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`The Sublime Object' was a major AHRC-funded project of the Tate Britain, which used a range of open access media, free public exhibitions and events to promote new understanding of the ways in which perceptions of the Sublime in the external landscape are shaped by cultural experiences, and which was substantially shaped by Professor Philip Shaw's work.
Shaw worked with Tate Education/Learning to develop initiatives that would engage Tate's gallery and online audiences closely in an exploration of the concept of the Sublime, a theoretical concept encompassing ideas of the great, the awe-inspiring, and the overpowering. Through the collaboration of the public, artists, and academics, this work articulates ways in which the Sublime is experienced today. Shaw's research conceptually underpinned the project, helping to shape the ideas of artists, Tate visitors (in person and online), and curators. His thinking for pieces commissioned by the project was, in turn, shaped by this dialogue, demonstrating the enrichment of research via its initial impact.
This case study focuses on impact derived from Ildiko Rippel's practice-based research in contemporary performance, resulting in the presentation of Blueprint (2012), a performance involving interaction of performers with their mothers, who are present within the work via real-time video links. Blueprint continues to be performed at festivals and in venues in the UK. Impact, to date, has comprised: opportunities for public engagement with contemporary performance practice and furtherance of public understanding of it; the work's contribution to public performance programming in the UK; its contribution to development of contemporary theatre practices through experience and discussion of it amongst theatre/performance practitioners, promoters and critics; contribution to the vibrancy of publicly available contemporary arts culture in the UK.
The Stonehenge Riverside Project was carried out between 2003 and 2010, to determine the purpose of Stonehenge by investigating both the monument and the surrounding landscape. The project's reach and importance have been considerable, from training and inspiring the next generation of professional archaeologists to stimulating people worldwide with new knowledge about Stonehenge, providing artistic inspiration and changing perceptions and beliefs about the use of the site, leading to significant economic, cultural and technological benefits.
The project is inspired by an impact agenda, its aim being to benefit many constituencies by making its research freely available on its website. The research is making a major contribution to public understanding of Magna Carta and helping to shape the agenda for the celebrations of its 800th anniversary in 2015. The resource encourages active involvement in history by many beneficiaries — local communities, family historians, the heritage industry, university students, and schools (where the reform of the history curricula re-emphasies this period of history) — allowing them to connect with their past in meaningful and hitherto impossible ways.
Yaqin's research on Muslim women's stereotyping and self-image has heavily informed on-going discussions regarding the representation of Muslims in the media and how it shapes public perception of the Muslim community and Islam more broadly. Through active engagement with the media and the public, her research findings have impacted on a wide audience, increasing awareness and understanding of how negative portrayals of Muslims are created and, more importantly, how they can be countered.
Winchester's History Department has an impact on all periods of local and regional history, principally that of Wessex, engaging with:
Decorative ironwork pervaded medieval England. In 1999 Jane Geddes published the first specialised study of the medium: Medieval Decorative Ironwork in England. Its findings generated impact when English Heritage decided to re-furnish Dover Castle in the fashion of its regal hey-day around 1180. All the iron elements in the furniture were based on the precise descriptions and dates available in Medieval Decorative Ironwork in England. Geddes helped train smiths and carpenters for the job. Visitor numbers and income increased when the project opened in 2009 and by 2010/11 had risen by 22 per cent and 48 per cent respectively. The launch of Dover Castle as an enhanced visitor attraction improved the tourist footfall in Dover town. In addition, two major TV programmes have expanded the cultural reach of this research.
The project to reintroduce the Great Bustard, a globally endangered bird formerly extinct in the UK, is this country's flagship platform to raise public awareness of threatened species and the need to preserve biodiversity. The group led by Professor Tamás Székely at the University of Bath contributes directly to the implementation of the reintroduction and provides the research that underpins the project. The project has successfully established a new breeding population, enhanced the survival of released birds and achieved ecological enrichment in the release area. In addition, the project has recruited volunteers and supporters from a broad range of society, has been the subject of extensive media coverage and is the focus of a public engagement programme on conservation. The bird has been adopted as the emblem of the county in which it is being released.
Arthur Burns' research on the history of the Anglican Church in England and Wales has had an impact on the Church, on its congregations, and on a wider public interested in genealogy and local history. The Building on History Knowledge Transfer Fellowship ensured a particular impact in London, as well as generating wider interest; the Clergy of the Church of England Database is consulted worldwide; his ongoing work on Thaxted already informs an important TV film.
This case study relates to cultural life and education. Kenneth Fincham is an internationally renowned scholar in the field of British Early Modern History, and the impact arose from a major research programme funded by the AHRC to create:
The database is an online resource launched in 2005 and available free to all users. It provides a relational database and supporting website containing key information on clergy, schoolteachers and ecclesiastical patrons which has brought together for the first time a comprehensive range of sources. From the start CCEd was designed to serve constituencies outside as well as within academia, and it has proved an invaluable resource for genealogists across the globe seeking information on clerical ancestors, local historians researching parish histories, independent researchers interested in the clergy, and hard-pressed archivists responsible for managing and interpreting major diocesan collections. It has received in excess of 9.9m hits since 2010 and highly positive feedback from its many different types of user.