Success Stories
Awarded Projects
We launched the WIE Collaboration and Co-Production Fund in the autumn of 2021 to support staff and students to develop ongoing strategic relationships with local, regional, and national partners. In 2022-2023, we awarded up to £3000 to 11 projects.
We reflect below on the successes of this second year of the fund. You can also review three short films which follow the progress of the collaborations and reflect on the power of the partnerships. You can view all the films here or browse them on this webpages.
Outputs and Impact
The collaborations have resulted in 27 workshops for the general public, schools, and other special interest groups.
Resources (including films, reports, toolkits and new specialist equipment) have been created or bought for the arts sector (Bilton, Scott), schools (Anderson, Low, Koester) and community organisations (Astbury, Owen).
These projects led to two screenings and the staging or design of four exhibitions. New works of art were also produced including a body of poetry and painting (Moffat), collaborative writing and art projects (Ceron), a dance performance (Koester) and textile works (Low). Sujatha Menon’s poem ‘Reticulum’ (which came out of her collaboration with Kevin Moffat) was shortlisted for Aesthetica’s poetry prize and will be published in their Creative Writing Anthology 2024. The C&C Fund projects demonstrate the real value of bringing artists and academics together: research and art practice are transformed, translated and made more engaging.
New written works have been produced through these projects. These have included a conference paper, journal article, and new translations of research resources (Astbury). This year, three of our funded projects have (or will soon) directly contributed to the development of policy documentation (Bilton, Scott, Anderson).
Artist Sujatha Menon presenting her artwork for Reticulum.
Amplifying Voices
As with last year, our C&C Fund projects have amplified the voices of young people and other community members, allowing them to explore questions of identity, belonging and better preparing them for the future. The collaboration between Claire Anderson and Jet Jones (Saints Community Café/Together for Change), with ThinkHigher, The Coventry and Warwickshire Careers Hub, and Coventry University, enabled 12 Black and mixed Black heritage students in years 11 and 12 from a local sixth-form school to build a stronger sense of belonging in their community and develop new skills for, and perspectives on, the future. Fabienne Viala’s collaboration with Serendipity triggered discussions and conversations with BAME educators and activists in the Midlands about the climate emergency, though the lens of gender empowerment, whereas Kate Astbury’s collaborative research project with SV2G enabled a community group to take ownership of a crucial aspect of its history and embed research skills and training that will be of benefit to the community beyond the life of this project. Chris Bilton’s work with freelance artists empowered his participants, allowing them to re-evaluate their work and feel a sense of achievement and value for work which often goes under the radar.
Educational Impact
The C&C Fund projects also had an educational impact. In schools, new ways of working and new approaches to curricula were developed (Low, Viala, Koester, Anderson): a member of staff at the sixth-form school Claire Anderson worked with stated that she had observed the positive impact of the project on the group of young participants and the project was recently cited in the school Ofsted Report as a highlight of good practice. At the university, teaching and mentoring methods have been developed (Ceron), curricula changed (Owen) and undergraduate research projects were enabled (Astbury).
New methods of Engagement
New methods of engagement have been developed as a result of this funding, particularly in bringing scientists and artists together to create new works that translate research for a public audience (Koester, Moffat). Collaborating organisations have also been able to develop new ways of working, from new evaluation methods at the Belgrade Theatre (Scott), to new ways of working with dementia patients in Leamington Spa (Owen), and new exhibition resources at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum (Jemmett).
Reflections on the power of engagement.
“The project has been beneficial to everyone involved as it led to a synergy of different organisations coming together to share expertise and best practice, develop economies of scale, and become more of an ecosystem; connecting academics and professionals, role models and changemakers of the future, and an inspirational network of perspectives to build upon for the long term which may affect real, positive change within local communities.” (Darius Koester, Habitus)
“We have strengthened the connection between Warwick researchers and SV2G and enabled the Vincentian community to learn more about their past. We have been able to achieve so much more by working together than we could have individually.” (Kate Astbury, Caribbean Prisoners of War)
What's Next?
As with last year’s C&C Fund projects, all collaborations will continue beyond the funding period.
Future plans include:
- Two further internal funding bids
- Three external funding bids in the pipeline/secured
- Planning for the Research Centre for Access, Representation & Participation inthe Arts continues (mentioned in last year’s report also)
- Further collaborations planned (e.g. with the Combined Authority, Warwick District Council/Creative Compact for Bilton and Culture Central, with St Paul’s Cathedral for Astbury and SV2G, with social care teams, Alzheimer’s Society and MIND for Owen)
- Sharing research findings more widely x 3
- Further iterations of the same project (or scaling up of project) planned x 5
- Methods developed for this project will be repeated elsewhere because of their success
- Creative Industries skills audit (in collaboration with Vice Provost)
- Cultural policy development planned (Bilton, Scott)
- Curriculum/pedagogy development planned x 2