The role of arts and culture research in addressing grand challenges? Evidence from REF 2021 (CIMR debates in Public Policy)
When:
—
Venue:
Online
Join the Centre for Innovation Management Research on Wednesday 13 March 2024, 1.30-2.30PM for an online lunchtime seminar on arts and culture research.
The online debate is part of the CIMR Debates and Workshops in Public Policy series.
Panel
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Ning Baines, University of Leicester
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Federica Rossi, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and CIMR
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Evelyn Wilson, TCCE and National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange (NCACE)
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Chair: Milica Bozanic
- Discussant: Matthew Guest, University of Central Lancashire
Abstract
The notion of Grand Challenges has become prevalent in recent years. It has received attention not only from governments, NGOs, business and organisations, but also research across all disciplines. There is an increasing recognition that arts and culture, especially research activities in arts and culture, have a crucial role to play in mobilising and catalysing societal change and addressing the Grand Challenges.
In their study, Ning Baines, Federica Rossi and Evelyn Wilson rely on the database of REF 2021 impact case studies to analyse how research pertaining to the general area of art and culture has been instrumental to tackling four Grand Challenges pertaining to: Place making and levelling up, Health and wellbeing, Technologies for social good, Environment and climate emergency. The findings offer insights into research beneficiaries, roles played by partners, collaboration process and the differences across each theme.
The debate should offer insights into how arts and culture research can address Grand Challenges, what universities can do to support arts and culture researchers working on these issues, and how policies can be designed to support different actors - including arts and culture researchers and stakeholders - to collaborate in addressing Grand Challenges.
Biographies
Chair - Milica Bozanic
has been leading various film industry initiatives under the flag of the Serbia Film Commission aimed at the development of the creative ecosystem in her home country. Throughout her professional tenure, she initiated the Computer Graphics and Arts Conference Belgrade and served on the Board of Directors at the European Film Commissions Network. Her involvement in the sector was instrumental in stakeholders’ participation and development of the Smart Specialisation Strategy in Serbia. Her dedication to informed policy advocacy led to the production of two film incentive economic impact studies and the dissemination of results that enhanced awareness among both industry and policymakers.
As a Chevening scholar, she was awarded an MSc in Management and Creative Industries at Birkbeck in 2023. Within the dissertation at Birkbeck, her focus expanded on Central and East Europe within the theoretical framework which addressed FDI research and creative Global Production Networks. Her research interest contributes to creative industry economics and bridging the gap between theory and practice with a focus on quantitative research for informed policymaking.
Full dissertation available here
Ning Baines, University of Leicester
Ning is a Lecturer in marketing and holds a bachelors degree in English Literature (Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand), masters degrees in marketing (Middlesex) and e-business and innovation (Birkbeck, University of London) and PhD in innovation management (Birkbeck, University of London). She started her business career in the financial services sector, working for Standard Chartered Bank, before shifting to education and cultural marketing for the British Council in Thailand for eight years, where she worked in a variety of roles ranging from education promotion officer to assistant director of marketing. She has an experience in teaching for various UK institutions. Currently, she is an external examiner for South East Technological University, Waterford in Ireland. She is also an external assessor for Advanced Certificate in Market research and Social Science, Market Research Society (MRS).
Federica Rossi, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and CIMR
She is Associate Professor of Economic Policy at the Department of Economics of UniMoRe (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia) in Italy; previously she held the role of Reader in Innovation Policy and Management at Birkbeck, University of London. She has a PhD and a MSc in Economics from the University of Torino, Italy. Her current research examines the role of universities as drivers of economic development and growth, intellectual property rights and innovation, and policies in support of business innovation. She has been working on the impact of knowledge transfer activities, and metrics for performance measurement in knowledge transfer.
Evelyn Wilson, TCCE and National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange (NCACE)
Co-Director of NCACE and The Culture Capital Exchange (TCCE), Evelyn Wilson co-established and is Co-Director of NCACE (National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange) and Founder and Director of The Culture Capital Exchange (TCCE) working alongside her long-term collaborator Suzie Leighton. From 2005, she was Senior Manager at TCCE’s previous iteration, LCACE (London Centre for Arts and Cultural Exchange).
She was Co-Investigator on Boosting Resilience between 2017 - 2019 and from 2012- 2016, was Head of Knowledge Exchange with Creativeworks London focusing on the conception and delivery of its Knowledge Exchange Programme.
Her work focuses on supporting, researching and communicating the collaborative potential of partnerships between Higher Education researchers and the arts and cultural sector. Evelyn has deep experience as a cultural producer/curator in areas including: black and third cinema, photography and digital arts. She served as Director of Lighthouse, Brighton in the early 00’s and before that spent 11 years working in cultural centres in the West Midlands.
Evelyn is advisor to the Centre for Creativity in Professional Practice at Cass Business School, associate of the Centre for Innovation Management Research, a member of the Creative Industries Council Clusters and Regions Group and an advisor to Artquest.
Matthew Guest, University of Central Lancashire
Matthew Guest is the Head of Local and Regional Business Engagement at the University of Central Lancashire. He facilitates the University’s work with regional partners on a variety of diverse projects to maximise the region’s potential for local growth and redevelopment through research, innovation and knowledge exchange.
Matthew was previously a Policy Manager for GuildHE, the representative body for specialist and smaller universities and colleges where he led on knowledge exchange; skills policy; international policy and partnerships.
Matthew holds an MSc in Voluntary Sector Management from City, University of London and an MA in Classics from the University of St Andrews.
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