Back Row was formed in 2021 out of a desire to challenge traditional research and evaluation paradigms. Our desire is to strengthen engagement with the narratives of a wide range of stakeholders to develop deeper understanding of experience and impact. We aim to achieve this through co-creation, use of creative evaluation methods, and deep listening. We work with trusted Associates to bring wide range of expertise to our work.
Dr Kristina Nilles is an arts practitioner, researcher and evaluator. She has completed postdoctoral research at Queen Mary University London where she undertook research on the skills and diversity gaps within the creative industries, focusing on creative employers in the Thames Estuary Production Corridor.
She completed her collaborative PhD thesis in 2023, working with Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. Her thesis problematises current approaches to understanding impacts of participatory arts programmes and investigates the possibilities participant-centric evaluation approaches.
Kristina holds extensive experience as a consultant of creative, education and heritage programmes, and as Project and Development Director for an arts charity. She additionally holds a MA in Museum and Gallery Education from the Institute of Education, where she focused her research on engaging young people with heritage sites and collections and an MA in Theatre in Communities from New York University.
Dr Elena Marchevska is a practitioner-researcher and part-time Professor of Artistic Research at London South Bank University.
She holds expertise in creative research and evaluation methodologies, with an interest in working with charities and public sector organisations. Elena has extensive experience in working with audiences from low-engagement backgrounds, especially audiences from under-represented groups, from migrant backgrounds (language barriers) and low socio-economic background.
She co-wrote a set of recommendations with Dr Carolyn Defrin, on how to best engage people from migrant backgrounds into the cultural sector. She is trained as a systemic coach and has worked with organisations on providing systemic change guidance to leadership teams.
Back Row facilitates, documents, and evaluates creative and cultural engagement. Led by a female team of researcher-practitioners, we specialise in creating robust and meaningful evaluation frameworks to understand the value and impact of the arts, heritage and community engagement. We proudly co-create research frameworks, training and outputs with creative, cultural and heritage organisations and their participants. Our work is predominantly within the arts and heritage, often working with local authorities and education.
We support our partners in building resilient creative strategies and community consultation models through a comprehensive, holistic approach. By prioritising deep listening and systemic thinking, we deliver thorough feedback and actionable recommendations that help organisations evolve and thrive.
We employ participatory research methods to uncover deep insights and amplify the voices of underrepresented groups. This evidence-based approach informs strategic growth across the creative, cultural, and charitable sectors, ensuring that future developments are rooted in authentic community data.
