In my recent keynote speech for the NCACE launch event, I argued that collaborative research requires a common language to facilitate cultural exchange and understanding between all parties. In this blog post, I propose that storytelling could be that lingua franca and I consider the implications of this for the professional development of future researchers.

Knowledge exchange (KE) between universities and the arts and cultural sectors is recognised as an area of significant potential and the benefits of this activity could be felt by a wide range of people. While there are some great examples of good practice, more can be done in support of practitioners to fully develop the benefits and opportunities for all.

We are living through a period of mass crisis. The issues we face predate the pandemic, but have only been brought into sharper focus by Covid-19. In the light of these issues, at the recent launch for the National Centre for Cultural and Academic Exchange, I posed the question: ‘are our current models for research and knowledge exchange up to the job?’

In 2018 STEAMhouse opened its doors to a community of businesses, entrepreneurs, creatives and artists, and the academic world. Unsurprisingly there was great interest from many who saw the value in collaborating not only with the University, but also with people from a range of disciplines.