This think piece by Karen Smith was commissioned by the Creative People and Places (CPP) network and explores the language, relationship and potential impact of CPP in achieving and measuring social capital and social change.

Persistent Encounter is in three parts. Part 1 outlines a broad range of research around the concept of social capital, the language used, and the measurement of social capital.

Part 2 investigates the impact of the Creative People and Places programme on social capital through the creative practices of the CPP projects.

Part 3 summarises thinking on social capital and CPP. There's an appendix with further information for those that want to dig deeper into recent social capital research and thinking.