Category: Blog

Knowledge exchange has always been at the heart of music conservatoires, but do current metrics accurately reflect the richness of these KE environments?

Knowledge exchange is a term used to describe a variety of activities that creative higher education institutions have been undertaking for a long time. What we may refer to as outreach, business and community engagement, impact, and / or widening participation, falls under this term, defined by UKRI as ‘universities and other higher education institutions … Continued

How does academic research generate impact through, or on, artistic and cultural activities? An analysis of the 2021 REF impact case studies

The importance of impact arising from, and having effects on, artistic and cultural production While it is broadly acknowledged that academic research should generate real-world impact, the discourse often focuses on impact arising from academic knowledge feeding into technological and business innovation; much less so on the impacts that involve, either as means or outcomes, … Continued

Creative Change: Interaction and Impact on Wellbeing in Incarceration

Detail of We Roar artwork by Anonymous, HMP Oakwood

Faye Claridge and Dr Ana Chamberlen, are awardees of the second round of NCACE Micro-commissions. They undertook a programme of collaborative conversations to share their experiences and research on imprisonment and wellbeing with the aim to develop understanding of how creative and research interventions in prison settings can be effectively measured for impact on health … Continued

Exploring innovative uses of immersive media technologies to enhance the teaching of arts and heritage in Rugby Art Gallery and Museum: A Collaborative research project with Birmingham City University and STEAMhouse.

The aim of this project was to explore, test and identify the creative and technical possibilities of utilising immersive media technologies in local authority run combined arts and heritage venue Rugby Art Gallery and Museum (RAGM). Focussed on the themes of digital storytelling and technology for social good, we developed a feasibility study which will … Continued

Planting & Playmaking

In April 2023 theatre maker, Polly Tisdall and researcher, Dr Giulia Carabelli received a £1000 micro-commission from the National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange to explore the beginnings of a collaborative project focused on the potential of theatre-making to galvanise caring for plants in our communities. Here they reflect on the experience and what … Continued

How can we better understand ‘Everyday Creativity’ and can it play a role in reducing inequalities in local communities?

For over 30 years Creative Lives has championed community and volunteer-led creative activity. Our role is to improve opportunities for everyone to be creative – a bold ambition! Creative Lives is specifically interested in supporting opportunities for people to be actively creative; taking part in music making, photography, singing in a band, making clothes, joining … Continued

Poem: Easy Bake Collaboration Equity Pie

This recipe serves more than the institutionally established researchers and creatives. It’s adventurous, with generous embedding, Of independent producers and marginalised community collaborators. Rare ingredients in the traditional organisations spice rack. You’ll marvel at its satisfying wholeness. No bitter after taste at all. If committed to memory this will become a staple, On your menu. … Continued

SAIL: Bridging the gap between Knowledge Development and the Creative and Cultural sector of West Yorkshire

In this blog post, hear from SAIL, a membership network of creative and cultural organisations in West Yorkshire, about how they’re working collectively to exchange research, build capacity, and advocate for sector-wide solutions, in order to accelerate action on climate change. At SAIL, we unite creative and cultural organisations, individuals, creative curriculum education providers and … Continued

Reflections on our NCACE evaluation journey: from a composite baseline position to the midpoint evaluation.

At NCACE we are committed to evaluating our work not just for accountability to our partners, but also to inform continuous improvements of our activity. We are particularly interested in understanding how our approach is making progress in facilitating and supporting capacity for Knowledge Exchange between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and arts and culture organisations … Continued