us to bid for a new contract.

Operations Co-Ordinator, Crenamic Security Solutions

Friends and
Customers

Barbican
Beacon Museum
British Library
Common Vision
Copeland Council
Crenamic
Creative Youth
Culture Mile
Culture Syndicates
Foundation for Future London
Freedom Works UK
Friendly CFO, MetaValue Strategy Consulting and Sighthound
Fusion Futures
Future Makers

Goldsmiths
Great Speech Writers
IVE (Bridge Organisation)
Kent Foundation
LGiU International
Leytonstone Loves Film
Museum of London
Oxford House
Playnice
RM Research
Social Fixt
SoloTrvlr
The Line
The People Speak
University of the Arts London (UAL)
University of East Anglia (UEA)
Wandsworth Arts Fringe
Women Over 50 Film Festival
Workfinder

Memberships and Accreditations

Market Research Society – Advanced Qualification in Market and Social Research

Social Value UK Member

CPD in Civic Design & Cultural Infrastructure – Bartlett School of Planning

Mental Health First Aider