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The NCACE Blog platform fosters a vibrant community of writers exploring collaborations between higher education and the arts, showcasing diverse stories, experiences, and reflections on cross-sector partnership.

Better capturing the value of university knowledge exchange: insights from the arts, humanities and cultural sector.

Evelyn Wilson (NCACE), Dr Michelle Phillips (Royal Northern College of Music) and Dr Valeria Ramirez (University Commercialisation and Innovation Policy Evidence Unit (UCI))

Introduction In mid-September University Commercialisation and Innovation Policy Evidence Unit (UCI), NCACE and RNCM came together to host a rich and timely workshop on Improving data and metrics to better capture the value of university knowledge exchange: insights from the arts and humanities and cultural sectors. We did so to create a space for discussion … Read more…

From Policy to Practice: bridging the gap in place-based research and innovation

Dr Rachel Connor - Senior Research Fellow, AHRC Creative Communities

In a recent discussion paper ‘The Public Value of Arts and Culture’, Mariana Mazzucato calls for vital investment in our cultural ecosystems. Arguing for networks beyond those that safeguard existing institutions, Mazzucato identifies the importance of ‘bringing arts to people where they are […] across the entire arts and cultural ecosystem, spanning industries, public programming, … Read more…

BEYOND WORDS: Practising Allyship Within Knowledge Exchange

Aisha Richards - Founder and Director, Shades of Noir

An Introduction to Aisha’s Blog At NCACE, we believe that cultural knowledge exchange should model equity, fairness and care in action. In a moment where public discourse can feel polarised, our work is rooted in creating spaces where diverse voices and lived experiences are welcomed, valued and platformed.  We are delighted to publish this blog … Read more…

Moving Forward: A snapshot of NCACE future plans

Evelyn Wilson, Co-Director NCACE

We are delighted to announce the very welcome news that NCACE will continue to be funded by Research England for the next four years. It is a great achievement and one that has only been made possible by the many wonderful individuals and institutions that we have had the pleasure of working with and engaging with in so many ways since … Read more…

Building Connections, Creating Opportunities: The Potential of the NCACE Independent Researchers Network

Suzie Leighton - Co-Director, NCACE

Independent researchers play an essential role in shaping our cultural and academic landscape. They are the artists, writers, academics, community organisers, and citizen researchers who, outside of formal institutional structures, carry forward inquiries that enhance research and enrich society. Yet too often, their work is invisible and disconnected from the infrastructures that make research sustainable … Read more…

From Research into Creative Action: How Collaboration Between HE and The Arts Is Challenging Narratives Around Migration

Dr Neelam Raina, Kwesi Johnson, Prof. Catherine Clarke and Suzie Leighton

Recent years have seen a shift in how universities approach working with diverse communities, both in the UK and globally. The focus is moving away from research on or about these communities to one that emphasises building collaborative relationships that acknowledge the rich knowledge and expertise within communities, and the contribution that they make to … Read more…

Artists working with Universities

Evelyn Wilson (NCACE) and Dr Sarah Sigal (Associate Researcher, NCACE)

At the end of January, we were delighted to host our first NCACE Evidence Café of the year and the 14th since we started the series back in 2021 as an online space to encourage people to come together for information-sharing and discussion on topics connected to the field of Cultural Knowledge Exchange. The purpose … Read more…

Artists and Academics – The Perfect Marriage.

Jemma McDonnell, co-founder and co-director of The Paper Birds Theatre Company

I am an artist who is married to an academic. We often joke that whilst it seems like our jobs are worlds apart, my partner who researches addiction, and myself; co-founder of a devising political theatre company, are both fundamentally trying to do the same thing – we are trying to better understand and then … Read more…

NCACE Micro-commission: MembGame UX Design Workshop

Clare Frances (Co-Project Manager)

The MembGame Research Collaboration are excited to explore how immersive technology, especially Augmented or Virtual Reality (AR/VR) with its ability to zoom in and scale to macro and microscopic levels in a 360 environment, can increase inclusion, accessibility, education and engagement in this area of STEM. We also aim to contribute, with co-creation opportunities, to … Read more…

Generating societal impact from collaborations between universities and arts and culture organisations (ACOs): evidence from NCACE’s survey with arts and culture professionals in the UK

Federica Rossi (Universita' di Modena e Reggio Emilia), Ning Baines (University of Leicester) and Evelyn Wilson (NCACE)

When we established NCACE in late 2020, a key part of our mission was to create an enhanced understanding of the impacts that arise from universities and the arts working together. One of the first pieces of work we undertook was to develop what we believe was the country’s first substantial survey with the arts … Read more…