Log in
Through a series of well-established knowledge exchange partnerships, Leicester historians have enabled heritage organisations to identify a research agenda to inform their strategy, create innovative tourist information resources for historic sites in the UK, and manage the transition of these resources from paper to digital media. The cumulative impact of their contribution has been to extend the global reach of these organisations, to improve the quality of visitor experiences of the historic places they manage, to increase footfall and revenues at historic sites, and to develop — and realise — new pathways for economic growth by increasing demand for and strategic investment in heritage-based tourism.
Dr Richard Noakes led `Connecting Cornwall', a project working with the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum (PTM) from February 2009 - July 2012, looking at the lives and careers of the `ordinary' men who operated the Victorian and Edwardian British submarine cable network.
The project was fundamental in building a working relationship with PTM that now paves the way for future research-based collaborations. The exhibition also raised the profile of PTM. A new section of the website was created for PTM, greatly improving its online presence and user experience. Impacts on the public have included providing access to previously unseen archival material, preserving and displaying artefacts of cultural heritage and in educating people with regards to their local history.
The Colonial Film project produced a major new website housing an online catalogue of all films showing life in British colonies held by three major film archives (the British Film Institute National Archive, the Imperial War Museum, and the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum) from 1895 to the separate moments of independence. The project conserved and made newly accessible — both practically and intellectually — a significant global cultural heritage in the service of memorialising the frequently occluded history of the British Empire. It is now a major national and international resource, and has been utilised by its partner archives and others to improve their own cataloguing and hold new exhibitions.
Prior to Stevenson's 2007 biography, the work of the mid-twentieth-century artist Edward Burra was neglected within and beyond the academy. Following the publication of this biography, a major reassessment of his work has taken place. This has generated cultural capital, particularly through exhibitions based on Stevenson's research, including the first exhibition of Burra's work for 25 years, and a BBC4 documentary. The rediscovery of Burra has had a material impact on the price of his paintings, generating business for auction houses which, moreover, depend on Stevenson's research (disseminated through consultation) for attribution purposes and auction catalogue entries.
Professor Chaney's research has had a major impact on the awareness of the Grand Tour as one of the most significant cultural phenomena since the Renaissance, today's cultural tourism being its most obvious legacy. This has been achieved by international publications, the organization of conferences, exhibitions, numerous well attended public lectures throughout Britain, continental Europe, Egypt, America and Australia, and contributions to television and radio programmes, including BBC 4 and Radio 4. His promotion of Italian culture has been recognized by the Italian government with the title of Commendatore. His research continues to reach global audiences through Adam Matthew Digital's publication on The Grand Tour, 2009.
Ysanne Holt was Academic Advisor and Commissioning Editor for Tate's Camden Town Group in Context project, funded through the Getty Foundation's Online Scholarly Catalogue Initiative which aims to transform how museums disseminate information about their collections. Holt undertook and commissioned new research into the Group's artworks and their broader contexts. Impacts derived from the project's online catalogue include increased awareness for national and international public and specialists; and improved access to the art and its contexts via a multi-platform open access facility. In addition, the project has influenced the Tate's Digital Strategy and led to the creation of the new post of Digital Editor within Tate's Research Department.
Vanessa Toulmin's research into working class entertainment has had cultural and economic impact, creating and interpreting cultural capital to enrich and expand imaginations and sensibilities, and applying the knowledge gained from research to create wealth in the service, creative, and cultural sectors. Her research has galvanised the regeneration of Blackpool's Winter Gardens, helping raise £40 million to save the complex, and has rejuvenated Blackpool's cultural scene. These activities have increased visitor numbers and revenue, and have enhanced the public appreciation of these historic entertainment locations. Public understanding of the cultural and creative significance of working class entertainment has also been furthered by high-profile events such as CircusFest at London's Roundhouse, and numerous media appearances.
The London Screen Studies Collection (LSSC) based in Birkbeck School of Arts has played the key role in centralising, cataloguing and publicising the historic creative moving image record of London in the twentieth century. With the support of funding from Film London and UK Film Council Digital Film Archive Fund, it made a significant contribution to Screen Heritage UK, the £25 million project managed by the British Film Institute. Its ongoing collaboration with Film London has resulted most recently in a successful bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund. In addition, it led to a new exhibition at London Film Museum and a new initiative with a significant collection of historic industrial films in East London.
Research produced within the Leeds Centre for Victorian Studies (LCVS) has led to, through numerous public engagement activities, an impact on public understanding and appreciation of the Victorian era. The research on which this is founded relates to two members of the UOA, who particularly focus on Victorian identities, history and historical cultures in Britain and the British Empire. They have each engaged the public through public lectures at local museums and history groups, publishing their work in an accessible format and media appearances. Links have also been established with local museums that particularly focus on this period of history, enabling museum staff to promote their collections.
Northumbria University's research on the eighteenth-century novelist Laurence Sterne and on the literary significance of the Delaval family has had benefits for two arts and cultural organisations in the North East and Yorkshire. The research has secured new audiences and increased business activity and footfall for the Laurence Sterne Trust (LST), changed the emphasis of heritage interpretation at Seaton Delaval Hall (SDH) and expanded the range of activities offered by both organisations. We have developed long-term and sustainable relationships with both of our partners and are now co-designing collaborative projects with them.