We’re excited to have launched Collaborate, a new fund to support innovative new research projects between cultural sector practitioners and academics.

The fund aims to support projects that will contribute to deeper understanding of the differences arts, culture, heritage and screen makes to people’s lives, as well as the range of research methodologies used to explore cultural value.

Questions about the differences that arts, culture, heritage and screen-based activities make to people’s lives have come into sharp relief during the pandemic and our Covid-19 research has highlighted how the majority of the UK population equate cultural activities with their wellbeing. In this context, it is more important than ever to capture the impacts that cultural activities have on people through rigorous and meaningful research.

Ben Walmsley, Director, Centre for Cultural Value

There will be two rounds of funding – one in autumn 2021 and one in autumn 2022. We will be supporting around 15 projects, with awards ranging from £5K to £20K.

Expressions of interest for cultural practitioners will be open between 18 October and 24 November 2021, and for academic researchers between 6 December 2021 and 26 January 2022.

The launch of the fund follows a pilot project which has been running this year, with Manchester Camerata and Michelle Phillips from the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). Find out more about the pilot and hear more about their experiences of being involved with Collaborate in this short video.

Information and resources to support cultural practitioners in the application process is now available. We’re also running two briefing events on 5 October and 12 October for practitioners to come and find out more.

Visit our funding pages for more information about Collaborate, and read the latest blog on Collaborate from the Centre’s Ben Walmsley and Liz Harrop.

Image credit: Witness This, Company Chameleon. Photo: Joel Chester Fildes.