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Research & Impact Services

Additional Information for Researchers

Information for Researchers

Researchers from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. Coventry Creates 2020 saw research spanning the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Health Sciences.

Successful applicants will need to commit some time to their project and collaboration. The amount of time will depend largely on how much time you want to (and can) give.

How much time will I need to commit to the project?

As an approximate minimum, the project will likely require a total of 2-3 days’ time. This will be for activities such as:

  • Meeting with your matched artist.
  • Responding to emails from the artist and Coventry Creates Co-ordinators.
  • Completing short project reports.
  • Attending the online launch and other events.
What are the benefits of participating in Coventry Creates?

  • The opportunity to work with the Coventry Arts and Cultural Sector during the City of Culture year.

  • A unique and individual piece of art produced in response to your research - such as a painting, song, video, poem or photograph.

  • An unrivalled opportunity to communicate your research to wider audiences via the Digital Exhibition and related social media - with likely invitations to participate in other related events.

  • The opportunity to broaden and/or deepen your research impact through art.

  • The opportunity to develop new relationships, networks and even friendships. Some researchers and artists from 2020 have continued to work together and develop their projects and relationships.

  • A number of researchers from 2020 are working on various journal articles in relation to their Coventry Creates experiences, and many noted how working with artists has helped them reflect on their research through a different lens.

  • Skills development - a number of researchers learnt new ways of working, new ways of communicating research and new creative skills.

If successful, how will I need to accept the award, and will I need to create a project report?

You will need to formally accept the award via email, and work with your departmental administrator and/or one of the Coventry Creates Coordinators (India Holme at the University of Warwick and Samima Hussain at Coventry University) to process paperwork to pay the artist/arts organisation.

You will also need to complete a brief interim report (November 2021), followed by a final project report (March 2022).

Coventry Creates Evaluation

We have undertaken some evaluative research for Coventry Creates 2020. Researchers, artists and administrators were interviewed and their responses analysed thematically. We are working with artists and researchers to create a Collaboration Toolkit PDF which will be available this summer. This will also include case studies from Coventry Creates 2020, common challenges and tips for researchers and artists looking to work collaboratively.

Potential Ethical Approval and GDPR

Depending on the content of your research and how you plan to collaborate with an artist/arts organisation, you may require ethical approval. Those that do will need the researcher to work quickly upon acceptance of the award. You will also need to ensure adherence to GDPR.

Please consult your institutional support teams for advice. In instances where researchers from across the City of Culture University Partnership are working together, a nominal lead researcher for the application and ethical approval is pursued via the nominal lead's institution.

Communicating your Research

The key task for researchers is the creation of a brief for the artist/arts organisation that explains the research project in an accessible way.

We highly advise that whilst preparing the brief, a non-expert audience is consulted for feedback. This consultation can take many forms - and involve presenting your brief to colleagues, friends and family to ensure it makes sense makes sense to a lay audience.

It may be helpful to consider the following questions as you prepare your application:

  • Could an artistic response to your research enable you to broaden your research audience?

  • Could it help to explain difficult concepts?

  • Could it provide you with a new means to communicate more widely and/or more effectively with stakeholders and/or the public?

  • Could public engagement with your research via the exhibition form part of your research impact pathway?

  • Could the potential contacts and relationships you make during the commission seed other pathways to impact? Or perhaps new research projects?

  • Could involvement in this call help you to maintain relationships with artists/arts organisations?

  • Could involvement help you develop your research differently? Some of the researchers involved with Coventry Creates 2020 noted that working with artists gave them new insights and perspectives.