Creating Prosperity: the role of higher education in ... - Universities UK

Creating Prosperity: the role of higher educationin driving the UK’s creative economy184.8 An example of research with a clear economic and social impact is the work of the Design AgainstCrime Research Centre at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, an exemplar in innovative,practice-led design solutions that help reduce crime in society. Through a series of AHRC-fundedresearch projects, the Centre, together with a range of industrial partners, developed a new bagholdingclip to prevent bag theft and secure cycle parking stands to reduce bicycle theft. Bothproducts have not only contributed to the reduction of crime, but are also in the process of successfulcommercialisation (AHRC, 2009).4.9 In the creative and performing arts, practice-based research has gained considerable currency andauthority over the last decade, and is helping to advance the development of professional practice.A recent report published by the Cultural Industries Development Agency (CIDA) highlights a numberof case studies to illustrate the ways in which academic research is contributing to the advancementof artistic practice (Devlin, 2010).4.10 For example, ResCen, the Centre for Research into Creation in the Performing Arts at MiddlesexUniversity, collaborated with the Beijing Dance Academy on a practice-based research projectto explore the ways in which creative performances can be seen as agents of change, helpingus to make sense of an increasingly complex world. The outputs of the project (a series of shortperformance pieces) found a wide audience, and this intercultural exchange has cascaded new ideasand new practices not only within the participating institutions, but more widely across the artisticcommunities in the UK and China, highlighting the internal impact of the work (Devlin, 2010).4.11 Higher education research also contributes to the development of the creative economy in otherways, for example by developing understanding of how creative businesses create value, and howtheir markets operate. Social science and humanities research centres at the universities of Warwick,Glasgow and Leeds and City University London, among others, are actively engaged in this kind ofresearch, influencing and informing policy that can better encourage creative economy growth.4.12 The growing importance of the digital environment to the creative economy has meant that EPSRCis now an increasingly important player in the research funding environment for the sector. With abudget in excess of £750 million, EPSRC is larger than both AHRC and ESRC, and supports researchacross disciplines relating to engineering and physical sciences. The digital economy is one of itsidentified priorities and EPSRC is leading the RCUK cross-council Digital Economy Programme(DEP), undoubtedly the single biggest investment in research relevant to the creative economyto date.4.13 With a broad remit ranging across culture and the creative industries to healthcare, the DEP aimsto support and enhance the UK academic community through multidisciplinary work. This includesfunding for three large, multidisciplinary research hubs and seven Centres of Doctoral Training.The programme has a research budget of £83 million and a training commitment of £34 million.4.14 The DEP is well aligned with the innovation needs of the creative economy. It is collaborative andmultidisciplinary, with multiple industry partners. In addition to technology research, it is also lookingat issues relating to business models and societal impacts, and has a strong focus on engagingthe user community in the research process. As this approach indicates, the boundaries betweencreativity and technology are dissolving, and this dichotomy between creativity and science nowlooks increasingly outdated.4.0 Higher education’s contribution