And Towns
Three AHRC-funded projects led by researchers at the University of Southampton developing understandings of culture, towns, recovery and pride.
Areas of research
- Neighbouring Data: Building on the creative methods developed during Feeling Towns, this 2023 project addresses key research challenges relating to the generation, connection and visualisation of data about place. It seeks to make clear, research-informed recommendations for using place-based data in towns and small cities.
- Feeling Towns: Drawing on the findings of Towns and the Cultural Economies of Recovery, this 2022 project brought together a community of practice from a range of sectors and geographies to better understand and evidence the correlation between place attachment, civic pride and the health of local cultural ecologies.
- Towns and the cultural economies of recovery: This scoping project, which ran through 2021, focused on the role of culture in town regeneration plans. It explored the complex economic infrastructures of the creative, cultural and heritage industries and the roles they play in developing the broader, changing economies of towns.
Contact details
Email: [email protected]
Creative Industries Clusters Programme
The Creative Industries Clusters Program unites cutting-edge research talent with companies and organisations from the UK’s four nations, marking a pioneering research and development investment.
Areas of work
The programme aims to:
- Drive Innovation: The primary aim is to foster innovation within the creative industries by investing substantially. This facilitates the development of novel ideas, technologies, and approaches that push the boundaries of creativity.
- Enhance Skills: The initiative aims to enhance skills by promoting education, training, and professional development, creating a workforce adaptable to evolving sector demands.
- Global Market Presence: Creating products and experiences with international appeal expands the global market presence of UK’s creative industries, boosting exports and contributing to economic growth.
- Collaboration and Clustering: Creative clusters encourage synergistic collaborations by bringing professionals, organizations, and institutions together, fostering networking and knowledge sharing.
Contact details
Culture Commons
A not-for-profit that conducts consultancy research covering a wide range of subjects pertinent to the creative and cultural sectors.
What do they do?
They provide services such as policy co-design; stakeholder mapping and engagement; designing policy roundtables, debates and outreach events; government, regulatory, and parliamentary analysis; 1-2-1 senior leadership counsel; political risk management; and communications and public affairs services.
Contact details
Email: [email protected]
Cultural Development Fund Network
The Cultural Development Fund (CDF) Network is the national collective that shares best practice and generates knowledge to capture and celebrate the success of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) CDF investment, which aims to further widen access to arts and culture in areas with historically low levels of cultural engagement and boost economic growth.
What do they do?
CDF support activities such as:
- Capital investment in physical space (construction projects) for culture and creative industries purposes.
- Capital investment in other assets for culture and creative industries purposes.
- Resource investment for culture and creative industries purposes.
Contact details
Email: [email protected]
Global Cultural Districts Network
The Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN) is an initiative that is committed to improving the quality of urban life through the contribution of the arts, culture, and creative industries. GCDN members represent policymakers, planners, and executives from widely diverse international contexts, all working at the intersection of culture and sustainable urban development.
Areas of research
Operational realities: governance and operating models; synergies, collaboration and partnerships; programming strategies; opportunities and challenges of (digital) technology
The environment: the role of culture in mitigating the climate crisis; adapting to the climate crisis; sustainable leadership.
Society: responsibilities of anchor institutions; equity and inclusion; skills, leadership, and pipeline development; and civic wellbeing and community development.
The economy: sustainable development, tourism, and equitable growth; and business models, investment and financing.
Contact details
Email: [email protected]
