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Coventry City of Culture 2021

Getting Creative with Sustainability

This call closed at 12noon on Monday 28 February, 2022. We will be sharing details about the funded projects during Spring 2022.

We are launching a call to fund local artists and creatives to work with Warwick researchers and external regional public/third sector organisations, around the broad theme of sustainability. These knowledge exchange-based collaborations will see the three parties involved sharing knowledge and insights around sustainability research in its broadest sense within the context of the organisation or region. These projects will create a means for researchers, organisations, and creatives to work together via an innovative and creative collaboration, which is designed to stimulate, develop, or cement relationships between UoW researchers and regional externals whilst supporting knowledge exchange, research development, impact, and communications.

Project collaborators will explore/develop the research together and create shareable pieces of creative work to stimulate regional or organisational conversations and partnerships, and communicate with defined audiences. This will support research impact pathways via the potential for organisations to incorporate the creative outputs and/or research within their work. Artists will be paid for their work, gaining valuable experience, relationship development and development of their artistic practice. To learn more about this and further benefits, please refer to our evaluative research and knowledge sharing reports on previous artist researcher collaborations.

With funding from UoW and low time commitment from organisations, this approach is a simple, novel route for public and third sector and creative organisations/SMEs/micro enterprises to build relationships with each other and UoW researchers, with a view to future projects and funding proposals. Organisations will also benefit from access to research expertise, exploration of new ways of working, and physical or digital creative commissions to exhibit and share with employees and the public. Whilst this will be for non-commercial purposes within the remit of these projects, depending on the evolution of the collaborations, the creative commission, and discussions between those involved, other purposes could be explored in the future.

  • We welcome the inclusion of UoW undergraduate and postgraduate students within project proposals. A small student project can be undertaken as part of the collaboration.
  • This call cannot fund extensive pieces of primary research, but it can be used for small pieces of research to support and develop the three-way collaborative working necessary to unite research, impact and creativity. This might be through analysis of data sets held by the organisation, for example.
  • Projects can include members of the public or other employees at the organisation, e.g. in a creative workshop about the research area and development of the creative commission.

Project flow

Key Information

Call open: 10am Monday 31st January
Call closes: 12 noon Monday 28th February
  • Applicants informed early March and brief collaboration agreements put in place/Ts and Cs accepted.
  • Projects officially commence in April and complete early-mid July
  • R&IS will coordinate payments to creatives/creative organisations
  • Short project report/feedback forms, one for each party in the collaboration – circulated mid-June and returned mid-August.

Who can apply?

UoW researchers at any career stage (including PhD) who are working on sustainability related research in any discipline, but we especially welcome proposals from the social sciences, arts, and humanities. Sustainability is understood in broad terms, as set out in the UN Sustainable Development Goals - including physical or mental health and well-being, work, culture, environment, food, cities, reducing inequalities etc. This is not an exhaustive list, rather one to communicate the breadth of research.

Links to organisations and creatives

  • Ideally applicants will have a link with a regional organisation. This can be a link made for the purposes of applying to this call, a connection via an event or colleague, or an ongoing/historic relationship that will benefit from a focussed endeavour to re-energise and reconnect. However, where a researcher or organisation is keen to collaborate but does not have an appropriate connection, please reach out to us to discuss.
  • Connections to a suitable creative/creative organisation will be made by the funding panel in most instances, you do not need to have a creative contact. We have a number of Coventry Creates artists who have expressed interestLink opens in a new window in this call and we are likely to receive further EOIs by the call deadline. We do also welcome applications where a creative/creative organisation is already included.

What funding is available?

£2750-£3750 per collaboration, comprising:

  • £2250 for the creative/creative organisation for their time, expertise, and commission. R&IS will coordinate payments made to creatives.
  • £500-£1500 for researcher costs e.g., research assistant costs, workshop costs (including incentive gift vouchers), catering, travel, student project costs etc. If you are applying towards the top end of this bracket please reach out to India to discuss. India.holme@warwick.ac.uk 
  • The public/third sector organisation will be contributing the time of the individual/s involved in the Knowledge Exchange discussions.
  • These funds can be combined with other appropriate internal/external sources of funding that have already been secured.
  • ALL costs must be spent in full by 31.07.2022 – any costs or expenses not fully processed and allocated to the project code after this date will not be covered and must be picked up by the Department of the lead researcher.

Ethical Approval

  • The lead researcher is responsible for obtaining ethical approval, either via their department for student projects or via HSSREC. With decisions made late Feb/early March, the 28.03.22 HSSREC deadline can be met with decisions given in early April.

Application Form

A short application form can be found hereLink opens in a new window.

Any questions please contact India Holme – india.holme@warwick.ac.uk - please note that during half-term w/c 21st February India will be available on Tuesday 22nd.