Impact Measurement of Culture in the Periphery: Social, Cultural and Economic Value in Denmark

This thesis examines the impact of cultural houses on peripheral communities through a case study of Maltfabrikken, a cultural house in Denmark, and its international artist residency program, MaltAIR. The research applies Theory of Change and SIAMPI to trace how the institution generates social, cultural, and economic value. Through semi-structured interviews with staff, artists, and community stakeholders, alongside observation and fieldnotes, the thesis shows that Maltfabrikken operates as a hybrid entrepreneurial model, rooted in Rural Entrepreneurship but incorporating elements of profit-oriented activity without losing its community-first orientation. The research also explores why artists choose to participate in MaltAIR, finding that motivations are rooted in network access, financial and administrative support, and a low-obligation environment. Of particular significance is that the absence of a formal requirement to produce work does not lead artists to produce less; instead, the freedom from pressure to perform is described by artists as ‘luxury’, suggesting that removing outcome pressure can itself support artistic output. At the same time, the research identifies limits to Maltfabrikken's accessivness, revealing an uneven distribution of belonging that formal programming alone has not resolved. The thesis argues that Maltfabrikken demonstrates meaningful capacity to generate local impact and counter peripheral decline.